naan bread
I have been on a mission to make everything from scratch in an effort to reduce all the additives, preservatives and refined vegetable oils that I am eating from processed food. Once you start looking at labels, it is amazing what you will find. My favorite brands of oat milk (Oatley and Califa) both have a seed or a vegetable oil in them which makes me very sad. If you want to know more about the negative effects of refined vegetable and seed oils, then I suggest reading The Fatburn Fix by Catherine Shanahan. In a nutshell, refined vegetable and seed oils (think safflower oil, rapeseed oil, canola oil, sunflower oil and vegetable oil) cause inflammation and reduce our cells ability to function optimally. Inflammation shows up in our body as aching and stiffness in our joints, headache, tiredness, irritability, hormonal problems and so much more. In addition to inflammation, the vegetable and seed oils stop our body’s ability to burn fat resulting in weight gain. According to Catherine Shanahan, 80% of the average American fat calories from vegetable oils which means that on average the average American is eating 50 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids (such as vegetable oils) per day which is 5 times more than the body can handle. That is a staggering statistic. Even if you think you eat relatively ‘clean’, you will be amazed at the amount of vegetable and seed oils that exist even in organic ‘healthy’ processed/ready to go food. I challenge you…open up your fridge and pantry and start reading labels.
So with all of this in mind, I have been trying to eliminate all refined vegetable oils from my diet. And it’s not as easy as you think! Hence the decision to make naan breads from scratch. By making them from scratch, I can ensure that there are no harmful oils or preservatives in them. This naan bread recipes comes from Jamie Oliver and are super easy to make. However, be sure to start this recipe 2 hours prior to dinner time as they take about 1.5 hours to rise and then you will need 15 to 20 minutes or so to cook them. Serve them with my favorite vegetable curry.
One more thing…olive oil is good for you and is not considered a highly refined vegetable oil. I do encourage you to buy good quality olive oil whenever possible ideally single harvest olives and first pressed. But that’s a whole other blog!
Ingredients
½ x 7 g sachet of dried yeast
1 teaspoon runny honey
45 g ghee, or unsalted butter
250 g strong white bread flour , plus extra for dusting
3 heaped tablespoons low-fat natural yoghurt (I used Greek full fat yoghurt and they turned out great)
Creating the Magic!
Combine the yeast, honey and 125ml of lukewarm water in a bowl, then set aside for 5 minutes, or until starting to bubble.
Melt the ghee/butter in a small pan over a low heat. Meanwhile, combine the flour and ½ tablespoon of sea salt in a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
Pour 1 tablespoon of the melted ghee/butter into the well, followed by the yoghurt and yeast mixture, then beat the wet ingredients together with a fork. Gradually start incorporating the flour from the sides until it starts to form a rough dough, then bring it together with your hands – it should be soft and sticky, so add a splash more water, if you think it needs it.
Knead the dough on a flour-dusted surface for around 5 minutes, or until smooth, then place into a lightly floured bowl.
Cover with a clean tea towel and leave in a warm place for 1 hour 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.
Once risen, knock back the dough with your fist, then divide into 6 balls. Roll each portion into an oval shape, roughly 1½cm thick.
Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat, add a naan bread and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, or until cooked through, turning halfway.
Brush with a little of the remaining ghee/butter and a small pinch of salt. Keep warm in the oven while you make the remaining breads. Delicious served with your favorite curry.
Note
I also made this recipe using 50% whole wheat flour and 50% white flour (pictured in the photo). The naan breads were good but I personally preferred the breads made with 100% white flour. I am going to keep experimenting with whole wheat flour - next time I will try 30% whole wheat and see what happens.