Makes: 3 flat loaves
Time: At least 5 hours, largely unattended
These long, slightly puffed rectangular loaves have dimples poked into the top; when you stretch out the dough before baking, the dimples elongate and resemble snowshoe tracks; hence the name. Somewhere between a flatbread and a fully risen loaf, snowshoe naan can be served alongside pretty much any kind of cuisine, even though it looks and sounds so obscure. The tiny black nigella seeds look wonderful speckled on the dough and add a slightly nutty, peppery bitterness to the bread, but you can leave them out.
1. Combine the whole wheat flour, ½ teaspoon of the yeast, and ¾ cup water in a bowl and stir well to combine. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours. This is your sponge.
2. Put the sponge in a food processor along with the remaining ½ teaspoon yeast, the salt, and the allpurpose flour. With the machine running, pour in ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon water and process until the dough comes together into a sticky ball. Turn it out onto a lightly floured counter and knead, adding only enough extra flour as necessary to prevent sticking, until smooth and elastic, 3 or 4 minutes. Grease a large bowl with olive oil and put the dough in it, turning it once to coat with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 2 to 3 hours.
3. Press on the dough to deflate it and turn it out onto a floured surface. Divide the dough into 3 pieces and stretch or press each piece into a rectangle roughly 7 × 5 inches. Cover with plastic and let rise for 30 minutes.
4. Heat the oven to 475°F. If using a baking stone, set it on the lowest rack; otherwise line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Sprinkle a little more flour underneath the dough. To give the bread its final shape, dip your fingers in water and press lots of tightly spaced, deep indentations all over the dough. Shape the dough into long rectangles by picking it up from both ends and gently stretching it apart; the rectangles shouldn’t be longer than the baking sheet or baking stone. If you’re using nigella seeds, brush the top of the dough with a little water and sprinkle on some seeds.
5. If you’re using a baking stone, flour a pizza peel or a flexible cutting board, put one of the rectangles on top, and use the peel or cutting board to slide it onto the stone. Otherwise, put the dough on the prepared baking sheets and slide them into the oven. Bake in 2 batches if necessary. Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, until the bread is crusty and lightly browned on top. Serve immediately or cool on racks and store.
SPICED AFGHAN SNOWSHOE NAAN An incredibly flavorful alternative if you don’t have nigella seeds: Sprinkle the dough with a combination of cumin seeds, sesame seeds, paprika, salt, and pepper.