I have to admit that we feel like we are watching life right now as if it were a movie. Living through the COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t even feel real most of the time. Yet it is real, as evidenced by the state of the grocery stores in my town. For the past week or more, every grocery store I’ve been in has been emptied of bread, most meats, toilet paper and many canned goods. While panic buying and hoarding food certainly doesn’t help the situation, people are still doing these things.
While this can be scary, it is important to focus on what we can control. And with a little bit of knowledge and creativity, I think you’ll find that you can make a lot of basic food items yourself. Aside from trying to deal with a pandemic, it’s great life skills that are useful to know anyway.
Facebook user Brandon Johnson graciously shared his recipe for “Navajo Flatbread,” which looks and sounds just like naan bread. This recipe requires very few ingredients, all of which are pantry staples, and is extremely simple to make.
You will need:
- 2 cups of flour
- 1 1/4 cups of lukewarm water
- 1 tablespoon of baking powder
- 1 teaspoon of kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon of oil, butter, or shortening
Directions:
Step 1: Mix together the dry ingredients and add in most of the water. Mix together. Add in the rest of the water while mixing, until the mixture forms the consistency of tacky pizza dough.
Step 2: Knead the dough for a few minutes.
Step 3: Let the dough rest in a greased bowl for 30 to 60 minutes.
Step 4: Divide the dough into six pieces and roll each piece out thin on a floured surface (think the thickness of tortillas).
Step 5: Heat the griddle or a skillet to 350 degrees F.
Step 6: Cook until golden brown spots begin to form, then flip and cook the other side.
Aside from being incredibly simple, this recipe also freezes really well. It costs just pennies to make, and is a simple way to make a bread product when you may not have any available to you in stores. Remember, we are all in this together. Take care of yourself, and of one another.
