Tzazikki with fresh Naan.....

I always love a  home made tzazikki sauce with fresh pitas dipped in.  I stumbled upon a recipe for this naan bread and boy, what a treat.  Served warm with  the tangy cold tzazikki.......my mouth just begins to water!

Lucia's Tzazikki Dip

1 tub greek yogurt (you can substitute with sour cream, it is also delicious)

1 english cucumber, grated and excess juice squeezed out

1/2 lemon, squeezed

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBSP olive oil

2 tsp seasoning salt

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Done. This keeps well for a few days, and improves in flavor over time.  A great make ahead for company.

Fresh Naan Bread

adapted from: budgetbytes.blogspot.com

2 tsp dry active yeast

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup water

2.5-3 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/3 cup plain greek yogurt

1 large egg

In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and water. Stir to dissolve then let sit for a few minutes or until it is frothy on top. At that point, stir in the oil, yogurt and egg until evenly combined.

 In a medium sized bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the salt. Next, add the bowl of wet ingredients to the flour/salt mixture and stir until well combined.  Add remaining flour, 1/2 a cup at a time, for a total of up to 3 cups.  (you may not need all 3 cups, and you may need slightly more then 3 cups....this is the part where you really have to "feel" that the dough is right.  It should be smooth, soft, not sticky and easy to knead, like play dough texture.

 At that point, turn the ball of dough out onto a well floured counter top. Knead the ball of dough for about 3 minutes, adding flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. 

 Loosely cover the dough and let it rise until double in size (about 45 minutes). After it rises, gently flatten the dough and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball by stretching the dough back under itself until the top is smooth and round.

Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat and brush with olive oil. Working with one ball at a time, roll it out until it is about 1/4 inch thick or approximately 6 inches in diameter. Place the rolled out dough onto the hot skillet and cook until the under side is golden brown and large bubbles have formed on the surface (see photos below). Flip the dough and cook the other side until golden brown as well. Serve plain or brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with herbs!

TIP: For the most bubbles, don't roll out the ball of dough until just before it is ready to be placed in the skillet. I experimented with different skillet temperatures and found that a medium heat produces the most bubbles in the dough and does not burn the surface.