Whole Wheat Garlic Naan

I love the look of this pan-fried buttery garlic naan! It puffs and bubbles and sizzles when you add it to the skillet and a few minutes later (flipping once partway through) you have fresh homemade Indian bread. You can roll it out super thin, or leave it semi-thick for a more doughy chewy result (my preference). Infusing the butter with garlic before cooking the naan provides that essential burst of garlic flavor while eliminating the chance of scorching the garlic, which would be almost unavoidable if it were left in chunks. We topped our naan with brown rice and tikka masala sauce. This recipe makes a good amount, depending on how large and thick you roll them. It will safely serve 4, possibly 6. Leftovers can be frozen and reheated in the microwave or oven.

While the above method worked great, in the future I plan to try baking naan on a pizza stone. You can place your rolled-out dough on a preheated (450-500F) pizza stone until puffed and browned. Only after safely removing it from the stone and oven, and while it is still hot, you will want to brush it with the garlic butter. If anyone has tried this alternative, I'd be interested to hear how it turned out!

INGREDIENTS
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp. white sugar (or honey)
3 Tbsp. plain yogurt
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
3 1/2-4 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour or whole wheat bread flour
2 tsp. minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large bowl dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, yogurt, egg, salt, baking soda, and enough flour to make dough soft. Knead on a lightly floured surface for 6-8 minutes or until dough is smooth. Place in a well oiled bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.

2. Punch down dough. Pinch off small handfuls (about golf ball size) and roll into balls. Place on a tray, cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.

3. To infuse butter with garlic, melt butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and saute until golden. Strain the garlic and save the butter to brush over the naan.

4. Preheat grill, griddle, or saute pan to medium high heat. Roll each ball of dough into a thin circle (or thicker for chewier naan). Lightly butter the grill pan. Place dough on pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until puffy and lightly browned. Brush the uncooked side with the garlic infused butter and flip over. Cook until puffy and browned. Remove from the grill and continue until all the naan has been cooked. Serve hot.

Serves 4-6.

(Adapted from All Recipes)