Easy Naan Bread (From Scratch Recipe) | Little Sunny Kitchen (2024)

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By: DianaPosted: 12/1/20Updated: 5/15/21

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Naan is a delicious soft but chewy Indian bread, perfect to serve with curries and all Indian foods. It’s a yeast bread but really easy to make, and can be garnished with different toppings such as garlic and herbs. This recipe makes the best naan, better than what you get at Indian restaurants!

Easy Naan Bread (From Scratch Recipe) | Little Sunny Kitchen (1)

Homemade Naan Bread

Traditionally, naan is baked in a hot tandoor oven but to make it possible for everyone to make it at home, I’ve changed this recipe up a little so it bakes perfectly over the stovetop.

What you will love about this bread is its pillowy soft and fluffy texture! This bread is pliable, perfect for soaking up all the curries and sauces, and can also be used to make wraps. As the bread is being baked, it forms bubbles. Unlike its cousin which is the Middle Eastern flatbread that forms one large pocket, naan tends to create lots of smaller bubbles and that’s what makes it so special.

And of course, the flavor of this naan is incredible especially if you brush it with herb garlic butter. I always recommend that you eat it fresh as soon as it’s baked, and you will definitely fall in love with it!

What is The Difference Between Naan and Pita Bread?

Both of these breads are flatbreads and they’re made with leavened dough. Pita can be made with yeast or baking powder/soda, and same applies to naan. The texture is quite different, since naan is made with yogurt and butter, the amount of fat in the recipe makes the bread richer and softer than pita. Also, pita usually has a one large pocket, but naan forms many smaller bubbles as it’s being baked.

It is also important to note that Naan is an Indian bread, and pita is a Middle Eastern bread, but can also be found in the Mediterranean countries.

Check out my simple pita flatbread recipe.

How To Make Naan Bread From Scratch

  • In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, salt, and yeast.
  • Add yogurt, butter, and water, and knead on medium speed until a smooth and elastic dough ball forms (about 10 minutes).
  • Drizzle the dough ball with oil, turn it so it is coated with oil and it does not stick to the bowl, and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a warm place until it doubles in size (about 1 and half hours).
  • Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll into balls. Then on a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball into an oval shape that is around 10 inches long, and ¼-⅛ inch thick.
  • Heat a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat.
  • Brush both sides of the naan with melted butter, and place on a hot cast-iron skillet. Cover with a lid, and cook for 45-60 seconds, and bubbles will form. Remove the lid, and flip the naan to the other side then cook for another minute uncovered. Repeat with the rest of the naan breads. Cover the ready ones with a towel as you work with the rest of the naans.
Easy Naan Bread (From Scratch Recipe) | Little Sunny Kitchen (2)

If desired, with a pastry brush, brush the ready naan with melted butter mixed with garlic and herbs. And you will have the most delicious garlic naan ready to be served!

Success Tips

  • This is a yeast bread recipe, so it’s important to make sure that you’re using active yeast that has not expired. If you’re not sure about the yeast, combine it with the water and add sugar and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. If it bubbles then it’s working fine, if not, then it should be tossed and you need a new one.
  • The cast-iron skillet MUST be hot (more like medium-hot) to let the bread rise and create the air bubbles, but not too hot as that can burn the bottom. If you don’t have a cast-iron, non-stick, ceramic, or stainless steel pan can be used might need a little brushing of oil.

How to Store Naan

Store naan for up to 2 days in a Ziploc bag at room temperature, or for up to 5 days in the fridge.

How to Freeze Naan

Allow the naan to cool down completely, then store in Ziploc bags in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave, or in the oven until warmed through and soft.

Easy Naan Bread (From Scratch Recipe) | Little Sunny Kitchen (3)

What Do You Eat Naan Bread With

Naan makes a perfect side to ANY dish! I eat it mostly with curries, and Indian dishes but I also love making hummus veggie wraps and falafel wraps with it! Or make 5-minute flatbread pizzas. You can use it in place of tortilla bread in burritos or quesadillas, or with dips like hummus and baba ganoush.

