Don’t ask me why, but every time I crave bread I daydream about how wonderful it would be if I made it all on my own. Now, most students my age would just follow their dreams and toss that dough in the air! Don’t lie, I know every time you picture yourself making bread, you are also throwing the dough in the air and dancing in a whirlwind of flour. Needless to say, I always shied away from this adventure. Could my arms withstand the pressure? Would I ever get the flour out of my hair? There were just too many tragic possibilities to this daring task.

Then, February Break arrived. That beautiful time of year which every student fully embraces, smiling excitedly and laughing at the pure joy of finally having some well needed snooze time. In my hysterical state of happiness, I was fearless. Heck, why not make some homemade Naan bread to go with my hummus?! I was unstoppable…mostly because after cooking with so much garlic no one would dare approach you, but still! Left to my own desires, I not only kneaded that dough and threw some flour around the kitchen, but I smothered it with fresh basil and watched as it slowly rose in the pan. It was lovely..and best of all, it tasted so delicious. I promise, this recipe only took 10 minutes of preparation and then 10 minutes to cook! It was so easy, and it tasted to heavenly, it is a must have every time you make (aha okay…let’s be honest…) or buy a dip you must whip these up! GO ahead yall, raise those arms and get out the rolling pin, cause it’s your turn to roll some dough.

I took this recipe from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures but adapted it slightly according to my eating and tasting needs. (http://traceysculinaryadventures.blogspot.com/2011/02/homemade-naan.html). Remember, you can adapt any of these recipes as well, just stick to the basics and then follow your intuition.

Roasted Garlic and Basil Naan

2 Cups of Whole Wheat Flour

3/4 tsp Baking Powder

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Brown Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

1/2 Cup Warmed 2 % or Unpasteurized Milk

1/2 Cup Natural Yogurt

3 Tbl Olive Oil

2-3 Cloves of Garlic

1 Handful Basil

In a Medium bowl mix together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, brown sugar and salt. Mix this dry mixture around a little bit. In a separate measuring cup, warm 1/2 Cup of Milk either on the stove or in the microwave. Once warmed, add in the natural yogurt. Stir this wet mixture fast and wait until it creates a thick, delicious mixture. Add it to your medium bowl of dry ingredients. Make sure to pick up all the nooks and crannies of that pesky flour, as it has the tendency to cling to the bottom rims of the bowl. Form the dough into one big ball and then leave it placed in your bowl. Moisten a dish towel and put it over your bowl. Allow this to sit, covered, at room temperature for 2 hours. While this sits, in a cup mix together the oil and garlic.

Once your mixture has sat, roll out your dough. I thought about 2 cm was good in thickness, but the dough puffed up immediately in the pan. Although this made the naan delicious, smooth and perfectly moist, it may be too much naan for some to handle. If this is the case, don’t be scared to roll this dough out as thin as desired, as it will rise in the pan. You want to cut out whatever shape, and then moisten one side with water, putting the moist side down on the heated pan. On the top side, smooth out your olive oil and sprinkle on the basil. Cook on medium heat until it has browned on the bottom (this took about 5 minutes). Flip and wait until brown.

Luckily, I got to share the fresh, warm joy of pulling apart this bread with some friends fresh off the pan. Enjoy this garlicky smooth treat with a glass of wine, and go ahead, laugh at your triumph! You have now conquered the bread world, and there’s no turning back. Throw your arms back and enjoy.

M