Soft Naan Bread

Naan bread! One of my favorite flat breads. I used to buy it from supermarket, where besides the fact that it is very expensive you pay over $3 for a package of 3 naan breads, when you read the ingredients there are so many that have nothing to do with flour, milk or oil ..... Of course I decided to make my own, so just like that I started looking for a good recipe. You think it would be easy with the internet and so many food recipe sites. Right?! Well, so did I. I was wrong!

The first recipe that came up in my search was Emeril Lagasse's naan bread. I was happy, I like Emeril!

Well, his naan bread didn't taste like naan bread, and was hard, I mean really really hard, it tasted more like hard pita bread, nothing like what I expected. So the search was still on. I don't remember how many recipes I tried from different sites and you tube, nothing was like the soft naan bread that I liked.

Then, I got fed up and decided to make my own recipe. It might not be authentic naan bread, but is soft, delicious and very easy to make. I love it, the boys love it, my husband loves it...... that's all I care about.

So if you are looking for an authentic naan bread recipe, this is not the one for you. If you are looking for a soft naan bread then here you are........ :D

I use a base recipe which I will list bellow, to that recipe sometimes I add herbs just for flavour, those ingredients will be listed as optional. Also I will post pictures from both the original and the herbed naan bread. Choose which one you like best. The recipe makes about 30 naan breads, if that's to much' you can adjust the recipe to fit your needs; make just half of the recipe. It also freezes well!

Ingredients.

2 cups milk

2 tbsp sugar

4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

2 tsp sea salt

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ( or you can use any oil you like. I'm a fan of E.V. olive oil)

5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg lightly beaten ( for extra softness, but if you are a vegan you can omit it)

Optional

 1 tbsp of dry parsley

  1 tbsp of dry chives

1/2 tsp of cumin

Or, your favorite herbs. Rosemary is one of my favorite as well!

Place the milk and sugar in a small heavy saucepan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved and the milk is very warm. Remove to a small bowl and let stand for about 5 minutes to cool down.

Sprinkle yeast over top. Let stand for 10 minutes until foamy.

In a large bowl mix the flour, salt and herbs if using. Make a wheel in the center and add the olive oil and the egg lightly beaten.

Stir to dissolve the yeast, and add to the wheel. Mix until you get a dough.
Turn dough on a lightly floured surface and knead for 5 to 7 minutes adding very little flour to prevent sticking. Place the dough into a large oiled bowl, turning once  to coat the top.

Cover with cling wrap and tea towel and let stand in a draft free place for 40 to 50 minutes or until doubled in bulk.

Turn the dough on a clean surface and punch down to help expel the air.

With herbs.

Without herbs.

Divide the dough in about 30 equal potions.

I made them into little balls, but it's not necessary. Flatten each portion, out.

With herbs.

Without herbs.

Preheat a nonstick frying pan ( I used the griddle from my stove) over medium heat.

This is purely optional but i like spraying the griddle or frying pan with some butter flavored nonstick cooking spray. It helps the naan bread not to stick together if you decide to freeze it, and it gives a nice coating helping it stay soft longer.

Cook the naan bread for about 1 minute.

Then flip and cook for a minute more.

Remove to a cooling rack.

Serve warm, with your favorite dip, works great with soup. my boys love it for panini sandwiches.

Enjoy!

Potato Bread

I did mention many times that my boys only eat home made bread! Cass is complaining that the store bought one gives him headaches, Brandon doesn't say anything, just, wrinkles his nose, and Alex is the most innocent one he only asks if next time I can make my own bread because he loves it better. I feel like a bad mom and that I let my kids down when I run out of time for baking fresh bread, and time is something, in short supply for me. I'm on a tight schedule everyday. Driving three kids to school,  with different times of starting and dismissal from school, then every afternoon we have sports. 6 days a week. And finishing my house work in between. Yeah... it's a rush.

Potato bread, it's the bread I usually make over the week, in the weekends I go more fancy with herb bread, buttermilk rolls , etc.

