Charred Garlic Naan

Headnote

This is a lean, supple naan shaped by fermentation, enriched just enough for tenderness, and finished over direct heat for a clean char. Garlic is used with restraint so it perfumes the bread without disturbing its balance. The result should be soft within, lightly blistered outside, and assertive only in its freshness.

Recipe essentials

Dish category: Flatbread

Cuisine or origin: Indian

Course type: Bread, accompaniment

Yield: 1 naan

Serving size: 85 g

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 8 minutes

Total time: 2 hours 8 minutes

Difficulty: Intermediate

Equipment

Mixing bowl

Bench scraper

Kitchen scale

Rolling pin

Cast-iron skillet or heavy griddle, 25 cm

Tongs

Clean kitchen towel

Ingredients

Dough

Wheat flour, 48 g

Water, 22 g

Yogurt, 8 g

Vegetable oil, 3 g

Sugar, 2 g

Salt, 1 g

Yeast, 1 g

Finish

Garlic, 2 g, finely grated

Method

1. In a mixing bowl, combine the wheat flour, sugar, salt, and yeast. Add the water, yogurt, and vegetable oil. Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead for 6 to 8 minutes until smooth, elastic, and only lightly tacky.

2. Cover the dough and rest at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until visibly expanded and aerated. It should feel lighter under the fingers and hold a gentle indentation when pressed.

3. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into a neat oval. Rest it, covered, for 15 minutes so the gluten relaxes.

4. Preheat a cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. The surface should be hot enough that a trace of flour darkens within seconds, but not so hot that it burns immediately.

5. Roll the dough to an oval approximately 18 cm long and 10 cm wide, keeping the thickness even. Brush the surface lightly with the grated garlic, pressing it in so it adheres without tearing the dough.

6. Lay the naan onto the hot skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until the underside is deeply marked and the top begins to blister. Turn it and cook the second side for 1 to 2 minutes more, until spotted with char and fully cooked through. The bread should remain soft and pliant, not dry.

7. Remove the naan and let it stand for 1 minute before serving. This brief pause settles the crumb and preserves its tenderness.

Plating and serving

Serve the naan warm, presented flat and slightly folded at the center so the blistered surface remains visible. The bread should be supple, aromatic, and evenly charred at the edges, with a tender interior and a clean garlic finish.

Professional notes

Keep the dough soft; excess flour will tighten the crumb and dull the final texture. The skillet must be properly heated before the naan goes on, or the bread will dry before it blisters. Garlic should be fine and sparing, applied just before cooking so it perfumes the surface without burning.