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Flat breads Pita & Naan

Make two different styles of flatbreads from the same dough. First up, a pita bread; flatbreads that puff up when they cook giving a perfect pocket to stuff. Second, a naan bread. Indian in origin, these doughy flatbreads are basted with butter and dimpled with seeds, perfect for swooping and scooping through Indian dhals, curries or our mateer paneer.

Makes 6-8. Rolling the pitas thin and evenly aids the pocket formation and very hot oven rapidly creates the steam that puffs up the pita. Avoiding tearing the dough disks to prevent the pitas bursting and venting the steam in the oven.

bread

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ tsp fast-action yeast
  • 150ml warm water
  • 300g white bread flour, plus extra to dust (or 250g white 50g wholemeal)
  • Salt
  • 75g natural yoghurt
  • PITA BREAD
  • 1 tbsp olive oil to brush
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds (optional)
  • 1 tbsp za’atar
  • NAAN BREAD
  • A little melted butter, to grease
  • 2 tsp nigella seeds (optional)

Recipe

  1. Step 1

    1. Add the yeast to the water, and stir until the yeast is dissolved.
    2. Mix the yeast mixture and the yoghurt into the flour in a large bowl until completely combined. Cover and leave 10 minutes to rest. Fold in ½ tsp salt with your hands together and cover for 10 minutes more.
    3. Fold one more time then then cover and allow to stand in a warm place for 30 minutes – 1 hour.

  2. Step 2

    Pita Bread method;

    1. Preheat the oven to 250C/475F/Gas 9 and place a clean baking tray or baking stone on the middle shelf.
    2. Tip the dough back out onto the lightly floured surface, quickly knead in the sesame seeds if using, then divide into 6-8 balls.
    3. Roll each ball into a round 3mm thick.
    4. Remove the hot tray from the oven, dust with flour and place the pita breads on it. You may have to cook them in batches.
    5. Bake for 5-10 minutes, or until they just start to colour. Remove them from the oven, sprinkle with the za’atar (if using) and cover with a clean cloth until they are cool.

  3. Step 3

    Naan Bread Method;

    1. Preheat a frying pan
    2. Tip the dough back out onto the lightly floured surface, quickly knead in the sugar and nigella seeds if using, then divide into 6-8 balls.
    3. Flatten one of the balls and roll into a 1cm thick oval, slightly thicker around the edge. Pick it up by the top to stretch it slightly into a teardrop shape, then put it in the hot pan. When it starts to bubble, turn it over and cook until browned in patches. Turn it back over and cook until there are no doughy bits remaining.
    4. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with more seeds, if using, and cover to keep warm while you make the other breads.