Naan (Flat baked bread from leavened dough)

Ingredients

• Oven Temp: 200 C - 400 F
• Maida (Refined flour) 4 cups (500 g)
• Yoghurt (Dahi) 1 ¼ cups (250 g)
• Baking  soda 1 tsp
• Salt to taste or 1 tsp
• Kalonji (Onion/Nigella seeds) for garnish

Preparation

• Mix together the flour, salt and baking soda. Knead into soft, smooth dough using as much yoghurt as required.

• Cover with a damp cloth and leave to rise in a warm, draught-free place, till double in volume. If in a hurry, place the container in a larger container of hot water. The time taken for the dough to rise varies according to the weather - about 3 hours in summer and 7 hours in winter.

• Punch the dough and leave to rise again. This time it will take much less time.

• Break the dough into pieces of desirable size and smooth into rounds. Cover with a damp cloth and keep for at least 15 minutes.

• Roll the balls into flat ovals or rounds. You can also flatten them by slapping them between your palms - as experts do, stretching and pulling with your hands when required.

• Smear the surface with water and sprinkle with onion seeds. Grease a baking tray and bake the naans in a pre-heated oven for about 5 minutes. Better still is to grill them, if your grill has elements both above and below.