Flatbreads (or Naanotis as we call them)

These flatbreads are both delicious and versatile!

I first started making them when searching for a good recipe for Naan to serve with Indian food. These come out sort of in between Naan and Roti when cooked  on the stove. The closest authentic equivalent being Tandoori Roti. But for us they’re simply ‘naanoti’ 🙂

This recipe makes about 16 good sized flatbreads, so even when we have company we usually end of with leftovers. That’s how we know they also work great as a base for mini pizzas and as a stand in for pitas for a Greek style dinner or simply for scooping up hummus.

They’re easily varied by adding a handful of flavourings – my favourites being cumin seeds and dried onion flakes. Try tossing in your favourite herbs and spices!

I mix the dough up using my Kitchenaid stand mixer, but since it is a very dense dough, I find it best to do the brunt of the kneading by hand. Even once elastic (simply use a finger to poke the dough and watch to see if it comes back to form) the dough is denser that you’d be used to with other breads – don’t panic. It’ll soften as it rises to a strong elastic dough that is easy to roll out into rounds (I actually don’t worry too much about the shape, but if I were a good Indian cook like my mother-in-law I’d end up with perfect circles without breaking a  sweat!)

These keep best stored in the fridge either in a plastic bag or wrapped in tinfoil. Simply reheat in the oven or in a pan when you’re ready.

Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 1/4 CUPS WARM WATER

1 1/2 TBSP INSTANT YEAST

4 TBSP SALT

6+ CUPS FLOUR – I use about 4 cups all purpose and 2 cups whole wheat

Directions:

Add water and yeast into the bowl and let stand until foaming (5+ minutes).

Add salt and flour and mix on low speed. Knead on lowest speed until elastic (or until your mixer sounds tired and then take over by hand). Add additional water or flour in scant quantities as needed to achieve a cohesive dough.

Coat in oil and let stand in a bowl covered with a tea towel to rise (1-11/2 hours).

Tear off 1/4 cup pieces of dough and roll into roundish shapes that are about six inches wide.

Cook on a non-stick medium hot pan – once the flatbread starts to puff up a bit, flip over and cook on the second side until slightly browning (approx 2 minutes per side depending on the heat of your pan).

Cover flatbreads with tin foil to keep warm while you cook the remaining breads.

Serve warm.

Prep Time: 1 1/2 hours

Cook Time: 20 min