Traditional Naan Bread

We've been eating Indian Food for the past few days and I thought it was about time for me to make some Naan to go with it.  Naan is delicious and easy to make, in your home oven and if you're lucky enough to have a wood fired oven… well even better!

Naan

Naans are traditionally cooked in a Tandoor or earthen oven but can also be made in your oven at home. Serve this delicious bread hot, with Indian food, Tandoori Chicken or kebabs of different kinds. The dough for Naans needs to be made a few hours in advance.

Prep Time: 2 hours

Total Time: 2 hours

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tsp. dry yeast

1 cup warm water (110f about like bath water)

1 1/2 tsp. sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. salt (or to taste)

6 Tbl. ghee (clarified butter)

3 Tbl. yogurt

3 tsp. onion seeds

Preparation:

Add the dry yeast, sugar and warm water together and stir till the yeast is dissolved. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes or until the mixture begins to form bubbles. This indicates the yeast is active. Set aside.

Mix the flour and salt to taste and sift into a large mixing bowl then add the yeast mixture, 3 Tbl. of ghee and the yogurt.

Use your fingertips to mix into a soft, dough. Once mixed, flour a clean, flat work surface and knead the dough till it is smooth and elastic.

Grease a large bowl with a few drops of cooking oil and place the dough in it. Cover and allow to rest for about 90 minutes or until the dough doubles in volume.

Punch the dough down and knead again for 10 minutes.

Equally divide the dough into pieces and roll between your palms to form round balls.

Lightly flour, (if using a wood fired oven, use rice flour to allow the Naan to slide off the peel)  the work surface and roll out each ball until you have a circle, 7-8 inches in diameter and about1/2" thick. You can also pat it into a the circles with your hands.

Gently pull on one edge of the circle to form the Naan into a teardrop shape. Do not pull too hard or you may tear the dough.

Traditional oven;

Preheat your oven 200 C/ 400 F.

Cover a baking sheet with a piece of aluminum foil and grease lightly with a few drops of cooking oil.

Place as many Naans as will fit without touching each other, on the baking sheet.

Brush each Naan well with some ghee and sprinkle with a pinch of onion seeds.

Put the baking sheet into the oven and cook till the Naan begins to puff out and get lightly brown. Flip the Naan and repeat.

Remove from oven and serve hot in a towel-covered bread-basket.

 

Wood Fired oven;

Push hot coal back away from desired cooking area.  Brush and clean well.  Slide the Naan into the hot oven and stay put, watching the Naan bread.  As it puffs up you may want to rotate the Naan if the side closest to the fire is rising faster.  As soon as it puffs up flip and brown the other side.

Remove from oven and serve hot in a towel-covered bread-basket.

Our Little Bread Business

Our Little Bread Business

10/07/2011

We want to thank you all for helping this project grow. Currently we are baking 90 loaves once a week. Our sales fluctuate by about 25 loaves. We are always looking for a way to increase and stabilize sales. So if you have any neighbors, friends or family that might want to get on our bread list please have them send us their email address. Or tell us and we’d gladly give you a loaf for them to try.

I have a few concerns that I want to share with you;

Please do not look at this message as way of asking you to buy more bread than you are using. Our feel is that we have several different types of customers, some buy 2 loaves a week and some buy 1 loaf a month. That is just perfect. We want to serve your individual bread needs.

If you have found that this is not the bread for you, just let us know and we will remove your name from this list. It will not hurt our feelings and yes we still love you!

If you ever get a loaf that you are not happy with, let us know and we will gladly replace it or refund your money.

Our goal is to bake a great product that serves a need in our community no more no less!

Thanks again Joe and Kathy

Meanwhile back at the Bread 9-28-11

Meanwhile back at the Bread 9-28-11

Last night we baked 90 loaves of the best bread we’ve made to date. We are now baking a consistent loaf, in flavor, size, shape and color. I have learned that the prime baking range is between 550°f and as low as 375°f. Higher temps cause a fast rise that is not baked all the way through. We have also learned that the yeast has an active life of about 15 hours after that the bread will not rise consistently. We are getting 3-30 loaf loads baked on one firing of the oven. If we need to bake more than that we load the excess loaves into the refrigerator for two hours after shaping then we pull and allow the final rise. This retards the yeast and we get a good oven spring.

This project is coming up on a year and a half, “from bricks to bread.” I learn something new with each bake and as with so many things the task will show you the way, if you are patient and have your eyes open.

If you have any comments or questions I’d love to hear from you.

