Although there’s something lost in translation between the scorching heat of a tandoor—the clay oven of northern India—and the relatively tame 500°F of a home oven, you can indeed make creditable, even delicious naan at home. With their slightly sour flavor and ultrasoft texture, they’re the perfect accompaniment to dal (page 433) or any Indian meat dish.

　　

Ingredients

makes about 12 flatbreads, enough for 6 to 12

　　1 tablespoon active dry yeast

　　2 tablespoons milk

　　2 tablespoons yogurt

　　1 tablespoon sugar

　　3 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus 1/2 cup whole wheat flour or all unbleached flour, plus flour for rolling out the dough

　　1 egg

　　2 teaspoons salt

　　Oil for the bowl

　　4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, melted, warm

　　

Step 1

Stir together the yeast, milk, yogurt, and sugar in a bowl and set aside.

　　

Step 2

Combine the flour, egg, and salt in a food processor. Turn the machine on and add the yeast mixture through the feed tube. Process for about 30 seconds, adding 1 1/2 cups water, a little at a time, until the mixture forms a ball and is slightly sticky to the touch. If dry, add another tablespoon or two of water and process for another 10 seconds. (In the unlikely event that the mixture is too sticky, add flour, a tablespoon at a time.)

　　

Step 3

Turn the dough onto a floured work surface and knead by hand for a few seconds to form a smooth, round ball. Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let rise until the dough doubles in size, 1 to 2 hours. (You can cut this rising time short if you are in a hurry, or you can let the dough rise more slowly, in the refrigerator, for up to 6 or 8 hours.)

　　

Step 4

Put a baking sheet (or, preferably, a baking stone) on a rack on the lowest shelf of your oven; preheat the oven to 500°F. Punch the dough down and, using as much flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking to the board or your hands, roll it into a snake, then tear the snake into 12 equal-sized balls. Let them rest for 10 minutes covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel.

　　

Step 5

Using flour as necessary, roll out one of the balls into an oval roughly 6 to 8 inches long and 3 or 4 inches wide. Open the oven door, grab the dough, one hand on each end of the oval, and give it a little tug with one hand to shape it into a teardrop, then toss it onto the baking sheet or stone. Close the oven door and flip the naan after 3 minutes. The naan is ready when it’s puffed, mottled, and browned around the edges, 6 to 8 minutes. You can cook as many naan as will comfortably fit at once.

　　

Step 6

Wrap the freshly baked naan in a kitchen towel to keep them warm and pliable. Serve as soon as possible, brushed on one side with melted butter.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.