a boy, a girl, and a kitty: guest blog: naan

My sister, Jill, recently was visiting my brother and his family. They decided to make zucchini hummus and naan (an Indian flatbread). Jill took pictures as they made the bread so she could share! Unfortunately, she also started to feel the side effects of the stomach flu midway through the breadmaking process... and getting "pretty" pictures was not as important as just freakin' finishing. Regardless, she says the bread is amazingly delicious - the kind you cram in your mouth as soon as it's finished baking... and probably never have leftovers. Enjoy!

Naan (from allrecipes.com)
1 (1T.) package active dry yeast
1c. warm water
1/4c. sugar
3T. milk
1 egg, beaten
2t. salt
4 1/2c. bread flour (if you don't have bread flour regular flour works as well)
2t. garlic, minced (optional)
1/4c. butter, melted
(any other seasonings you might want: rosemary, garlic salt, etc.)

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy.

Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6-8 minutes on a lightly floured surface or until smooth (or just use the dough hook in the KitchenAid mixer).

Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise (or just leave in KitchenAid bowl). Let rise 1 hour, or until dough has doubled.

Punch down dough. (Knead in garlic, if desired.) Pinch off small handfuls of dough, about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a greased cookie sheet. Cover with a towel and allow to rise until double in size, about 30 minutes.

(The above dough balls were just there to raise - they should be spread out more on separate sheets to bake.)

Flatten the doughballs with the palms of your hands to desired thickness, about 1/4inch. Bake at 400 degrees for 4 minutes. Flip the bread, brush the tops with butter, and sprinkle with herbs, salt, etc. Bake another 4 minutes, or until golden brown.