To go with an Indian-style dinner, my man decided he’d try to make some naan. Since it was for me too, he wanted to make it dairy free. We don’t have a clay stone, and with the substitutions we weren’t sure how it would turn out. Here’s the story:

Since we didn’t have clay stone (or tandoor oven!) we inverted baking sheets for the naan to bake on:

This is the naan being brushed with Earth Balance (non-dairy butter):

This is the finished product: (a little thick)

The verdict: This sort of worked. It was tasty flatbread, but didn’t have the right consistency for naan. As you might be able to surmise from the picture, it was too thick and it was slightly overcooked.

Things that could make it better are:

• definitely must: roll the dough thinner
• probably should do this: use dairy substitutes that are thicker for the recipe (dairy-free yogurt instead of almond milk)
• maybe this would help: make the naan on a warmer day so the dough would rise more

Here’s the recipe (adapted to be dairy-free from Joy of Cooking):

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tbs melted Earth Balance
• 3/4 almond milk (should have used plain non-dairy yogurt)
• 1 tsp+ water as needed

Directions:

1. Combine dry ingredients.
2. Add we ingredients.
3. Mix on low until soft ball of dough is formed.
4. Knead about 10 minutes with a dough hook.
5. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it over once to coat.
6. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 1 1/2 hours.
7. Punch down the dough and divide into four parts.
8. Roll into balls, cover and let rest for 10 minutes.
9. Roll each ball of dough into an oval 1/4″ thick.
10. Brush the tops of the dough with melted butter.
11. Place on baking sheet and bake at 475° until each oval gets puffy and beings to turn golden (6-7 minutes).