Naan for A Bakery in Paris

 

Well, I'm a bit under the wire on this one.  I could blame it on my stressful life at the moment.  Anyway, our latest (deadline today!!) pick for Cook the Books Club has been this very well written and inspirational novel, A Bakery in Paris, by Aimee K. Runyan, which juxtaposes the lives of two women of the same family, from different generations, both set around, yes, a bakery in Paris.

From the Publishers:

This captivating historical novel set in nineteenth-century and post-World War II Paris follows two fierce women of the same family, generations apart, who find that their futures lie within the four walls of a simple bakery in a tiny corner of Montmartre. 1870: The Prussians are at the city gates, intent to starve Paris into submission. Lisette Vigneau--headstrong, willful, and often ignored by her wealthy parents--awaits the outcome of the war from her parents' grand home in the Place Royale in the very heart of the city. When an excursion throws her into the path of a revolutionary National Guardsman, Théodore Fournier, her destiny is forever changed. She gives up her life of luxury to join in the fight for a Paris of the People. She opens a small bakery with the hopes of being a vital boon to the impoverished neighborhood in its hour of need. When the city falls into famine, and then rebellion, her resolve to give up the comforts of her past life is sorely tested. 

1946: Nineteen-year-old Micheline Chartier is coping with the loss of her father and the disappearance of her mother during the war. In their absence, she is charged with the raising of her two younger sisters. At the hand of a well-meaning neighbor, Micheline finds herself enrolled in a prestigious baking academy with her entire life mapped out for her. Feeling trapped and desperately unequal to the task of raising two young girls, she becomes obsessed with finding her mother. Her classmate at the academy, Laurent Tanet, may be the only one capable of helping Micheline move on from the past and begin creating a future for herself. Both women must grapple with loss, learn to accept love, and face impossible choices armed with little more than their courage and a belief that a bit of flour, yeast, sugar, and love can bring about a revolution of their own.

I was inspired by all the bread, how necessary, how central It became, especially for those people in line to get a loaf in difficult times, and often unable to get any.  Since I usually have sourdough on hand I made a very easy flatbread, called naan.  What was especially nice is that the little balls of dough can be kept in the fridge for a few days, and then rolled out and cooked on the skillet when needed.  Several were used for a side with various meals.  I stuffed one with chicken salad, and made one into a small pizza for one.

Servings: 8

Ingredients: 

               ½ cup (125 g) sourdough starter discard (unfed)

               2 ½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour

               ½ cup (120 g) milk (dairy or plant based)

               ¼ cup (60 g) plain yogurt (dairy or plant based) I used kefir)

               1 tablespoon (15 g) olive oil 

               1 ½ teaspoons (7 g) sea salt

               

INSTRUCTIONS

• • Mix the dough: Mix the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and salt to the bowl. Use your hands to incorporate the ingredients until they are well combined and there are no dry bits left in the bowl. The dough will be stiff. Cover the bowl with plastic and let rest at room temperature until doubled in size. In my 68°F ( 20°C) kitchen, it takes roughly 8 hours. Warmer kitchens will take less time, colder kitchens will take more time.
    Divide and shape: Turn the dough out onto your work surface and use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 78g each. Shape each piece into a ball and cover them with a kitchen towel. (At this stage the dough balls can be stored in a covered container, in the fridge for up to 3 days before cooking.)
    Preheat skillet: While the dough is resting, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. If you are worried about sticking, feel free to oil the skillet, but I find it's not necessary.
    Roll dough: Working with one ball of dough at a time, use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a round shape with a ⅛" thickness. Use a little flour if necessary to prevent sticking. The dough rounds should be about 6" in diameter.
    Cook naan: Place the rolled dough into the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the naan over and cook on the second side for 1-2 minutes. Flip the naan one more time and watch for the dough to puff up with air. Once it is full, remove it from the skillet and repeat with the remaining dough. Serve hot or at room temperature.
    NOTES
    Store the cooked naan at room temperature in a plastic bag for up to 3 days.
    If you store the dough in the fridge to cook later, allow the dough to come to room temperature before cooking for best results.
    Freeze the naan in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.

Naan, it turns out is something I'll be making a lot more of.  If you're interested, but don't keep a sourdough starter, there are other naan recipes out there that just use regular yeast, and which would make for a faster result as well.

Be sure to check out all the various, and I'm sure delicious contributions when our Round-Up is posted in a day or so at Cook the Books.  I'll also link this up with Heather's Foodies Read for August, and at Weekend Cooking, hosted by the Intrepid Baker and Reader, Marg.