Homemade Naan
User Reviews
5.0
36 reviews
Excellent
Homemade Naan
Report
Fluffy, pillowy homemade naan with simple ingredients. This post includes variations for vegan naan, gluten-free naan and whole wheat naan. Jump in!
Share:
Ingredients
Yeast
- 2 teaspoon sugar granulated
- ¾ cup warm water closer to lukewarm - not boiling!
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast can substitute with instant yeast (check post if you don't have yeast)
Naan
- 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 cup all purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- ¼ cup PLAIN yogurt unsweetened and unflavored
- 2 tbsp olive oil substitute with vegetable oil if easier
Instructions
- Add sugar, warm water and yeast together and mix well - then let it sit in a warm place for about 10 minutes until it becomes frothy
- Add salt and baking powder to the flour and give it a good whisk.
- Add yogurt and oil to the yeast mixture, mix with a fork first and then pour into the flour. Use your hands or a food processor to mix them together until they form a soft and pliable dough - this will feel a bit sticky but should form into a nice round ball (don't over work it!)
- Oil a mixing bowl at least 2x as large as the dough ball, place the dough inside and cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap. Let it sit in a warm(ish) location (for instance, next to a stove or oven) and rise for at least an hour (it should roughly double in size).Note: You can leave this out for up to 4 hours for even fluffier naan - the longer you leave it out, the softer and fluffier your naan is. I try to leave it out longer if I have the time but an hour should be good enough!
- Once it's risen, divide the dough into 6 equal portions (roughly the size of a lemon)
- Heat cast iron skillet on medium-high heat and get it really warm while you roll the first piece of naan (almost near smoking) - that's a good sign it's hot enough.
- Dust the ball with some flour, and roll the dough into a flatbread shape (roughly ¼" thick). It's tempting to roll all of them at once, but a key part of this recipe is to roll them one at a time (see post for details on why). You don't want to over-roll the naan either - essentially one or two good rolls on either direction should be sufficient. Note: The dough will be somewhat sticky but should still roll out into a nice long shape. If you have trouble with your rolling pin sticking to the dough, dust the pin and the dough ball with some more flour.
- Pat out any excess flour from the rolled out dough. If adding seasoning like garlic or sesame, press them into one side (using your hand). Brush the non-seasoning side with a thin film of water.
- Place the watered side of the naan on the cast iron skillet. Let it cook for about 5 seconds. You'll start seeing small bubbles appearing on the surface. Cover the cast iron skillet with a lid and cook for 45 seconds. Then, flip the naan and cook for another 45 seconds (covered) - once you remove the naan, it should have small bursts of black spots where the air bubbles used to be. This is a mark of a great naan!
- Brush with a thin layer of butter or even butter mixed with some garlic and cilantro (optional) and serve hot!
Notes
- Substitutions:
- Other Tips:
- Instant yeast vs. active yeast: If you want to use instant yeast, instead of mixing it with the water and the sugar, you can just add it straight to the dough instead - rest of the steps are the same!
- For yeast-free naan: you can use self-raising flour and yogurt. Alternatively, add 1 teaspoon of baking powder and ½ teaspoon of baking soda into the flour instead of using any yeast mixture - follow the rest of the steps as is! I'm working on a yeast free naan recipe for more detailed instructions, stay tuned.
- For vegan naan: I prefer using vegan yogurt, and I've found it works well!
- For gluten-free naan: use gluten-free flour. For a gluten-free and yeast-free version, use gluten-free self raising flour and Greek yogurt.
- If you're in a colder location, I recommend turning the oven to "keep warm" or set to 200F and let it warm about 2 minutes. Then turn it off, turn on the oven light, and throw the dough in there.
- It's important to not roll the dough out all at once - this breaks down the air pockets and can result in not "fluffy" naan. Rolling the dough one at a time in between cooking also allows for the cast iron pan to heat up between them.
- If your naan starts blackening too quickly, reduce the heat to a medium and let it come down for a minute or two before adding the next one. Trial and error is a large part of making naan (and each person's cast iron is slightly different!) - they'll all taste good, but it might take a few attempts to get it to how you like it! Case in point, this recipe took 9 attempts to get it just perfect.
- Adding the water on one side helps create steam within the naan and as a result, more air pockets as the steam expands due to the heat.
Nutrition Information
Show Details
Calories
207kcal
(10%)
Carbohydrates
34g
(11%)
Protein
5g
(10%)
Fat
5g
(8%)
Saturated Fat
1g
(5%)
Cholesterol
1mg
(0%)
Sodium
405mg
(17%)
Potassium
67mg
(2%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Vitamin A
10IU
(0%)
Calcium
24mg
(2%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 6pieces
Amount Per Serving
Calories 207 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 207kcal | 10% |
| Carbohydrates | 34g | 11% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Cholesterol | 1mg | 0% |
| Sodium | 405mg | 17% |
| Potassium | 67mg | 1% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 10IU | 0% |
| Calcium | 24mg | 2% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Genuine Reviews
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5.0
36 reviews
Excellent
Other Recipes
You'll Also Love
Vegan Naan Recipe - Plain, Garlic or Avocado Naan bread. Dairy-free Indian flatbread
Indian
5.0
(51 reviews)
