Easy Naan Bread Recipe (2024)

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This Easy Naan Bread Recipe comes together in minutes, rises for just one hour, and cooks in seconds on a hot skillet!

We love to pair this quick flatbread with my Authentic Indian Butter Chicken, or use it as a sandwich wrap.

Easy Naan Bread Recipe (1)Easy Naan Bread Recipe (2)

What Is Naan Bread?

Naan Bread is a leavened flatbread that is commonly found in cuisines of West Asia, South Asia, Myanmar, Indonesia and the Caribbean. The dough consists mainly of all purpose flour, with active dry yeast and baking powder as rising agents.

The signature look of Naan Bread is an elongated circle, with browned bubbles throughout.

This soft Naan Bread is great for dipping into thick sauces, wrapping up sandwiches or using as a pizza dough. It’s very versatile!

Ingredients Needed To Make Naan Bread

You probably already have all the ingredients needed to make this super simple flatbread in your fridge and pantry now. Here’s what you’ll need…

As always, you can find the full list of ingredients, as well as the printable recipe, located in the recipe card below.

  • Warm Water
  • Sugar
  • Active Dry Yeast – you can also use rapid rise yeast
  • Warm Milk
  • Plain Yogurt
  • Olive Oil– use a good quality olive oil
  • All Purpose Flour– I have not experimented with other types of flour with this recipe
  • Baking Powder
  • Salt

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How To Make Soft Naan Bread

As with most yeast breads, we’re going to start by proofing our yeast. This means, we will combine warm water and sugar until it’s dissolved, then sprinkle the yeast over the top of the water.

The yeast will begin to activate by eating the sugar in the water, creating a foaming on the surface after about 5 minutes.

What If My Yeast Doesn’t Foam?

If you notice that your yeast doesn’t get foamy on top, then it’s a sign that the yeast is dead. Either your water was too hot or your yeast is just old and not active anymore.

Either way, toss it out and start over.This time, use less hot water, or replace with fresher yeast.

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Once the yeast is active, add in the remaining ingredients and use clean hands to combine until a dough ball is formed.

Then, pour out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough with your hands for about 3 to 5 minutes, until it’s nice and smooth and elastic.

Coat the inside of the mixing bowl with olive oil, place the dough ball inside and cover.

We’re going to let this dough rise in a warm spot for about one hour, or until it’s doubled in size.

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How Much Does This Recipe Make?

This recipe makes about 10 large pieces of naan bread. You can divide them smaller or larger, depending on your preference and the size of your pan.

I like to use this handy bench scraper or a large knife to cut into the dough.

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How To Cook Naan Bread On Stove Top

Traditional Naan Bread is cooked in a tandoor oven, which is a clay oven that can get very hot (up to 900 degrees F!). Not all of us have one of those in our kitchen… luckily we can still make it on the stove top with ease.

I’m using a large cast iron pan, either a 10″ or 12″ pan will work great.

  1. Once you’ve divided your dough, use a rolling pin to roll it out in an elongated circle (oval shape) and try to get it about 1/8″ to 1/4″ thin.
  2. Heat the skillet until it’s nice and hot and add just a bit of olive oil to the pan.
  3. Lay the naan dough in the hot skillet and let it cook until bubbles start to form, about 30 to 60 seconds, brush with melted butter.
  4. Flip the bread over, cook for an additional 30 to 60 seconds, until the dough is cooked through and browned slightly.

PRO TIP: Cast iron can get hot pretty fast, so once it’s piping hot, you’ll want to lower the temperature so you don’t scorch your bread during cooking.

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While you’re rolling out your dough, keep the other dough balls covered with a damp paper towel or rag, so they do not get dried out.

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How To Flavor Naan Bread

You can easily add flavor to this simple naan bread recipe by infusing some butter with either garlic or onion.

As you pull the cooked naan bread from the skillet, brush with more butter (flavored if desired), sprinkle with coarse sea salt and top with freshly chopped parsley or other herbs of choice.

What To Serve With Naan Bread

Naan bread is fantastic with any sort of stew, curry, or used to make sandwiches or even flatbread melts.

Try these easy recipes and let me know what you think in the comments below…

  • Authentic Indian Butter Chicken
  • Slow Cooker Beef Stew
  • Curry Beef Stew
  • Hearty Vegetable Soup Recipe

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More Quick Bread Recipes

Looking for more quick bread recipes to try? Here are some great recipes that are sure to give you amazing results…

  • Homemade Sandwich Bread
  • Soft Flour Tortillas
  • 2 Ingredient Dough Breadsticks
  • Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

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I can’t wait for you to give this easy Naan recipe a try!

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5 from 7 votes

Easy Naan Bread Recipe

Super easy Naan Bread recipe is great for a quick bread to go with dinner and Indian cuisine!

Prep Time1 hour hr 10 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 10 pieces

Calories: 314 kcal

Author: Shawn

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup warm water, from tap
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • tsp active dry yeast, or instant yeast
  • ¾ cup warm milk
  • ¾ cup plain yogurt
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
  • ¼ cup butter, melted
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Combine the warm water and sugar in a large mixing bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. Sprinkle in the yeast over the top and let sit for 5 minutes, until foamy.

  • Add in the warm milk, yogurt, olive oil, baking powder, salt and all purpose flour. Combine with your hands or sturdy wooden spoon until a dough ball forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the dough for 3 to 5 minutes, until smooth and elastic.

