Gluten? Naan Here.
Hello friends!
If you’re gluten-free and a fan of Indian-inspired food, then I may just make you super happy with this week’s review. I’ve mentioned in previous posts that I’ve been pushing myself out of my comfort zone and attempting more work with pastries, cakes, and now… bread. So with these reviews, I’ll be urging you to give something new (possibly) a try!
While we’re not venturing into artisan bread just yet, we are starting off with one of my favorite bread’s that I sincerely missed since going gluten-free. And no–I have not found a substitute in stores, so we’re making it ourselves–ladies and gents–Naan!
This week’s recipe is by The Loopy Whisk and you can find the recipe right-> here!
Table of Contents
Do I Need A Bunch Of New Ingredients To Make Naan?
If you’ve viewed my previous review of the gluten-free cinnamon rolls and ended up giving them a try, then you already have everything you need to make this naan, which is awesome! This particular recipe for naan does not call for the use of yeast, which is great if you don’t have any on hand.
Once again the magic ingredient that gives the naan its elasticity is psyllium husk. I swear this stuff is incredible for gluten-free baking. The moment you begin incorporating the psyllium husk into the dry ingredients, you can see the dough form into a homogenous ball. And by the time you roll it? Phew, you’re working with some legitimate dough. I would like to point out that I have been mixing my dough by hand using a dough whisk and not a stand mixer. Mainly because I do not own one, but also to make this review as accessible as possible. I used to really keep myself from trying all sorts of recipes because I didn’t have “the proper equipment”.
I’m going to urge myself and you, dear reader, that we can attempt so many of the things we want–and “proper” equipment shouldn’t stop us.
Rolling Out The Naan
I have to say that the naan dough rolls out quite nicely. I’ve learned from my cinnamon roll attempt that it’s okay to put down a bit more flour in order to help with the rolling. Now, we don’t have to drench the dough, otherwise, the naan will turn out super dense and just…bleh, but just enough to keep it from sticking to the rolling pin.
I definitely agree with Katarina that it would be wise to roll out all the naan rather than roll and then cook. Once you have all the naan rolled out, you can then get to cooking because it really doesn’t take all that long. The important things to remember here: don’t roll your naan too thin or too thick…oh…and make sure that your skillet is hot enough! My first two naan weren’t as pretty as the rest. Plus, they didn’t bubble as I had hoped.
Was this first attempt successful? I’d say halfway, but this really just comes down to finding getting the right temperature down and rolling out the naan to the correct thickness. By then I feel like I got it down..as well as I could have for a first attempt ;). That just means I’ll have to make this again. See? Practice makes perfect.
But one thing I absolutely have to point out: this gluten-free naan was…not crumbly. You could scrunch up the naan and it would keep its shape. Again–being able to make this on my own makes me want to cry happy tears.
Grey’s Grade: 5/5
Are we even surprised at this point? Katarina is just wow-ing me with her gluten-free recipes. I really don’t think I’ll be disappointed, but I am doing these reviews to show that even someone as anxious as me when it comes to baking can give this a try and find success. While my results are not picture-perfect like the images on The Loopy Whisk’s posts, they taste delicious and correct. For this being my first attempt, I am thrilled and I hope you will be too when you give this a try.
The most important thing here: being gluten-free is not a sentence to bland, dry, dense, and just yucky baked goods. We’re living in a great time where people are experimenting and testing their recipes to replicate the things we enjoy most.
And if I can make it? My friends, so can you!
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