Naan

Method

1. proof10 min
   warm milk, around 40°C
   warm milk + sugar + instant yeast, left until the surface goes foamy and domed — if the milk is hot enough to feel hot on the wrist it has already killed the yeast, and the dough will proof on the yogurt's bacteria alone, which is far too slow
2. mix3 min
   shaggy
   flour + salt + yeasted milk + yogurt + 1 tbsp ghee, adding warm water only until no dry flour is left; the dough should be tacky and slightly slack, because a stiff dough cannot inflate into a bubble later
3. knead8 min
   by hand, on a lightly oiled surface
   the dough, until it stops tearing and pulls back when stretched — the gluten network built here is the only thing that will hold the steam that puffs the bread; underkneaded naan tears and vents instead of ballooning
4. proof75 min
   covered, warm spot
   the dough until roughly doubled and slack to the touch; the yogurt's lactic acid softens the gluten over this time as well as feeding flavour, which is why yogurt naan stays tender where a plain water dough goes chewy
5. rest10 min
   covered, divided
   the dough knocked back and divided into 4 balls, rested so the gluten relaxes — a ball rolled straight after shaping will fight back and spring into a thick disc
6. prep5 min
   each ball rolled or stretched to a rough teardrop about 5 mm thick, with optional garlic + cilantro + nigella seeds pressed into the top surface so they toast rather than fall off
7. char8 min
   bare cast iron, as hot as the pan will go
   one naan at a time, water-brushed side down so it grips the metal like a tandoor wall; give it 60–90 seconds until large bubbles rise, then flip and press the blisters onto the surface for another 45 seconds. The pan must be past the point where oil would smoke: at lower heat the crust sets before the interior turns to steam, and you get flatbread instead of naan
8. top1 min
   off heat
   hot naan + remaining melted ghee brushed over, stacked under a cloth so trapped steam keeps them pliable; the ghee goes on now because in the pan it would only burn