  • Coat the mixing bowl with olive oil, add the dough ball back to the bowl and cover. Let sit in a warm location for about 1 hour, until the dough is double in size.

  • Divide the risen dough into 10 equal wedges and then roll into an elongated circle (oval shape), about ¼" to ⅛" thin.

  • Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat and coat with oil. Once pan is nice and hot, you may want to reduce the heat so you don't scorch the bread.

    Add the rolled out dough to the pan, let it cook for about 30 to 60 seconds, until bubbles start to form. Brush with melted butter and flip over. Cook for an additional 30 to 60 seconds, until the bread is browned and cooked through.

  • Remove the naan bread from the skillet, brush with butter and sprinkle with coarse or flakey sea salt and freshly chopped parsley. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

Store cooked naan in an air tight container for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 314kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 16mg | Sodium: 567mg | Potassium: 133mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 257IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 78mg | Iron: 3mg

Keywords: bread, Naan, Quick

DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?don't forget to share a picture and mention @iwashyoudry on Instagram or tag #iwashyoudry!

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Easy Naan Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What flour is naan bread made from? ›

So in short, use bread flour if you have it. But if you don't, I wouldn't make a special trip to the supermarket because this naan is excellent made with all-purpose/plain flour too; Yeast – Instant / rapid-rise yeast is called for here.

What makes naan bread so good? ›

Naan bread is soft, fluffy, and chewy, whereas pita bread is denser with a slightly crispy texture on the outside. Naan bread also has a buttery flavor due to the ghee and buttermilk in the dough, which adds an extra dimension of flavor compared to pita bread's more neutral taste.

Why is my naan bread not fluffy? ›

Rolling Vs stretching dough: Naan is always hand stretched and not rolled with a rolling pin. Sometimes rolling toughens the dough and suppresses the bubbles making dense flatbreads. Hand stretched naan have a lovely fluffy & light texture.

What is the combination of naan? ›

Perfectly spiced meat dishes go perfectly with naan - trust me! Whether you prefer kebabs, grilled chicken or a curry with flavorful gravy, this list has you covered! My favorites include tandoori style chicken tikka, malai chicken tikka, and a classic butter chicken, too!

Why do you put yogurt in naan bread? ›

The extra protein from the yogurt eliminates the importance of advanced gluten development. The yogurt also adds some fat. The fat keeps the dough nice and soft and prevents the naan from hardening too much during the cooking process.

What is traditional naan made from? ›

It's one of those dishes that you should never skip when eating at an Indian restaurant. Different countries have their own versions of this flatbread. But the basic ingredients remain the same: all-purpose flour, water, and yeast. In some cases, people add plain yogurt, ghee, milk, or egg for extra texture and flavor.

Is yeast or baking powder better for naan? ›

Other variations do exist which may utilise self raising flour or baking powder/baking soda. However I strongly stand by yeast when it comes to making a good quality naan. It's the best raising agent for flavour development, especially when cold proving is involved.

Why is naan unhealthy? ›

Skip: Naan

And like those fluffy spuds, this soft flatbread has little nutritional value. Most naan recipes call for Greek yogurt to give it that airy texture. But that's more than offset by less healthy ingredients like white flour, sugar, and oil.

Why do you sprinkle water on naan bread? ›

you put it on naans to keep them soft.

How to make naan puff up? ›

Heat a frying pan as hot as you can on the hob (you need to use a frying pan that can go under the grill). Once hot, place a rolled naan onto the pan and count to 20 seconds. Now place the pan under the grill and wait for the naan to puff up and cook. This will take between 30 seconds and 1 minute.

What is the trick to fluffy bread? ›

Add Sugar

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

What is a substitute for baking powder in naan? ›

Because this naan recipe doesn't use yeast, you need a little baking powder to encourage your naan to be pillow-like puffy. But, if you don't have baking powder, you can substitute with baking soda.

What is the most popular naan? ›

One of the most well-known varieties of Naan is the traditional Indian flatbread known as butter naan. Flour, yeast, salt, sugar, and yogurt are used in their preparation.

What are the black bits in naan? ›

Its just the heat that creats the black spots after been cooked. Yeah, if its stale and you find those spots its a big no no. otherwise its only the heat that makes roti naan paratha etc indian bread look like black or brown or red spots on these edibles. Completely edible …

What is flaky naan called? ›

Parathas are a flaky, buttery, and layered style of flatbread that can be served alongside curries, rolled up and dipped into hot chai, or made into a meal by themselves with a side of raita for dunking.

Is naan bread made from wheat flour? ›

Here's why: wheat flour has less gluten than bread flour or white all purpose flour, which are typically used for making naan. But it's the gluten that helps make naan dough pliable and soft and the naan slightly chewy after cooking.

Is naan made from white flour? ›

Difference Between Naan, Flatbread and Pita Bread

While the three are all made up of refined white flour and have similar shapes they do have significant differences. Naan is usually softer than flatbread and pita bread. It can have more flavor with the additions of yogurt, milk, butter, and egg.

Is naan bread healthy? ›

While it may contain more carbs and sugars, it earns its reputation as a healthy alternative with its relatively generous amounts of protein and fiber. Despite its high carb content, naan can be considered a more nutrient-dense alternative to white bread and pita.

Is naan wheat based? ›

Naan is traditionally made with all-purpose (wheat) flour, which is not gluten-free. But the gluten provides a stretchy element that can be tricky to replicate with gluten-free alternatives.

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