Naan Recipe

Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour(maida)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon yogurt (dahi)
1/4 teaspoon yeast
1 cup water or as per need

Preparation:  To the all purpose flour add the salt and mix. Next, add the yogurt and yeast and mix.
Add water as needed and form a smooth and pliable dough.  Cover the dough and keep it in a warm place for 4 to 8 hours to ferment.  I usually make the dough in the evening and keep it overnight for fermenting.

After 4 to 8 hours and after the dough has nicely fermented.  Move it to a work surface with some flour spread over it.  Knead it lightly and divide it into 6 parts.  Roll each part into a round or oval shape.

To cook it on a gas burner, place the rolled naan on a griddle(tawa) and let it warm up until bubbles start showing.  Turn it over and let it cook on the other side, when more bubbles appear remove it from the griddle and place it on the gas flame to puff up.  After it puffs up turn it over and let it cook on the other side.  Remove it from the flame and it is ready.

To bake it in the oven, preheat the oven on high-broil.  Place the rolled naan on a broiler tray lined with aluminum foil and place the tray on the third rack close to the heating coil giving the naan enough room to puff up.  Let it cook for a minute or so until it puffs up.  When the naan puffs up turn it over and let it cook on the other side.  Let it cook for 30 seconds or so and remove, and it is ready.  Makes 6 naan.

Ginger Apricot and Pistachios White bread

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3 cups bread flour
1 cup water 
1 1/2 teaspoon rapid rise yeast
3 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup shredded ginger
3/4 cup chopped apricots
1/4 cup chopped pistachios
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon olive oil

Shred 1/4 cup of ginger.  Boil 1/2 cup of water add shredded ginger to it and allow it to cool.  When cool strain it with a tea strainer.  Keep the ginger extract and discard the pulp.

From the bread flour subtract 3 tablespoon of bread flour and add it to 1/2 cup slightly warm water, add sugar and yeast mix and keep it in a warm place for the yeast to ferment.
  

To the bread flour add salt, mix, make a well in the center slowly add the fermented yeast mixture, oil, ginger extract and form a dough.  After all off the ingredients have combined on a lightly floured surface start kneading the dough for at least 10 to 15 minutes until it is soft and stretchy.  Press the dough into a round distribute the apricots and pistachios over the dough and knead it till all of it is mixed in.  Shape the dough and press it into a lightly greased loaf pan and leave it in a warm place covered to rise till it is doubled.  

Bake it in the middle rack for  400 degrees for the first 10 minutes after which reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Bread should double during the first rising, if it does not then it may be due to temperature, humidity or barometric pressure.  Keep the dough covered during rising.  Keep it in a warm place where there is no draft.  Kneading is important to form gluten.


Note:  Baking is tricky.  Use this recipe as a reference only and adjust it to the area you are living.  The ingredients will be different in your area.

Black Olive Bread

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3 cups bread flour
1 cup water
1 1/2 teaspoon rapid rise yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup chopped black olives
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning soaked in a little water
A few fresh basil leaves chopped
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoon olive oil

From the bread flour subtract 3 tablespoon of bread flour and add it to 1/2 cup water, add sugar and yeast mix and keep it in a warm place for the yeast to ferment.  After the yeast has fermented add oil.

To the bread flour add salt and Italian seasoning make a well in the center slowly add the fermented yeast mixture and form a dough.  After all off the ingredients have combined on a lightly floured surface start kneading the dough for at least 10 to 15 minutes until it is soft and stretchy.  Press the dough into a round distribute the olives and basil over the dough and knead it till all of it is mixed in.

Shape the dough and press it into a lightly greased loaf pan and leave it in a warm place covered to rise.  When dough has risen and doubled bake it in the middle rack for 400 degrees for the first 10 minutes after which reduce the temperature to 375 degrees and bake for 15 minutes.

Bread should double during the first rising, if it does not then it may be due to temperature, humidity or barometric pressure.  Keep the dough covered during rising.  Keep it in a warm place where there is no draft.  Kneading is important to form gluten.


Note:  Baking is tricky.  Use this recipe as a reference only and adjust it to the area you are living.  The ingredients will be different in your area.

Home made White Bread

Ingredients:

3 cups Bread flour

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon rapid rise yeast
3 tablespoon of melted butter
1 1/4 cups of milk at room temperature can substitute with water

Preparation:  In a bowl with 3 cups of bread flour add salt and mix.

Separately to the milk add sugar and yeast mix and set it aside until it has started to ferment.  Takes about 15 to 20 minutes.  

Make a well in center of the flour add the fermented yeast and start forming a dough.  Once the dough is formed knead it for at least 10 to 15 minutes.  Pull the sides together and with the seams down place it in a loaf pan.  Press the dough in the pan till it fills it up.

Cover it and let it rise in a warm place or in the oven with the light on but power off until it has doubled.  It takes about an hour or so.  Give it enough time to rise.  To make a good bread the yeast needs time to do its work.
   
Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees.  Place the bread in the middle rack and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until it is done. Remove and let it cool before removing it from the pan and slicing.  

You can make hot home made bread at home faster than you ever thought.  The texture is just superb.  The aroma is out of this world.  Anyone can make it.

Bread should double during the first rising, if it does not then it may be due to temperature, humidity or barometric pressure.  Keep the dough covered during rising.  Keep it in a warm place where there is no draft.  Kneading is important to form gluten.


Note:  Baking is tricky.  Use this recipe as a reference only and adjust it to the area you are living.  The ingredients will be different in your area.