Uigher Style Naan

Step 1

In a mixing bowl, combine the following ingredients: 1kg of all-purpose flour, 2.5 tsp of salt, 2 tbsp of sugar, 2 whole egg, 1 pack of instant yeast (7g), 120 grams of vegetable oil, and 440 grams of milk. Use your spatula to mix it.

Step 2

Knead it by hand (8-10 minutes) or a stand mixer (10-12 minutes) until the dough is smooth and elastic.

Step 3

Cover it the dough with a lightly damp towel and let it proof at room temperature for 1 hour.

Step 4

1 hour later, it should be doubled in volume. lightly dust your finger with some flour and poke a 1/2 inch deep hole in the middle; The hole remains so we know we are ready for the next step.

Step 5

Make a fist and punch the dough for a minute to eliminate the air bubbles that are formed from the expanding carbon dioxide during the proofing.

Step 6

Then continue to knead it on the working surface for another 5 minutes or until most of the air pockets are gone. This can also be done with the KitchenAid. You just let it run on low speed for about 5 minutes.

Step 7

Divide the dough. You can eyeball how much dough you want to use as this depends on your tool's size and how big/thick you want your naan to be. I am just going to go with 4 huge ones.

Step 8

Shape each one into a smooth ball. Cover the dough again with a lightly damp towel, and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. This relaxes the gluten and makes the dough easier to roll out later. Otherwise, it will bounce back when you try to roll it flat.

Step 9

I am making 2 onion naan and 2 sesame naan today. For the onion flavor, you will need to saute 1/4 cup of chop red onion with 2-3 tbsp of vegetable oil until fragrance. Set it aside.

Step 10

For the sesame naan, soak 2 tbsp of sesame seeds with 1.5 tbsp of milk for 10 minutes. This prevents the sesame seeds from burning while baking. You can use both raw or toasted sesame seeds.

Step 11

Dissolve 1 tsp of salt into 1 cup of water. Stir and set it aside.

Step 12

Put the pizza stone or cast-iron skillet into the oven and preheat the oven to 500 F

Step 13

Use a clean and lightly damp cloth to wrap a strainer tool. Tight it up. Set it aside.

Step 14

15 minutes later, the dough should be much softer. Roll it with a rolling pin until the diameter reaches about 10 inches. Form the edge to make it thicker. Use your knuckles to press the middle to make it thinner. At the same time, if you see that the edge is becoming a bit flat, you can always form it again.

Step 15

Apply the sauteed onion or soaked sesame onto the naan. Use the tip of your fingers to keep pressing the bread. It will help the onion bits or sesame seeds to attach to the bread.

Step 16

Stamp the bread by using a Naan Zhen or a fork. Flip the naan on the cloth wrapped strainer. Onion side down. Wet your hand with the salt solution and apply it to the naan. This will ensure the naan sticks to the pizza stone and create a crusty bottom.

Step 17

Quickly open the oven. Stick the naan in and carefully flip it on the pizza stone. Press the center a few times to make sure the bottom sticks to the pizza stone fully. Otherwise, the center will bulge quickly, and your bread will not come out crispy. Put in the other piece of naan.

Step 18

Quickly spray some water and close the oven.

Step 19

Each naan takes about 10-15 minutes depends on your oven. If this is the first time you are making naan in your oven, be sure to keep an eye on them. In my case, I already know it will take about 12 minutes.