No bread is an island

...entire of itself. (With apologies to John Donne!)
I live and breathe breadmaking. I’m an evangelist who would like everyone to make his or her own bread. I want to demystify breadmaking and show it as the easy everyday craft that it is. To this end I endeavour to make my recipes as simple and as foolproof as I possibly can.

I call my blog 'No bread is an island' because every bread is connected to another bread. So a spicy fruit bun with a cross on top is a hot cross bun. This fruit dough will also make a fruit loaf - or Chelsea buns or a Swedish tea ring...
I'm also a vegan, so I have lots of vegan recipes on here - and I'm adding more all the time.

Sunday, 1 September 2013

NAAN BREAD USING JUST FLOUR AND WATER


Ingredients:
200g (or 1 mug) self raising flour
1/4 tsp salt (optional)
125ml (or 1/3rd mug) water

Method:
Measure the dry ingredients and place them in a large mixing bowl and pour in the water. Have a little water to hand to add if necessary, remember, it is better for your dough to be on the sticky side - especially since you'll be rolling these out flat using flour. Begin to mix by stirring the ingredients together with a table knife. When it gets too stiff for the knife, use one hand to turn the bowl round, whilst the other hand begins to squeeze the mixture together. Make sure the dough stays soft - don’t be afraid to add more water. When all the flour has been mixed in, wipe the bowl around with the dough, turn it out onto the worktop and knead (flatten and fold) for about 10 seconds, no more.

There are several ways to shape these - here are two suggestions:
Table naan: Using a rolling pin and on  a floured surface, roll out the dough into a large square. Place it on a prepared baking sheet and put it straight into the oven.

Traditional tear drop shape: Divide the dough into four pieces, sprinkle with flour, then roll out first into a circle, and then into an oval. Place them on a prepared baking sheet and put them straight into the oven.

Bake at 220C, 425F or gas mark 7 for 10-15 minutes. Check after 7-8 minutes. Turn it over if necessary to ensure both sides are coloured enough.

Or:
Divide into 4 pieces and roll each piece out to about 10cm by 15cm (4" x 6"). Place under a hot grill and keep a close eye on them when grilling because they can swell up and begin to burn if you’re not careful. Turn over after 2 or 3 minutes. 

Or:
Cook these in the frying pan with a little oil.

14 comments:

  1. Paul. Looks like I'm eating well tomorrow. I'm going to try these as well. Many thanks for your Blog.

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  2. Well done, Mike!

    Happy to help - if you've time, let me know how they went.

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  3. Thanks again Paul. These were perfect. I also did pancakes. Also perfect. However. I will wait for your blog on Dumplings, as mine turned out solid and heavy. Tonight, I am preparing a type of roll for soup. It is amazing what you can do with just Flour and Water. Just one question. How the heck did I get to my age before discovering this?. Well done to you.

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  4. Thanks for the feedback - Mike! I'm continually surprised by what can be achieved with just flour and water - there's probably more to discover!

    I'll have a go with dumplings this week, hopefully, and I'll certainly post my results - heavy or light! :)

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  5. I've been waiting on recipes like these!!!, No yeast or bicarb n so-forth.... Thank You so much!

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  6. Sorry to say that the self raising flour I use does contain bicarb.
    If you can't have bicarb, your best bet is to go for something like this
    http://nobreadisanisland.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=socca

    ATB, Paul

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  7. Could you fill the naan with say mince like they do in the restaurants?? Just a thought. Making me hungry now lol

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  8. i make dough just as you do then break it into small balls flatten them fry them in oil and serve with jam my kids love them

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  9. Excellent - there are so many things you can do with a bread dough.

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  10. that's not really just flour and water - self raising flour isn't 'just flour' I think.

    Just a quibble but worth mentioning I think.

    I came here searching for breads as made by the most primitive peoples - or the most deprived like the Syrian refugees and such.

    We see them making flat bread on hot rocks or whatever on t.v.

    I don't think they're using self raising flour.

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  11. That's a fair point, Arthur. But here in the UK, s/r flour is widely available. I wasn't trying to make an unleavened bread.

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  12. I've been using self raising to make naan since I was 13 , it's much better constantly kneeding atia

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