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Xinjiang onion nang
Náng (馕): Uyghur round flatbread with a thin, stamped centre topped with onion, cumin and sesame
Across Xinjiang, from Kashgar's bazaars to Urumqi's backstreets, bakers slap rounds of dough onto the walls of clay tandoors and pull them out a few minutes later, golden and stamped with patterns. The centre is pressed thin and crisp while the rim stays soft and chewy, and the onion version is scattered with cumin and sesame. Nang keeps for days and is eaten with tea, kebabs and salads. Chef's tip: get your oven and tray as hot as they'll go; nang bakes quickly in fierce heat.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the dough
For the topping
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour, ¼ oz instant yeast, 1 tsp sugar and 1 ½ tsp salt. Add 1 ¼ cups warm water and 2 tbsp vegetable oil and knead for 10 minutes to a smooth, springy dough. Cover and leave for 1 hour, until doubled.
60 minStep 2: Mix 1 onion with ¼ tsp salt and leave for 10 minutes, then squeeze out the liquid. Common mistake: using wet onion, which steams the bread and makes the middle soggy.
Step 3: Put a heavy baking tray or pizza stone in the oven and heat to 475°F (450°F fan) or as hot as it goes.
Step 4: Divide the dough into 4. Roll each into a 20 cm round. Press the centre hard with your fingertips, leaving a raised 2 cm rim, then prick the centre all over with a fork in a pattern.
Step 5: Brush with 3 tbsp water, then scatter the onion, 2 tbsp white sesame seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds and ½ tsp nigella seeds over the centre and press them in lightly.
Step 6: Slide two breads onto the hot tray and bake for 10–12 minutes, until the rims are deep golden and the centres crisp and blistered. Repeat. Cool on a rack under a cloth so the rims stay soft.
24 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 520 kcal
- Protein
- 15 g
- Carbs
- 94 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does xinjiang onion nang take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 25 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
- Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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