  • Butter chicken or Instant Pot butter chicken, I also have a vegan butter chicken recipe using cauliflower.
  • Instant Pot chicken tikka masala
  • Kidney bean curry (Rajma)
  • Chickpea and potato curry
  • Creamy coconut curry
  • Mushroom bhaji
  • Creamy vegetable korma

Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!

Recipe

Easy Naan Bread (From Scratch Recipe) | Little Sunny Kitchen (4)

5 from 8 votes(Click stars to rate!)

Naan Bread Recipe

Prep Time: 20 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Rest time: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Total Time: 2 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

Author: Diana

Print Rate Recipe

Naan is a delicious soft Indian bread, perfect to serve with curries and all Indian foods. It's a yeast bread but really easy to make, and can be garnished with different toppings such as garlic and herbs. This recipe makes the best naan, better than what you get at Indian restaurants!

8

Naan is a delicious soft Indian bread, perfect to serve with curries and all Indian foods. It's a yeast bread but really easy to make, and can be garnished with different toppings such as garlic and herbs. This recipe makes the best naan, better than what you get at Indian restaurants!

Ingredients

  • 4 cups (530g) bread flour or all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1½ cups (360g) plain yogurt at room temperature
  • ¼ cup (60g) unsalted butter melted
  • 1-2 tablespoons lukewarm water or a bit more, adjust as needed

For garnish:

  • ¼ cup (60g) salted butter melted
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • ½ cup fresh mixed herbs parsley, cilantro, chives

Instructions

  • In a bowl of a stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.

  • Add yogurt, butter, and water, and knead on medium speed until a smooth and elastic dough ball forms (about 10 minutes).

  • Drizzle the dough ball with oil, turn it so it is coated with oil and does not stick to the bowl, and cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap. Allow it to rise in a warm place until it doubles in size (about 1 and half hours).

  • Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll into balls. Then on a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball into an oval shape that is around 10 inches long, and ¼-⅛ inch thick.

  • Heat a large cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat.

  • Brush both sides of the naan with melted butter, and place on a hot cast-iron skillet. Cover with a lid, and cook for 45-60 seconds and bubbles will form. Remove the lid, and flip the naan to the other side then cook for another minute uncovered. Repeat with the rest of the naan breads. Cover the ready ones with a towel as you work with all of the rest.

  • If desired, with a pastry brush, brush the ready naan with melted butter mixed with garlic and herbs and serve.

Notes:

  • It’s important to make sure that you’re using active yeast that has not expired. If you’re not sure about the yeast, combine it with the water and add sugar and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. If it bubbles then it’s working fine, if not, then it should be tossed and you need a new one.
  • Yogurt can be substituted with buttermilk.
  • The cast-iron skillet MUST be hot (more like medium-hot) to let the bread rise and create the air bubbles, but not too hot as that can burn the bottom. If you don’t have a cast-iron, non-stick, ceramic, or stainless steel pan can be used might need a little brushing of oil.
  • Store at room temperature in a Ziploc bag for up to 2 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
  • Freeze in Ziploc bags for up to 3 months, then reheat in the microwave or in the oven.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 369kcal, Carbohydrates: 49g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 14g, Saturated Fat: 8g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 368mg, Potassium: 187mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 716IU, Vitamin C: 5mg, Calcium: 75mg, Iron: 1mg

This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.

© Little Sunny Kitchen

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Reader Interactions

Leave a Review!

  1. Brooke says

    Can you use plain Greek yogurt?

    Reply

    • Little Sunny Kitchen says

      Greek yogurt is a bit thicker than regular yogurt, so you may need to add a splash of milk or water to get the consistency of the dough correct.

      Reply

  2. Elisha says

    Could the yogurt be substituted with sour cream or a mix of sour cream and milk?

    Reply

  3. Greg B. says

    Easy Naan Bread (From Scratch Recipe) | Little Sunny Kitchen (11)
    I made this yesterday for the first time. I was intrigued with using yogurt for bread more than anything. Well, all I can say is it was devoured by my family. It is so good. Even my 2yo grandson can’t get enough of it. I made this along with the butter chicken (also first time). Two recipes on the same website that instantly became family favorites. Thank you!!

