Afghan Flatbread | How to make Afghan Nan
Afghan flatbread is the national bread of Afghanistan and is the everyday bread. It is also referred by various names as Noni Afghani, Nan-i-Afghan, Afghani Nan or Nan-e Barbari. This Afghan Flat bread is made with all purpose flour and baked in a variety of shape and size like oval or rectangular.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 5 cups All purpose flour
- 2 tsp Salt
- 1 Instant Yeast packet
- 5 tsp Cooking Oil
- 2 cups Water Warm
- 1 tsp Nigella Seeds optional
- Water as required, spray bottle filled with water or you can sprinkle
Instructions
- Put the flour, salt and yeast in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a dough blade. Process it for a few seconds to mix the ingredients. Next, add the oil to the flour.
- Now slowly add the water to the flour with the processor running. Depending on how the dough comes together, add or continue processing. After a few minutes, the dough will come together in one smooth lump and it will move around the food processor. Let is swirl a couple of time and then it’s ready to rest.
- If you don’t have a food processor, you can make the bread by hand. Pour all the dry ingredients in a big bowl and mix well. Add oil and mix further. Gradually add the water and knead the dough for 10 to 15 minutes the dough is smooth and elastic. Once the dough is done, set it in a large bowl, cover with cling film and keep in a warm place for 2 hours. Punch down the dough. It is ready to be baked. I normally preheat my oven and rest the dough after preheating is done with oven switched off.
- Preheat oven to 500 F/ 260 C. In my oven highest is only 215, so I had to bake at this temperature only.
- Spread some flour on the work surface. Ensure the dough doesn’t stick to your hands by dusting well. Divide the dough into three balls and work it gently into an oval that measures about 1 ½ feet long and ½- inch thick.
- As you stretch the dough it will pick up some of the flour from the work surface, make sure that you add more flour or the dough will stick to the work surface. Once the dough is shaped make three deep lines (don’t cut the dough) lengthwise on the surface of the dough with a knife.
- Once the oven is very hot, gently lay the shaped dough onto the baking tray and sprinkle with nigella seeds. Gently press the seeds into the dough. Place the dough in the oven, spray 5-6 times with your spray bottle and bake for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, spray the bread around 5-6 times and continue to bake for another 5 minutes. The nan should be golden brown and crusty on the outside. Since I couldn’t find my spray bottle, I sprinkled water over the bread.
- Once the bread is baked, let it sit for few minutes, before you cut into 3 inch squares or as how you want to serve.
- I served it with a creamy peas gravy.
Notes
The original recipe calls for bread flour, I just replaced it with regular flour.
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