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Naan Bread
Naan is an Indian recipe; it’s a type of flat bread.
Traditionally they are baked inside a very hot clay tandoor oven, with charcoal or wood fire.
The naan bread are stuck to the inside of the oven just like the picture below.
The tandoor oven retains very high heat, up to 900°F and hence fills the inside of the flat bread with air pockets and bakes them to perfection.
In a modern day kitchen, we do not have a tandoor oven, but you can make naan at home with a hot cast-iron skillet on the stove stop, or bake in the oven.
My naan recipe is made on a stove top, using a very hot cast-iron skillet.
The naan turn out extremely delicious, soft, puffy, airy, with the beautiful golden brown spots on the surface.
They taste just like the best Indian buffet restaurants!
Frequently Asked Questions about Naan:
Is Naan Bread Healthy?
Yes, it is super healthy. My recipe is quick and easy, fail-proof and cooked on a skillet. You do not need a tandoor oven!
Does It Have Eggs?
There is no eggs in the recipe. Vegan can’t eat them as this recipe calls for yogurt, which is not vegan-friendly.
The Origin of Naan
It originated from Iranian. However, different countries have its own version of the bread.
It’s a staple in Iran, many middle eastern countries, the Indian subcontinent countries such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, etc.
The Difference between Naan and Roti
They are both flat breads but different because of the ingredients used. Roti, for example, chapati is made with whole wheat flour and there is no yeast.
Naan is made with all purpose flour and you will need yeast to make the dough.
Tips on How to Make Naan
- First, you want to make the dough by combining the yeast and flour together. Knead the dough with hand or using a stand mixer and then rest to double the dough in size.
- Divide the dough into 8 balls. Heat up a cast-iron skillet on high heat to make naan.
- The high heat makes the dough rises and fills the middle part of the bread with an air pocket. It’s done when burnt brown “blisters” or spots appear, just like my pictures.
- Brush the fresh-off-the-skillet naan with some melted salted butter and top them with cilantro leaves.
How Many Calories per Serving?
This recipe is only 295 calories per serving.
What Dishes to Serve with Naan?
They are great with Indian curries with sauce, for example: chicken tikka masala or butter chicken.
For a wholesome Indian dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
How to Make Naan Bread?
Please refer to the recipe card below for detailed step-by-step method on how to make naan at home.
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Naan Bread (The Best Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 1/4 oz. active dry yeast ((2 1/4 teaspoons) )
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil
- some oil (for greasing the skillet)
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- In a small bowl, add the sugar, warm water, and yeast together. Stir to combine well. The yeast should be activated when it becomes foamy, about 10 minutes. Transfer the flour to a flat surface and make a well in the middle.
- Add the yeast mixture, yogurt, salt and oil, knead the dough until the surface becomes smooth and shiny, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place (for example: beside the stove top or warm oven). The dough should double in size, about 1 hour.
- Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll the dough to a 8” circle using a rolling spin.
- Heat up a skillet (cast-iron preferred) over high heat and lightly grease the surface with some oil to avoid the dough from sticking to the skillet. Place the dough on the skillet. When it puffs up and bubbles and burnt spots appear, flip it over and cook the other side. Repeat the same until all dough are done.
- Brush the naan with the melted butter, serve warm.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose flour?
Yes.
Question for you! Am I able to make this a day ahead and let the dough sit in the fridge?
I don’t recommend it. It’s best to make the naan and freeze the cooked naan.
I made this dough today, adding 2 Tbsp of garlic powder and substituted half of the oil for sesame oil. I also heated an oven stone to the highest heat my oven would do, and cooked it on there. It was amazing with my tikka Masala!
Nice!😊👍
I tried your add uos and it hust came out sooo good! Thank you!
This really IS the best naan recipe! Thanks so much- I’ve been trying to make naan for years & now I got it!
Nice!😊👍
I halved the recipe except the flour, boy oh boy the dough is sticky (might be because I’m in NZ and it’s a wet winter) . The first time I tried mixing it by hand and about gave up as it was too sticky. The second time I mixed it with the dough hook in my Ninja food processor then put oil on my hands to handle it. When it had risen I put oil on my hands, the board and the rolling pin. I only heated the cast iron pan to medium as they were burning too much and not cooking through fully on high. As I made them I put them in tin foil to keep warm. Very happy with how they turned out :)
I used my kitchen aid mixer to knead the dough and I think I did it for too long. My bread came out very flat and not puffy at all. How long should you need the dough in a stand mixer with a dough hook versus the 10 minutes kneading by hand?
The dough was super-sticky! I had to add at least half a cup of extra flour, and it’s still sticky :-( I hope I can roll it out when it has finished rising.
No you don’t have to add so much flour. If so, your measurement is off. We use American measuring cup which is different from Australian measuring cup.
Hey Rasa
what are the measurements in grams, that can help us all, over the world.
In Australia
• flour, plain 1 cup = 150g -180grams
• liquid one cup = 250ml
• One rounded teaspoon (tsp.) of sugar weighs approximately 5 grams
I just checked on my electronic kitchen scales and these are my results.
This is what I am measuring with:
https://www.amazon.com.au/Joseph-8-Piece-Measuring-Spoons-Measure/dp/B00NLBCHP6
and this is the measurements UK and Aus.
1/4 tsp – 1.25ml
1/2 tsp – 2.5ml
1 tsp – 5ml
1 tbs – 15ml
1/4 cup – 60ml
1/3 cup – 85ml
1/2 cup – 125ml
1 cup – 250ml
Hopefully this helps
cheers
Bryan
Is it possible to make the dough, freeze then thaw and rise? I am going on a raft trip and won’t be cooking the naan for a few days but won’t really have space to knead.
Just make the naan and cook and the freeze. It’s so much easier that way.
Is it ok to make this recipe in a stand mixer with a dough hook?
Yes.
I would love to see the video but can’t locate the link on this page.
Turn off your ad blocker. If you do have ad blocker, you can’t see the video. The video is embedded.