This bread is delicious, it could be made white or whole wheat, Great for sandwiches and especially for grilled cheese sandwiches which are Alex's and Cass's favorites. It also freezes well. The recipe is for 2 but I usually make 4 and freeze 2 of them.

Ingredients.

1 medium potato peeled and cut into small cubes

water

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 cups milk

1/4 cup butter

3 tbsp granulated sugar

2 1/4 tsp of active dry yeast

3 1/2 cups of bread flour ( or all-purpose flour) first amount

2 tsp of sea salt

1 1/2 cup of bread flour ( or all-purpose flour) second amount

Cook the potato in water and salt in a small saucepan for about 15 minutes until very tender. Drain. Mash very well or, I used a potato ricer. Keep warm into a medium bowl.

Combine the 2 cups of milk, 1/4 cup butter and 3 tbsp of sugar into a small heavy saucepan. Heat and stir over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Pour into an extra large bowl stir to make sure the butter has completely melted. Let stand for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle yeast over top and let stand for 10 minutes longer until the yeast is foamy. Stir until yeast is dissolved.

Add the first amount of flour ( 3 1/2 cups)salt, and potato. Mix until a soft dough forms.

Work in enough of the second amount of flour ( 1 1/2 cups) until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is no longer sticky.

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface, knead for 10 minutes adding more flour as necessary to prevent sticking.

Place dough into an oiled large bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover with cling wrap and tea towel and let stand in a draft free area for about 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in bulk.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a clean surface.

Divide the dough into 2 equal portions.

Flatten one portion into a rectangle. Roll up tightly, starting from the short side facing you. Place into a

9 x 5 x 3 inches greased loaf pan, stretching the dough if necessary to fit, and tucking the ends in.

Repeat with the second portion.

Cover with cling wrap and tea towel and let rise for about 1 hour, until the dough rises to the top of the pans.

Bake into a preheated oven of 400˚F, for 10 minutes, reduce the temperature to 375˚F and bake for 18 to 20 minutes more. Each oven is different, the bread is baked when golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped. Let stand in pans for 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool.

Each loaf cuts into about 16 pieces for a total of 32 slices.

Especially delicious for sandwiches or, grilled cheese sandwiches.

Variation:  you can substitute 1 1/2 cups of flour (from the first amount of 3 1/2 cup) with whole wheat       flour or whole grain flour. You will have 2 cup of bread flour ( or all-purpose flour) + 1 1/2 of whole wheat flour. Continue with the recipe as described.

Enjoy!

Gingerbread Pull-Apart Rolls

I know, I know, its not Christmas yet but Alexander has been asking for gingerbread cookies for the past 2 weeks. Every time we are going shopping he's looking for the gingerbread house kit, I tried to explain to him that we still have same other holidays to celebrate until Christmas..... All I got were puppy eyes.

So finally we came to an understanding I offered to make the gingerbread rolls. He wasn't impressed at first, that until he smelled the ginger, after that he pulled his stool  next to the oven so he can see the rolls bake.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup                   warm water
• 1 tsp                       granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp                 active dry yeast 
• 
  
• 
  
• 1/4 cup                   brown sugar packed
•  2 tbsp                      fancy molasses 
•  2 tbsp                      milk  
•  1 1/2 tbsp                butter
•  3/4 tsp                     salt
• 
  
• 1 1/2 cup                 all-purpose flour
• 3 tbsp                      fresh grated ginger  or 1 1/2 ground ginger 
• 1/2 tsp                     ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 tsp                     all spice
• 
  
• 1                              large egg fork beaten 
• 1 1/4 cups                all-purpose flour 
• 1/4 cup                     all purpose flour ( approximately)
• 2 tbsp                       butter melted for brushing the rolls.

Combine warm water and granulated sugar in small bowl, sprinkle yeast over top and let stand for 10 minutes until foamy.

Combine the brown sugar, molasses, milk, butter and salt in a small saucepan.

