Sheermal : Sweetened Mughlai Naan : Indian special Bread

Sheermal is a sweetened Naan made out of Maida (All-purpose flour), leavened with yeast, baked in Tandoor or oven.

This is sweet bread. In the olden days, it was made just like Roti . The warm water in the recipe for Roti was replaced with warm milk sweetened with sugar and flavored with saffron. Nowadays, the restaurants make it like a Naan and the final product resembles Danish pastry.

Ingredients

Dough

1. Active Dry Yeast (.25 oz) pack: 1
2. White Table Sugar: 1 teaspoon
3. Warm Milk at 100º F to 110º F: ¼ Cup

4. Saffron: 6 Strands

5. Egg: 1 slightly beaten

6. Melted Ghee: 2 Tablespoons

7. Un-bleached All purpose flour (Maida) (8oz): 1½ Cups

8. Salt: ¼ teaspoon

9. Confectioner's sugar (Powdered sugar): 2 Tablespoons

Garnishing

Yellow golden raisins

Flour for dusting and rolling.

Method

Dough

1. Mix yeast, sugar, milk and saffron. Set aside for 10 minutes.

2. Mix in Egg and melted Ghee

3. Combine flour, salt, powdered sugar. Make a mound and make a well in the flour mound. Pour in the yeast mixture. Knead about 10 minutes. Gather in to a ball. Cover with a damp kitchen towel or plastic film wrap. Let it rest for one hour or till the dough doubles in size.

Baking Sheermal

4. Knead dough again. Divide in 6 equal small balls.

5. Preheat oven to 450º F.

6. Roll out dough to form a disc about 5" diameter the thickness of 3 Nickels (5¢ coins).

7. Place about 5 raisins on the disc. Press the raisins lightly.

8. Put 2 discs on a greased baking sheet.

9. Bake 6 to eight minutes.