Oasis Naan

For the dough:
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine yeast, water and 3 cups of flour. Blend on medium-low for about 1 minute. Stop mixer and sprinkle salt over the dough. Turn mixer back on and continue adding the remaining flour, again a cup at a time, until the dough won’t accept any more flour (you may need to use up to 1 cup extra). Continue kneading with the dough hook for about 5 minutes.

Coat a bowl with vegetable oil and transfer the dough into the bowl, being sure the entire ball of dough is coated with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rest at room temp for about 2 hours until it more than doubles in size. Alternately, the bowl of dough can be covered with plastic wrap and placed in the refrigerator overnight. If you do this make sure you allow the dough to return to room temperature before proceeding.

Place a pizza stone on the center oven rack and preheat oven to 500 F for about an hour. Cut 8 pieces of parchment paper, shaping each into a 6-inch circle. Set aside.

Deflate risen dough and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll each into a ball on a lightly oiled surface and place on the center of a pre-cut parchment circle. Flatten balls into 5 or 6-inch flat rounds. Use a fork or dough docker to “dock” the center of each flat round of dough, stopping about an inch from the edges. Sprinkle docked centers lightly with water and sprinkle evenly with salt, ground cumin and minced scallions.

Keep naan on parchment circles and place them on the preheated pizza stone in the oven. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until the top of each naan starts to turn a light golden brown. Remove from oven. Cool on a rack for 5 minutes before peeling off the parchment paper.

Best served while still warm. May be stored for up to a day wrapped in a towel, or frozen in an airtight container for up to a month. Rewarm in a 400 F oven for a few minutes before serving.

Notes:
– The recipe divides in half perfectly.
– Recipe adapted from Baking with Julia.
– Recipe makes 8 round breads.