{Gluten and Dairy Free} Naan Bread

Gluten Free on a Shoestring must have read my mind. One summer during college I went to India to serve and help out.  I met some of the spiciest food I have ever encountered. And I mean spicy!  Food so spicy that even tolerant local people were literally visibly sweating.  My all time favorite thing to eat was Naan bread with different sauces/chutneys. It's the one thing I truly miss and she came up with this great gluten free version!  They are kind of like a cross between a pita and a tortilla. This would go really well with a Tasty Bite deal such as this Bombay Potatoes. Or this super yummy Chicken Tikka Masala recipe you can make in the crock pot. She has amazing recipes worth checking out! I have put some dairy subs in parentheses.

Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: >10 minutes Yield: 8 pieces

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 cups (350g) high-quality all-purpose gluten-free flour, plus more

1 1/4 teaspoons xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

4 1/2 teaspoons (18g) sugar

2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast

1/3 cup (76g) plain yogurt, at room temperature (I would use plain coconut yogurt with 1/2 tsp lemon juice or vegenaise)

3 tablespoons (45g) ghee, melted and cooled (can substitute equal amount of olive oil)

1 egg plus 1 egg white, at room temperature (egg replacer for two eggs or 2 TBS Chia and 6 TBS  water might work!)

3/4 cup (6 ounces) warm water, about 105°F

Ghee or butter for frying

DIRECTIONS

• In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place 2 1/2 cups flour, xanthan gum, salt, cream of tartar and sugar, and whisk to combine well. add the yeast and whisk again to combine. Add the yogurt, ghee, egg and egg white, and mix on low speed with the paddle attachment until just combined. With the mixer still on low speed, add the water in a steady stream. Once the water has been absorbed, turn the mixer up to medium speed and mix for about 3 minutes. The dough will most likely be quite fluffy. Add more flour by the tablespoon, mixing well after each addition, until the dough thickens and begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl in spots. It will not turn into a fully integrated ball of dough on its own.
• Turn off the mixer and scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl and gently press it into a ball (see photo). The dough should be smooth and fragrant. Cover the bowl and place the dough in a warm, draft-free spot to rise until it is nearly doubled in volume (see photo), about 35 minutes.
• Once the dough has finished rising, turn it out onto a lightly floured piece of parchment paper. Place about 2 tablespoons ghee or butter in a cast iron skillet, and melt over medium heat. Divide the dough into 8 pieces, each about 95 grams. With the pan is heating, lightly flour the first piece of dough. Cover it with another sheet of parchment paper, and roll into an elongated oval, about 3/8 inch thick (see photo). Dust both sides of the dough lightly with flour, and place in the hot pan. Fry on one side until large blisters begin to form, about 1 minute. Allow to continue to fry for another 30 seconds to one minute, or until the underside is golden brown. Flip the bread to cook on the other side until browned – another minute or so. Remove to a paper towel. Repeat with the remaining 7 pieces of dough.
• Serve immediately. Freeze any unused portion.