Festive Naan Pizza ~ Red, White and Green
Dec 21, 2015, Updated Nov 13, 2020
Get into the Holiday Spirit with this gorgeous, and quite healthy appetizer. Make ahead, and heat with colorful toppings before serving. Naan dough is quite easy to make and roll – have fun with it!
Naan Bread is simple to make at home ~ Yogurt enriches partial whole grain dough which comes together in minutes. Step by step directions for a crispy exterior and a soft chew inside – a bread base for all of your creative toppings.
Even a beginner can be successful! The dough, after it has risen is light as a pillow – and so entrancing to work with. I am using part whole grain pastry flour in the dough to add a healthier profile and whole-grain taste. The dough is stirred up with a fork in a bowl, then kneaded a few minutes until smooth and elastic.
Making dough at home by hand is addictive! And – quite simple. The whole process I find quite relaxing and therapeutic. As you lay the dough to rest in a bowl, covered, it will gradually expand – and develop it’s flavor, texture and structure. This naan dough contains yogurt (lactose-free yogurt available at health food stores) which keeps the dough moist with a chewy texture inside. The dough is then portioned into 6 pieces, shaped into discs, and rolled into oblong free-form shapes.
Different from pizza doughs, and one I am playing with in different applications. In Indian Cuisine, these flat-breads are baked in a Tandoor oven in intense heat. We can achieve a pretty nice balance in a heated cast iron skillet. Some I know use a pizza stone in the oven. This method uses a cast iron skillet to “blacken” the dough – this gives it a distinct flavor before topping. The dough will “bubble-up” (gorgeous!), cook on both sides in the skillet, then simple add to a baking pan with colorful toppings in stripes. Make ahead to this point, and bake in the oven when you company is good and hungry.
The perfect, healthy & creative Naan Pizza for the Holidays – Christmas & New Year’s Eve. Continue to make these pizzas all year round, with toppings of your choice, and be creative!
Happy Holidays!
Karen