Heat and stir on medium for 2 minutes. Until butter is melted and the brown sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat let stand for 5 minutes to cool slightly. Add to the yeast mixture and stir well.

Combine the flour, grated ginger, ground cinnamon and all spice in a large mixing bowl.

Add the beaten egg and the yeast mixture to the flour. Stir until smooth.

Work in the second amount of flour (1 1/4 cups)  1/4 cup at the time, mixing until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface .

Knead adding the third amount of flour (1/4 cup) one tbsp at the time if needed it to prevent sticking.

Knead for 10 minutes until smooth and elastic.

Place in an oiled bowl turning once to grease top. Cover with cling wrap and tea towel. Let rise for 1 1/2 hours or until double in size.

Punch down the dough and turn on a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough in 12 equal portions.

Roll each portion into a ball,arrange into a greased 9 inch round pan.

Cover with cling wrap and tea towel and let rest for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Bake in an 375˚F preheated oven for 20 minutes until golden brown and hollow sounding when tapped.

Remove from oven.

Immediately brush tops with melted butter. Let stand in pan for 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack to cool completely.

Serve for breakfast with your favorite jam or pure maple syrup.

Enjoy!

Club Sandwich Roll

Left overs. I don't know about your kids, but mine are not very good at eating left overs, they like only fresh made food. My husband says that that's the way I thought them, well...... he is right (but don't tell him). Therefore I have to reinvent my left overs into a new fresh food.

So yesterdays chicken drumsticks became todays club sandwich roll perfect for lunch with a bowl of soup.

     This recipe belongs to one of my favorite canadian chefs Anna Olson. Love her and her recipes and especially her cooking show " Fresh, with Anna Olson". She lives in the Niagara Falls region and in all her shows she promotes the local farms and  fresh markets.

I had changed the recipe a little, to suite the taste of my 3 boys, but if you are interested in the original recipe you can find it here.

Ingredients:

Dough

• 2 cups                       warm water
• 1 tbsp                        instant yeast
• 1 tbsp                        honey 
• 2 tbsp                        cornmeal
• 4 1/2 cups                 all-purpose flour ( plus more for kneading)
• 2 tsp                          fine sea salt
• 1/3 cup                      extra virgin olive oil

Filling

• 10                              strips turkey bacon ( or your favorite bacon)
• 3 cup                         of cooked chicken meat ( I used chicken drumsticks but chicken breast would work  very well)shredded 
• 1 tbsp                        smoked paprika 
• 1 tbsp                       dry parsley leafs 
• 2 1/2 cups                 shredded three cheeses mix or cheddar cheese or your favorite mix.

Dough.

Mix the water, honey, cornmeal together and sprinkle yeast over top. Let stand for 10 minutes until foamy.

In the bowl of a stand up mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment combine 4 cups( from the total of 4 1/2 cups of flour), salt, olive oil and the yeast mixture. Knead on low speed until the dough comes together. Add the remaining flour if the dough is sticky and clings to the side of the bowl.

Continue mixing on low speed for another 7 minutes or turn the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and elastic.

Place the dough in lightly oiled bowl and cover with cling wrap and tea towel and place in a draft free place to rise for 1 hour.

Cook the bacon strips. Place on paper towel to drain.

Shred the chicken.

After one hour the dough is ready to be filled.

Roll the dough (on a lightly floured surface) into a rectangular sheet of approximately  18 x 9 inches.

Arrange bacon strips on the dough.

Sprinkle the shredded chicken and the smoked paprika and parsley flakes.

Sprinkle cheese over the top.

Roll the dough up from the short end, and pace into a 10 X 5 inches  greased loaf pan. Cover the dough with  tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

bake into a preheated oven of 375˚F for 20 minutes then reduce oven temperature to 350˚F and bake for another 25 minutes.

Let the loaf cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn out on a cooling rack.

Serve warm with a bowl of steaming soup or as an appetizer.

Note: if desired when the loaf is taken out of the oven the top it can be " rubbed" with a piece of butter   for a nice shine and to keep it soft.

Enjoy!