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Knead yeastless naan dough and let sit for 2-3 hours?

 
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MrPrezident



Joined: 31 May 2008
Posts: 9

PostPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 4:42 am    Post subject: Knead yeastless naan dough and let sit for 2-3 hours? Reply with quote

I don't have any yeast, so I decided to make a naan recipe with baking powder instead of yeast in it. This is the one that I picked: http://www.indianfoodforever.com/indian-breads/naan.html
For some reason, it wants me to let the dough sit for 2-3 hours for it to increase in size before I stick it in the oven. This would make sense to me if there was yeast in the recipe b/c yeast is really slow to react, but there is no yeast, just baking powder. Why do I need to let it sit for that long? I checked other naan recipes online with baking powder and they say basically the same thing. I tried sticking one naan in the oven without waiting, but it refused to rise. I guess I'll try baking the other ones tomorrow morning after they've had time to sit (I don't really understand how that would make any difference, but we'll see).

The other thing is that it tells me to knead the dough (which I did for 15mins). That doesn't seem like the right thing to do either. The ingredients are really not that far off from those for biscuits and I've been told that kneading the biscuit batter will ruin the leavening power of the baking powder.

Does anyone have any answers/advice?

thanks,
-Nathan
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Dilbert



Joined: 19 Oct 2007
Posts: 1304
Location: central PA

PostPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 11:06 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I haven't done much with the naan type breads, but a couple thoughts:

kneading - helps develop gluten - desirable for bread, not desired in biscuits which are supposed to be tender and flaky

on waiting period, breads benefit from a rest period - aides in hydrolyzing the dough (getting an even 'dispersion' of moisture throughout) - it does call for a 15 minute rest prior to kneading - a more typical time than two hours - so this may not be the essential reason.

another possibility is to allow time for the initial baking powder reaction - since limited success is demonstrated without the wait, seems reasonable . . .
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MrPrezident



Joined: 31 May 2008
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PostPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Dang. I didn't have time this morning to bake the dough, so now it has been sitting out all night and it will be sitting out all day too. I have a wet paper towel covering it. I wasn't sure if I should put it in the fridge or not, so I kept it out. I will try baking it tonight, but I have a feeling this is not going to work.
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kgb1001001



Joined: 21 Dec 2005
Posts: 108

PostPosted: Mon Jun 02, 2008 7:51 pm    Post subject: It may be a sourdough now! Reply with quote

If it's been sitting out for two days, you may have some yeast in it now even if you didn't when you started! If it's been covered with a towel this is probably not much of a risk, but it's definitely there.
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MrPrezident



Joined: 31 May 2008
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PostPosted: Tue Jun 03, 2008 4:58 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Result was (once again) flat hard naan with no leavening going on Sad I think I may try with yeast this weekend.
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MrPrezident



Joined: 31 May 2008
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PostPosted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 6:23 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I tried with yeast this time using this recipe:
http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/2007/05/22/naan-bread/

This was only mildly more successful than my last attempt. I followed the instructions exactly as far as I could tell except that when I stopped at the grocery store to pick up yogurt for the recipe, I accidentally bought Brummel and Brown (made with Natural Yogurt) instead of actual Yogurt, which seems to be basically margarine with a little bit of yogurt in it. So then my naan ended up turning out like buttery tasting bread. I only got them to rise a little bit. They definitely did not poof up like in the youtube video on the link above, and they DEFINITELY did not taste like naan. I'm surprised that the yogurt screwup actually made that much difference in the way it leavened (or at least I'm assuming was the problem).
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Pratik
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PostPosted: Mon Oct 20, 2008 2:39 pm    Post subject: Naan - Baking powder Reply with quote

You dont need to rest naan bread dough more than 15 minutes if using baking powder method. You do need a lot of kneading - gluten.

Modern double acting baking powder is neutral, containing acids and alkaline balanced in a way that they come in contact, react and give out gasses only when heated (twice at different temperatures).
However if you increase the acid in the dough by adding yoghurt or milk, it will set off the baking powder while kneading. Due to increased acid levels, it will also give out "chemical tasting" flavor to your bread.

If you must use yoghurt (for flovor) in a baking powder recipe, you must add baking soda to neutralize the acid in the yoghurt before adding baking powder to the mix.

Try this recipe with a bit of baking soda added:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/tv_and_radio/perfection/recipe_popup_one.shtml
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anubond
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PostPosted: Tue Sep 07, 2010 3:21 am    Post subject: Naan make it at home Reply with quote

It is one of the most popular varieties of South Asian Breads. It is considered a typical bread of Northern India and many regions of Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, and few regions of Former Russia and china. The popularity of Nann reached many corners of the world and is served in United States, UK, Canada, Australia and served with kebabs and curry. A typical naan recipe involves mixing white flour (all purpose flour) (maida) with salt, yeast culture, and enough yogurt or milk to make a smooth, elastic dough. The dough is kneaded for a few minutes couple of times, then set aside to rise for a few hours. Once risen, the dough is divided into balls (about 100 grams), which are flattened and cooked in Tandoori clay oven. Nigella seeds, poppy seeds, sesame seeds are commonly added in Naan Breads as cooked in many Indian restaurants throughout the world Naan Recipe by vahchef
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