Homemade Naan Bread Recipe (2024)

By Laura

Posted Jul 07, 2021, Updated Feb 26, 2024

5 from 11 votes

17 Comments

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This Naan bread is truly the best. It’s soft, buttery and easy to make in a skillet with a handful of simple ingredients. Homemade naan bread is even more delicious than your favorite Indian restaurant.

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I have been on a quest to make the perfect homemade naan bread – and I finally mastered it with this recipe!

We make this homemade naan once a week because we love it SO much! It’s soft, buttery and easy to make in a skillet with a handful of simple ingredients.

Plus an added bonus is that you don’t need to turn on the oven to enjoy homemade bread during the warm summer months!

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Homemade Naan Bread: Ingredients & Substitutions

Let’s discuss the ingredients in this naan bread recipe, as well as possible substitutions.

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  • Honey. Granulated sugar can be used in place of honey in a pinch, but honey is best.
  • Whole milk. 2% milk works well, but I do not recommend using fat-free or skim milk.
  • Full-fat Greek yogurt. The full-fat dairy in this naan recipe gives it a soft texture and rich taste. You can use a 2% or fat-free Greek yogurt, your bread may just not be as pillowy soft.
  • Olive oil. Canola or avocado oil can be used in place of olive oil.
  • Baking powder. In order to get the perfect amount of bubbles (essential in naan bread), yeast and baking powder are used. It’s an essential ingredient not to be left out.
  • All-purpose flour. Bread flour can be used as a substitute for all-purpose flour.
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How to Make Naan Bread

This naan bread needs about an hour to rise once, so make sure you plan accordingly. We will walk through how to make naan step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video.

Begin this recipe by combining the water yeast and honey in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook or in a large mixing bowl. Let sit until foamy.

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Once foamy, add milk, yogurt and olive oil to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.

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Next, add 2 cups of flour and sea salt to the wet ingredients and stir with the dough hook or by hand until incorporated.

Start with 2 cups then gradually add the rest of the flour as needed ¼ cup at a time until the dough forms a ball and is only very slightly tacky.

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Once the dough forms a ball, turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.

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Then put the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with a wet towel let rise until doubled. Once doubled, punch down the dough to release gas.

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Portion & Roll

Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces.

Use a scale

If you love making bread and don’t have a food scale I highly recommend purchasing one. I always weigh the dough to ensure that the pieces are uniform.

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Roll each piece of dough into ¼” thick oval or circle. The shape isn’t critically important since the naan is cooked individually.

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Cook

Preheat a 10” round skillet over medium heat. I have used both a nonstick skillet and cast iron skillet with great results.

Brush one side of the naan dough circle with melted butter and place it buttered side down on the preheated skillet.

Immediately butter the other side (that is facing up) and lightly sprinkle it with garlic salt. Cook until large bubbles form (about 2-3 minutes)

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Once the first side is browned and there are plenty of bubbles, flip the naan and cook it on the second side until browned (about 2 more minutes)

If desired, sprinkle warm naan on one side with fresh cilantro. Remove from heat, let cool slightly and serve warm.

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Serve

Serve warm with your favorite Indian dishes. We like to make this naan bread to accompany our favorite mediterranean dishes as well (even though it’s Indian cuisine). I like to dip it in homemade hummus, white bean hummus or tzatziki, and serve with falafel.

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Store

Store this naan bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat for 5-10 seconds in the microwave or in the oven on low heat to restore the fresh-from-the-oven taste.

Freeze

Freeze this naan in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw by warming it in the microwave r on low heat in the oven.

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FAQs about Homemade Naan

Can I use milk instead of yogurt in naan bread?

Greek yogurt is an important ingredient in this naan recipe – I don’t recommend using milk in its place.

What is the difference between pita and naan?

My husband literally asked me this question yesterday. Naanhas a thicker, fluffier texture because it is made with yogurt. Pita is thinner bread made with less ingredients (flour, water, salt, etc) and no yogurt. Naan is cooked in a skillet while Pita is usually baked at very high temperatures in the oven.

How long does naan last?

Up to 5 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container.

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Homemade Naan Bread Recipe

Laura

This Homemade Naan is truly the best. It’s soft, buttery and easy to make in a skillet with a handful of simple ingredients. This naan bread recipe is even more delicious than your favorite Indian restaurant.

5 from 11 votes

Course Appetizer, bread, Side Dish

Cuisine Indian

Servings 10 Servings

Calories 207

Prep Time10 minutes minutes

Cook Time5 minutes minutes

Rising1 hour hour

Total Time1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

Ingredients

Naan Bread

Topping

  • ¼ cup salted butter melted (for brushing)
  • Garlic salt for sprinkling
  • Fresh cilantro chopped (Optional garnish)

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine water yeast and honey. Let sit until foamy.