Warmly,

Mad Coyote Joe

Meanwhile Back at the Bread 8-16-11

Meanwhile Back at the Bread 8-16-11

Okay; the oven is really working well. The trick I use is to re-heat the oven with a roofing torch. A few minutes of re-saturation and the oven is ready to go another round. Tonight we did 64 loaves in 4 bakes and we could of done an extra 5 bakes if necessary. These ovens are real workhorses. My only regret is that did not put a thermo-coupler in; a mistake I will not make when I build the next oven! I am using our shop-vac to clean out the dark corn meal after the first bakes.

Happy Baking!

Meawhile Back at the Bread 7-27-11

We are now getting a very stable product. It is uniformly rising to a round, full shape. The crust is crunchy and the sponge is chewy. We now have a constant, mild, back palate, sour flavor. The loaves are stable for about four days and the bread freezes well. At this point the area of concentration needs to be in the firing of the oven.

As our loaf requirements grow we will need to extend the number of bakings that one fire will allow. I’m finding the gas re-firing with a roofing torch, for about 4 minutes is helpful, allowing a second, third and even forth baking. If you are learning about bread baking, I suggest “Tartine Baking” as a great reference book. Pay attention to all of the mechanical components of the dough development. The times allow flavor maturation and the tensioning of the dough causes the oven spring to do its job, creating a full rise.

My mistake was in not building enough tension into my dough and I had semi-flat loaves. In the bake you need to understand a proper level of oven moister; too much and the crust is too thick, too little and the crust is weak. Well it’s time to run half of the bread through the slicer and to drop it off with my ever-growing customer list.

See you back at the bread. And remember if you have any questions please ask and I’ll do the best I can, in finding an answer.

Meanwhile back at the Bread 7-19-11

As I’ve said over the years, “The trick in becoming a great cook is learning the nature of what ever you’re learning to make!”

Nothing could be more true than in the case of becoming a baker. With each batch I learn more about how bread acts and feels. My hands are learning the proper way to handle the dough. When I started baking the dough would stick to my hands; now I understand how to keep the dough moving at a rate that prevents sticking.

I can now tell if I need to rework my dough at the bench rest in order to build structure. Each loaf is now standing up and more like a slightly deflated ball; where-as they used to look like a flat ball. And the flavor is now more uniform along with the sponge. This is real bread that stands up and can make a meal by it’s self; add a little herb butter or good cheese and a bottle of wine and it’s hard to beat!

Meanwhile back at the Bread 7-14-11

When last we baked the summer monsoons were in full tilt! I was standing outside in a dust storm that made national news for being 3 miles high and 50 miles wide along with a raging summer rain. It was like working in a wet, muddy, blanket that a group of pit bulls had been sleeping in. The bread refused to rise. This made me think long and hard about my choice to bake in an oven that was outside in our yard.

On our current bake I, once again, made a few changes. In an attempt to lower the moister content of the loaves, I reduced the hydration percentage by 37 grams per 600-gram loaf or about 21%.

This is huge and can only be achieved after learning how to handle wet, sticky dough! In past bakes when the rise was weak I think it was from not working the structure enough. In my bench rest I would not pay enough attention to the sag of the individual loaves. This is key, if the loaves are sagging after the bench rest re-stretch and rebuild the tension and allow an extra bench rest.

The loaves should have a smooth but tight feel after the stretch. I’m also starting my fire earlier and burning less wood, in an attempt to get more even oven heat. I sweep the oven very well after the fire has been removed and only use a damp mop not a wet mop… just enough to remove the ash and coals. And last no additional pot of water. Just a few moist towels on the door and a few sprays of water as most of the humidity comes from the loaves. The result is beautiful loaves that have complete oven spring and full caramel color. The sponge is just right. So… I’m off to deliver bread!

See you on the net.

Mad Coyote Joe

Meanwhile Back at the Bread 6/19/11

Last week my old friend, Bill Payne made a new door for the bread oven. It is made out of plate steel with a hole centered at about 3 inches up from the bottom. The hole is round and about 3 ½ inches across. It is just large enough for the nozzle of a roofing torch to fit through and has two vents on the bottom at the outer sides. These work, both as exhaust vents and they create legs of a sort, that will help the door to stand by itself. I made the door to allow me to do a second baking as the oven was lousing heat after the first bake.

From that time I have figured out a few things. I believe that I could simply seal the door and the one-ton plus mass would have a thermal shift that would raise the oven temp back up the 50°f or so lost in the first bake. However the new door can reheat the surface of the hearth back up to baking temp in about 5 minutes. So all is well on that front.

