Nan-i-Afghani (Afghani Bread)

These small oval breads are traditionally baked in a tandoor, the stove or oven of the region. In India the tandoor is typically buried in the ground while in Afghanistan the oven is above ground. The bricks of the oven are rounded. The Nans are shaped and slapped onto the hot bricks for fast baking.

The recipe I found instructed that caraway seeds could be used if black cumin was unavailable. Since I didn't have black cumin seeds, I substituted black caraway for the look and added ground cumin for the flavor.

1 1/2 C warm water
1 packet of active, dry yeast
1 T organic granulated sugar
4 C white whole wheat flour (I have no idea what kind of flour is traditionally used)
1 T pink Himalaya salt
1/4 C olive oil (the original recipe called for corn oil)
1 T ground cumin
2 T black caraway (the original recipe called for black cumin seeds)

Place the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Add the yeast and sugar. Let it bloom for 5 minutes. Add the flour, water, cumin, and caraway. Knead well for 5 mins. Put dough ball back in bowl, drizzle with oil, cover with a towel, and let rise for an hour. Punch the dough down.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Divide dough into eight equal parts and roll each part into a ball. Press each ball into a oval shape, approximately 6 to 7 inches long and 1/2 inch thick.

Draw tines of a fork in 3 lines along length of each nan for a decorative design. Put nan on an ungreased baking stone and bake for 20 to 25 mins. Rub the top with butter to make the top glisten.

I am sharing this recipe with girlichef's Bake-Your-Own-Bread series.

Go check out what others are baking.