How to Make… Naan Bread with Zouk

The simple flatbread is actually really rich in history – becoming a widespread in the Middle East since way before the 12th century. Once served as part of Noble families breakfasts, naan is now a staple in almost every Indian dish.

You really can’t eat one of Zouk’s fantastic curries without a naan bread on the side to dip into the luscious sauce. We went down to talk to their resident baker, Abdul who walked us through how he’s perfected making naans on mass for Zouk over the last 10 years.

The amazing thing about naan bread, although a side dish, is that there is no end to the possibilities of flavour combinations and you really can be as imaginative as you want to be. Of course, the classics go down a treat when you’ve got a delicious and flavourful accompanying curry.

The first step is the mix of basic cupboard ingredients; sifted flour, yoghurt, yeast, water and a pinch of sugar and salt.

Oil is added to combine the ingredients into a sticky dough, before being kneaded for a good few minutes to get the perfect dough.

Zouk roll these up to perfectly portioned balls and leave to prove under cling film. At this point, they prepare fillings and flavourings.

Their menu includes a range of naans from the classic Plain, to Garlic with Coriander, a nutty and sweet Peshwari Naan, a filling lamb stuffed Keema Naan and a cheesy indulgent alternative that adds a great creaminess to any spicy curry.

Each naan is cooked in Zouk’s very own Tandoor oven which reaches temperatures of up to 450°C. This means it only takes a few minutes to cook each naan and every single one is prepared to order making them as fresh as possible.

The bread is slapped to the side of the oven where the sticky dough clings to the side until it begins to bubble. Once the underside is crisp, the naan is ready.

Plain Naan Bread

Ingredients

Method

x1 7g packet of dried yeast
2 tsp golden caster sugar
150 ml natural yoghurt
Pinch of salt
½ tsp baking powder
– 300g strong white bread flour
– 25g melted ghee (or butter) plus 3 tbsp. for greasing and glazing

Start with 125ml of warm water (40°C always works) with the yeast and sugar in a bowl. Let it sit and ‘activate’ for 5-10 minutes until frothy.
In a larger bowl, put the salt, baking powder and flour. Make a well in the middle and add roughly half of the ghee, yoghurt and yeast mixture.
Bring the dough together with a spoon and add the second half of yeast, yoghurt and ghee. Using your hands, form the mixture into a dough. If it is too wet, add a little more flour, if it is too dry, add a little warm water. However, work hard at bringing the dough together because dry/wet patches sometimes indicate there is a pocket you have not yet worked into the dough.
When you are happy with the consistency, start kneading the dough on a well-floured surface for 10-15 minutes. Do this until it is smooth and elastic but still soft.
Grease a bowl well with some butter/ghee and transfer the dough into the bowl. Splash the top with a little water and leave in a warm place for 1 hour or until it doubles in size.
Divide the dough into six balls and place on a baking tray dusted with flour. Cover this with a damp tea towel while you preheat a non-stick frying pan on high heat.
Take one of the balls and roll it out into a teardrop shape roughly 20cm long and 13cm wide. Lay the dough in the hot pan. Let it puff up over about 3 minutes and flip it over. Allow it to cook on the other side for 3-4 minutes until it is cooked through with charred patches.
Turn your oven on its lowest setting and place the cooked bread on a tray to keep warm while you cook the rest. Repeat with the other five balls of dough.
Once they are all cooked, brush with melted ghee/butter and serve.