Next I have several customers that are questioning the hardness of the crust. This is tough… er… so to speak! In my next baking I’m going to use less wood and start baking at a lower temperature; around 470°f. I have been doing my first bake as soon as the oven temp would drop enough, to not burn the cornmeal that I toss on the hearth floor, which is around 500°f -525°f. What I think is going on is, I’m baking at too high of a temp and the crust is forming fast and very hard. The center of the loaf is then restricted in the initial rise.

These risen cuts are called "ears"

I’m getting beautiful ears on the loaves and a distinct sponge. But the sponge is very tight and I’m not finding the shine on the inside on the sponge bubbles and the loaf has some additional weight and density. At a lower temp I think the bread will rise and then develop, a lighter dough with a slightly thinner crust. Everyone is pleased with the flavor except one person asked for a stronger “sour” flavor.

I think I’m very close to “World Class” bread and I’ willing to listen and try figure out which is best. With each new bake I learn more about this beautiful oven and the art of turning flour, salt and water into bread that makes people very happy. In closing today I’d like to thank those that are buying bread from us the money is enough to keep this project going.

Meanwhile Back at the Bread… More!

Okay, there was an unhappy time here at Mad Coyote. Our last baking did not rise. And my yeast was smelling different and getting a black crust upon coming to life about 20 hours after feeding, (yes I’ve heard all of the Viagra and yeast infection jokes). Hmmm!

Well, I let it die and thought for a few weeks, then I started some more yeast and it was slow in developing and had a sharp smell. I was puzzled, ‘what had happened?’ So I thought about my process and noticed that I was using the same towel for several days to keep foreign objects out of my starter. ‘Could there be some mold developing on the towel?’ So I changed the towel everyday… not any better!

Next, I went back through my notes and found that I had changed my flour source about the same time my problems started. I had started buying bulk flour and had moved to high gluten un-bleached flour. Which I had used in my last successful bake but was using a 50/50 white, whole-wheat mixture from a different source. I went back to feeding my starter with the original flour (King Arthur) and my starter came back to life. After three days, it was smelling sweet, like over-ripe fruit in the later hours of development.

So tomorrow we bake, 27 loaves of Country Wheat, which is a 90% un-bleached white, 10% Whole Wheat. I’ll take some pictures and keep you updated. As they say in television… stay tuned!

Meanwhile back at the bread II

The continuing saga of Joe the Baker!

Okay last time I baked I used the Tartine Bread recipe for Basic Country Bread, a 90% white flour, 10% whole wheat flour with a starter/ leaven and long slow bench rest and crust development. I changed the recipe to 100% organic unbleached High Gluten white flour. I had been making 450g loaves, which I sold for $3 each. I increased the weight to 600g and increased the cost to $5 each.

The reactions were varied; overall they said that they liked the 90/10 recipe much better, it had a much more developed wheat flavor along with a good strong sour dough. They all liked the crust on both. The color was good but I’m not happy with the “ears”.

I’m going back to the 90/10 recipe and I’m going to add extra humidity to the bake with a pan of boiling water in the wood fired oven and a wet towel placed over the wooden door. I’m also going to decrease the baking temperature to lengthen the baking time for a darker crust and hopefully more developed ears. I’m settling on 525g and $4 each. I bake tomorrow and will post.

Warmly,

Mad Coyote Joe

More Wood Fired Oven Bread Discoveries

More Wood Fired Oven Bread Discoveries

I have followed the started instructions in the fantastic book “Tartine Bread”. This is what has developed. If I feed my starter every other day and wait eight hours before making my leaven I get a strong sour dough flavor. If I feed the starter every day and wait only 4 hours before making my leaven I get a mild sour dough flavor. I also made the dough up to the stage where it is time to shape the loaves. At this point I allow the dough to rest overnight in the refrigerator, then let the dough come up to room temperature before shaping and doing the bench rest. What developed was a much more pronounced sponge. On our next bake I will allow the starter to develop for at least 6 hours before making the leaven. And I will feed the starter daily at the same time. I’m looking for a slight increase in the sour flavor. We’ll see!

Meanwhile Back at the Wood Fired Oven

Meanwhile Back at the Wood Fired Oven

Okay the Arizona winter, if you can call it that, has ended. With my health problems cold is quite difficult for me, so I tend to stay inside when it’s cold out (ie; under 50°f). Anyway I’m back to the wood fired oven. I baked today and as usual it was a learning experience. This is what I learned today. If you are using a wood fired oven start with any soft wood that you have and move the fire around on the hearth. I start a fire at least 4 hours before I start baking. Next; in the last hour before you are going to start baking change your fuel to hardwood. For me, that means Mesquite, in other parts of the country that might mean oak, or pecan. I’ve been burning my hardwood down to coals about the size of pool balls and then shoveling them out and cleaning the oven and baking.