  • Add milk, yogurt and olive oil to the yeast mixture and stir to combine.

  • Add 2 cups flour, baking powder and sea salt and stir until incorporated.

  • Add additional flour ¼ to ½ cup at a time until the dough forms a ball and is only very slightly tacky.

  • Turn onto a floured surface and knead until smooth.

  • Lightly grease a large bowl, add dough and cover with a wet towel let rise until doubled.

  • Once doubled, punch down the dough to release gas.

  • Divide the dough into 10 equal pieces (I recommend weighing the dough to ensure they are all the same size).

  • Roll each piece of dough into ¼” thick oval or circle.

  • Preheat a 10” round skillet over medium heat.

  • Brush one side of the naan dough circle with melted butter and place it buttered side down on the preheated skillet.

  • Immediately butter the other side (that is facing up) and lightly sprinkle it with garlic salt.

  • Cook until large bubbles form (about 2-3 minutes)

  • Flip and cook on the second side until browned (about 2 more minutes)

  • If desired, sprinkle warm naan on one side with fresh cilantro.

  • Remove from heat, let cool slightly and serve warm.

Video

Notes

Ingredient Substitutions

  • Honey. Granulated sugar can be used in place of honey in a pinch, but honey is best.
  • Whole milk. 2% milk works well, but I do not recommend using fat-free or skim milk.
  • Full-fat Greek yogurt. The full-fat dairy in this naan recipe gives it a soft texture and rich taste. You can use a 2% or fat-free Greek yogurt, your bread may just not be as pillowy soft.
  • Olive oil. Canola or avocado oil can be used in place of olive oil.
  • Baking powder. In order to get the perfect amount of bubbles (essential in naan bread), yeast and baking powder are used. It’s an essential ingredient not to be left out.
  • All-purpose flour. Bread flour can be used as a substitute for all-purpose flour.

Store

Store this naan bread in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat for 5-10 seconds in the microwave or in the oven on low heat to restore the fresh-from-the-oven taste.

Freeze

Freeze this naan in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw by warming it in the microwave r on low heat in the oven.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Naan | Calories: 207kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 285mg | Potassium: 129mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 162IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Did you enjoy this recipe? Have a question? Leave a comment below!

Try these recipes

Homemade Hummus

Homemade Pita Bread Recipe

White Bean Hummus

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad

Baked Falafel Recipe

Homemade 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.

Is yeast or baking powder better for naan? ›

Naan is essentially a leavened flatbread, which means it contains some form of raising agent to provide its airy texture. Hence for this naan, the raising agent we will be using is yeast. Other variations do exist which may utilise self raising flour or baking powder/baking soda.

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 makes naan bread so good? ›

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.

What is traditional naan made from? ›

My favorite homemade naan recipe is made with basic bread ingredients (flour, water and yeast) plus a generous dollop of yogurt, egg and baking powder to make the bread extra soft and chewy.

Why do you put yogurt in naan bread? ›

Salt could be optional if you are having naan with a curry. (Cause curry usually has salt and the bread might not need it). Variations like milk or yogurt is used instead of water to make dough soft and fluffy. This would change the texture and flavor of the bread.

What happens if you use baking powder instead of yeast for bread? ›

The CO2 causes the bread to rise and all the other compounds, including the yeast it self makes the bread taste like bread. The reason some would use baking powder is that it impart a different flavor than baker's yeast. It also acts a lot faster.

Why do you sprinkle water on naan bread? ›

you put it on naans to keep them soft.

What does naan mean in English? ›

: a round flat leavened bread especially of the Indian subcontinent.

What is the trick to fluffy bread? ›

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 happens if I eat naan everyday? ›

Naan is usually made from Maida ( whitest form of flour) which is not quite good for health. On the daily basis, if consumed, it can give rise to many stomach disorders like constipation and irritable bowel syndrome. It can kill your appetite giving rise to many undesirable health issues.

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 is naan bread expensive? ›

Usually smaller in size. Naan on the other hand is an Indian flat bread made out of refined wheat flour (maida). Cooked in a tandoor without any oil and is smeared with butter. Naan might cost more due to the operational cost for a Tandoor.

What is naan bread traditionally made of? ›

Naan is found in the cuisines mainly of Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Caribbean. Primarily composed of white or wheat flour combined with a leavening agent, typically yeast, naan dough develops air pockets that contribute to its fluffy and soft texture.

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.

Does naan bread contain flour? ›

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. But friends, we've done the trial and error so you don't have to!

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