Pity pita: There's none better than flavorful, multipurpose naan

Since I discovered naans, the oval-shaped flatbreads of Central and Southern Asia, I've all but banished pita bread from my kitchen.

When cut and baked into crispy wedges, pita has a purpose I can still live with. But the seemingly simple act of opening up its pockets for stuffing — the primary reason for its existence — has given me fits.

I've even tried layering pita with other ingredients and rolling it into spirals, but more often than not the bread is soggy and flavorless. Enough already.

Naans, on the other hand, are thicker, softer and, in my opinion, more flavorful than pita. They have multiple lives filled with purpose. As utensils for scooping food from plate to mouth, or for wrapping around juicy meatballs, naans soak up cooking juices but still hold their shapes. They can be layered with curried chicken or with soft cheeses studded with raisins and nuts. In Indian restaurants, baskets of warm naan, browned and crisp around the edges, are put on the table, much like the Western custom of offering rolls to placate hungry diners.

Naans, like most flatbreads, are easy to make. A traditional recipe from Afghanistan mixes flour with salt, a bubbly yeast culture and yogurt to make a smooth elastic dough. Cumin, sesame or peppery nigella seeds may add flavor and texture, a few pinches of saffron threads can provide a golden color and elusive note.

The dough is kneaded briefly and set aside to rise for a few hours. It's then divided into balls, flattened and literally slapped onto the sides of a searingly hot clay tandoor oven.

In the home oven, baking tiles, a cast-iron skillet or a heavy baking sheet are heated in the oven as it's coming to temperature. Slapping the dough onto the baking surface is optional but fun, and possibly therapeutic. Or place the shaped dough on the back side of a lightly floured baking sheet and slide into the oven with the help of a wide spatula. Each bread is individually baked for about 5 minutes. That's all there is to it.

If you don't want to make your own naan though, there are wonderful products on the market to choose from. Tandoori Naan from Indian Life is a favorite. Each package contains five 5-by-7-inch oval breads that are perfect for individual servings.

When wrapped in damp paper towels and gently heated in a microwave, the bread rolls around savory fillings easily, or it can be cut in half for traditional sandwiches.

And that, my friends, is a purpose that pita just cannot fill.

CeCe Sullivan: csullivan@seattletimes.com