Today I discovered that I should burn the coals, which I spread over the entire hearth to keep the heat constant, down to ash. Then I should wait about 20 minutes and check the oven for heat. I do this by tossing a handful of corn meal onto the clean hearth.

If it burns after a few minutes the oven is too hot. I wait about 20 minutes and check again. When the cornmeal turns brown after a few minutes the oven is ready. I set a soaking wet kitchen towel over the door hanging on the inside of the door and slide my bread in. I’ve sliced the tops of my dough with a razor and I set a pan inside filled with water. Right before I close the door I spray the inside with a water bottle to raise the steam level inside. This insures a crisp crust.

I’m baking the loaves about 18 minutes or until they are caramel brown and have reached an internal temperature of 212°f. This is an ongoing process and I look forward to your thoughts, comments and questions.

Warmly

Mad Coyote Joe

Easy Hosin Salmon

Easy Hoisin Salmon

This is one of the most amazing dishes. The combination of Sesame oil and hoisin sauce is slightly sweet, with a deep nutlike flavor. If you’re adding more fish into your diet or just looking for an easy Asian twist on everyday oven roasted salmon, you’ll be amazed. The rule of thumb for grilling or oven baking (350 f°) fish is 10 minutes of baking for every minute of thickness. In the oven we add a few extra minutes to compensate for heating the baking dish. This cooking time provides a medium or lightly cooked piece of fish. If you like your fish well done add a few minutes. Also oven cooking times vary so give it a try and take a few notes. That way, you will find how to make this wonderful dish cooked to perfection, every time. Watch the video and please comment and share!

Warmly,

Mad Coyote Joe

Just a thought!

Okay; this is the new deal you run for an office in my country you can have 10 times the average salary (yes I fucking understand the average) in each state you are running in. So Arizona that’s about $250,000 or for president that’s 52 times the national average times 10 or about $15,000,000, Give these fuckers an Americapass and they can hit the rails. We need to take the corporations out of the ballot box. They can raise money at a rate of $25 from citizens maximum… no corporate money… that’s right none. They are fucking the workingman beyond anything that Ian Rand could have ever dreamed of. It’s our government not corporate America’s. If they think that it’s worth 200 million dollars to get a $500,000 (or what ever it pays) per year job then you can ride around on trains and tell us why. We will provide city parks and public access TV for you to sell us on why you’re the one that I want to vote for! Just think about It, real candidates actually selling us on their ideas, without writers base on demographics. No… at these prices they’ll have to make it up themselves!

Just a thought!

Joe

From Bricks to Bread the Wood-Fired Oven

So the oven is completed except the stucco and paint, which we will finish after the pavilion that houses the oven is built. We are now working on our bread recipe and the layout of our lot for the future cooking school. Our concept is garden to plate cooking and the education of everything in between. I’m keeping a journal of this process and planning to write a companion book called “From Bricks to Bread, a journey into the wood-fired bread oven”. After a lifetime of cooking with wood I am now going in this natural direction. Bread and the wood-fired oven are both a real challenge. They require a dedication and the learning of the natural cycles of both the oven and the life cycle of natural leavens. I’m enjoying this process much more than I can express. Once again I’m excited about cooking. Kathy and I talk about these processes and possibilities for hours on end. We are planning our next stage of life. It will be based around the wood-fired oven and a cooking school. If this works out Kathy can work from home and we can cater, teach, entertain and offer a location for others to give classes and workshops. We are also going to offering a location for meetings and even weddings.

Below are the pictures of the last stages of the oven build for those that are interested.

I used foam to make the form for the cladding, his holds in the heat and functions as mass for extended bakings.

This shot shows all of the cladding before we close it in the walls and add final insulation.

The front arch form and keyway.

Chimney facia with cut to follow roofline.

Rafters and block wall that will hold final insulation.

Top view of oven cladding before zonalite insulation.

Once again "mock up" of tile layout.

Dry stacked block and anchor bolt for rafter tie.

Zonalite insulation.

Our new puppy Max.

Finishing a large leaf into the counter top.

Pour of tables for bread baking classes.

Mesh and bar allow a long table with a clear span. Make sure and let this cure, keep a brace for a few weeks to fully allow the mud to harden.

End view of north table.

Pour in front of oven.

Shot of tile roof. I bought the tile on Craigslist for $35.

Nice view of front of oven. I have hundreds of shots if you need to see anything just shoot me a note and I'll post it.