    Reply

    • Diana says

      You are very welcome, Greg! Glad to hear you all enjoyed the naan and the butter chicken. Thank you for the great review!

      Reply

  4. Ash Jack says

    Can you repost the Instant Pot Chicken Tikka recipe? For some reason it’s not loading anymore and it was so delish with this recipe.

    Reply

Easy Naan Bread (From Scratch Recipe) | Little Sunny Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What makes naan bread so good? ›

The bread flour gives the naan “chew”; the yogurt imparts a slight tang; and the use of a cast iron pan gives the bread its distinctive char and smokiness.

Why isn't my naan bread puffing up? ›

Keep an eye on how they're cooking and adjust the heat as needed. If your naan breads are cooking/browning too quickly (before they can puff up and form bubbles), reduce the heat. If they're not puffing up and are taking too long to brown, increase the heat.

Why doesn't naan rise? ›

Naan doesn't get bubbles – Pan not hot enough, dough not moist enough or improper leavening. Naan turns hard – Toasting for too long, not enough moisture in the dough, toasting on low heat or not kneading the dough enough.

Does naan traditionally have egg in it? ›

Naan is similar to other baked flatbreads but has a few distinguishing characteristics. Naan is enriched with ingredients like yogurt, milk, and eggs, while pita uses water to moisten its dough, making naan the softer bread.

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.

Is naan healthier than regular bread? ›

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.

What are the black dots in naan bread? ›

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 …

How do you make naan dough rise faster? ›

Let your dough proof at a high temperature (80–90°F or 27–32°C) and high humidity (about 75%) for at least 1 to 3 hours, as heat and moisture will make your dough rise faster. Add more yeast, blend in the starter, or knead in more flour to help initiate rising.

How to get big bubbles in naan? ›

Cook naan: Place a naan dough in the skillet and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until the underside is deep golden / slightly charred – the surface should get bubbly. Flip then cook the other side for 1 minute until the bubbles become deep golden brown.

Should naan have yogurt? ›

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 sprinkle water on naan bread? ›

You sprinkle water to keep the naan bread soft. Naan bread will naturally stiffen when not eaten straight from the pan, so eat it as soon as you possibly can.

What flour is naan bread made from? ›

Naan traditionally is plain flat bread made using bread flour, Yeast, salt and water. Its cooked in tandoor. Salt could be optional if you are having naan with a curry.

Does naan use yeast or baking powder? ›

For the leavening of naan dough, yeast is used or a mixture of curd+baking powder is used. This recipe includes baking powder and curd for the leavening. Naan is such a delish bread that it makes you forget about all-purpose flour.

What race eats naan? ›

Although still a staple of South Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines—and especially associated with Indian cuisine—the versatility and flavor of naan have led to its incorporation into many different dishes and cuisines worldwide.

What do you eat with naan bread? ›

One of the most popular Indian delicacies that we know of; curries are creamy with the right amount of spicy, curries pair perfectly with warm, fluffy naan. Naan bread also serves as the perfect companion to soups and stews, absorbing their rich flavors and adding a delightful textural contrast.

Why does naan taste so good? ›

Naan is made from the basic ingredients of wheat flour, water/milk, salt and yeast. It is shaped in artisan production, mostly by hand. The secret to the special taste is a combination of the baking process in the traditional tandoori oven and the addition of Indian yoghurt, which makes the dough light and loose.

What makes naan bread different from other breads? ›

Naan is a flatbread, whereas bread comes in loaves. Naan is higher in fat, protein, and carbohydrates than loaf bread.

What happens if I eat naan everyday? ›

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. So, it should be avoided daily. You can eat occasionally.

What makes naan unique? ›

Naan is a leavened, oven-baked flatbread native to India. It resembles pita bread but unlike pita, it has yogurt, milk, sometimes eggs or butter which makes it softer than the pita bread. Our bakers shape it into a ball and slap it on the walls of our tandoor (clay oven).

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