Grilled Breads

Given the staunchly carnivorous appetites of our prehistoric ancestors (there’s a reason they were known as hunter-gatherers), you may be surprised to learn that one of the first documented freestanding barbecue pits was actually used to cook bread. The year was 2600 B.C.E. (give or take a few centuries); the place, the Ganganagar district in Rajasthan, India; the device, a tall, urn-shaped, charcoal-burning clay cooker that looked remarkably like a modern Indian tandoor. Thanks to its unique thermodynamics, dough slapped on its thick clay walls was cooked by both radiant and direct heat in a matter of seconds. The result: puffy, smoky flatbreads that were soft and moist in the center and crisp at the edges—the sort of bread we know and love today as Indian naan.