It’s been almost fifteen years since I first made this homemade naan recipe and it still blows my mind every time! This homemade naan is oh so soft and pillowy, full of lovely bubbles, and just so extremely versatile. Use it for mini pizzas, wrap sandwiches, dipping in stews and sauces, and more! Plus, this naan bread is very freezer-friendly, so it’s well worth the effort to whip up a batch. I promise, you won’t be sorry!
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What is Naan?
Naan is a traditional flatbread made in South and Central Asian countries. It’s has a unique dough made with yogurt, which gives the dough a slightly tangy flavor, and egg, which keeps the dough extra soft and pillowy. Naan is traditionally cooked on the hot clay walls of a tandoor oven, which helps create the deliciously bubbly texture. It’s often used to soak up stews and sauces, but also works great as a base for wrap sandwiches and pizzas.
Ingredients for Naan
This homemade naan recipe is incredibly simple and delicious. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:
- Yeast: You’ll need active dry or instant yeast for this recipe.
- Sugar: A small amount of sugar helps activate and supercharge the yeast, making the bread extra fluffy.
- Flour: I used regular all-purpose flour for this naan recipe, which makes it extra easy. I don’t suggest whole wheat flour for this recipe as it will be too heavy and dense. If needed, you can substitute up to 50% of the AP flour.
- Salt: A little bit of salt is essential to help the natural flavors of the naan pop.
- Olive Oil: Olive oil helps keep the naan dough tender and gives a deliciously subtle flavor.
- Yogurt: Plain yogurt adds a slightly tangy flavor to the dough and help keep the naan bread tender. You can use Greek yogurt, but you may need slightly less flour as there is a lot less moisture in Greek style yogurt. Do not use sweetened or flavored yogurt for this recipe.
- Egg: Egg also helps keep the dough tender and it helps make it just a little more fluffy. If in a pinch, you can skip the egg, but you may need to add less flour as eggs contain a decent amount of moisture.
Naan vs. Pita Bread?
While both types of bread are in the “flatbread” family, they hail from different regions of the world, their dough is comprised of different ingredients, and they are cooked using different methods.
Naan is a traditional flatbread made in South and Central Asian countries and is made with yogurt and egg which make it a little more tender and fluffy. It is traditionally cooked in a clay tandoor oven, which helps produce the bubbled texture.
Pita is found in the Mediterranean Middle East and is made with a very simple dough using just flour, salt, yeast, and olive oil. It has a dryer texture than naan and usually has one large characteristic pocket rather than several smaller bubbles like naan.
What to Serve with Naan
Naan goes great with pretty much anything. You can eat naan alongside a meal to sop up gravies or dip it into sauces, use it to make flatbread “wrap” sandwiches, top it with tomato sauce and cheese for a quick naan pizza, or use it in place of tortillas for quesadillas. Here are some of my favorite ways to eat naan:
- Dip it in homemade hummus
- Use it to soak up curries, like this Creamy Coconut Curried Lentils
- Use it as a base for mini pizzas
- Serve as a side with Curried Ground Beef with Peas and Potatoes
- Or wrap it around meat and vegetables for a wrap sandwich, like these Homemade Chicken Shawarma Wraps
How to Store Leftovers
After cooking this naan recipe, make sure to let it cool completely to prevent condensation. Once cooled, keep your naan in a gallon-sized zip-top bag. The naan will last 1-2 days at room temperature, or about 4-5 days in the refrigerator. You can also freeze naan for longer storage.
To freeze your naan, first let it cool completely at room temperature, then transfer it to a zip-top freezer bag, label and date it, then toss it in the freezer. Try to use up your frozen naan within a few months. Frozen naan bread thaws quickly at room temperature.
How to Make Garlic Naan
It’s really easy to transform the classic naan recipe below into garlic-flavored naan. Simply add about ½ tsp of garlic powder in with the flour and salt, and then after cooking the naan, you’ll want to brush it with some fresh garlic butter. To make the garlic butter, mince a couple of cloves of garlic and then stir them into a few tablespoons of melted butter.
Homemade Naan Recipe
Servings 8Ingredients
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar and warm water. Stir to dissolve then let sit for a few minutes or until it is frothy on top. Once frothy, whisk in the oil, yogurt, and egg until evenly combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, combine 1 cup of the flour with the salt. Next, pour the bowl of wet ingredients to the flour/salt mixture and stir until well combined. Continue adding flour, a half cup at a time, until you can no longer stir it with a spoon (about 1 to 1.5 cups later).
- At that point, turn the ball of dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead the ball of dough for about 3 minutes, adding small amounts of flour as necessary to keep the dough from sticking. You'll end up using between 2.5 to 3 cups flour total. The dough should be smooth and very soft but not sticky. Avoid adding excessive amounts of flour as you knead, as this can make the dough too dry and stiff.
- Loosely cover the dough and let it rise until double in size (about 1 hour). After it rises, gently flatten the dough into a disc and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball.
- Heat a large, heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat. Working with one ball at a time, roll it out until it is about 1/4 inch thick or approximately 6 inches in diameter. Place the rolled out dough onto the hot skillet and cook until the bottom is golden brown and large bubbles have formed on the surface (see photos below). Flip the dough and cook the other side until golden brown as well. Stack the cooked flat bread on a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm as you cook the remaining pieces. Serve plain or brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with herbs!
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Notes
Nutrition
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There is seriously nothing like a warm piece of naan with melted butter on top… 🤤
How to Make Homemade Naan – Step by Step Photos
Start by dissolving 2 tsp yeast and 1 tsp sugar into 1/2 cup warm water. Let the mixture sit a few minutes, or until it becomes frothy. Meanwhile, measure out 1/3 cup plain yogurt (regular or Greek style), 1/4 cup olive oil, and 1 large egg.
Once the yeast mixture is frothy, whisk the yogurt, oil, and egg into the yeast water until smooth.
In a separate bowl, mix only 1 cup of the flour with 1/2 tsp salt until they’re evenly mixed.
Pour the bowl of wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir well.
Continue adding flour, a half cup at a time, until it forms a cohesive ball of dough that you can no longer stir with a spoon.
Turn the ball of dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3 minutes. Add small amounts of flour as needed (to keep the dough from sticking) until you have a smooth, very soft ball of dough. I used about 2.75 cups of flour total for the dough. Avoid adding too much flour as you knead because this can make the dough stiff and dry, and prevent the classic bubbles.
Shape the dough into a ball, loosely cover, and let rise until it is double in size (the photo is BEFORE it has risen).
After it has risen, flatten it out slightly and cut it into 8 equal-sized pieces.
Shape each piece into a small, smooth ball.
Heat a skillet over medium flame. While waiting for the skillet to get hot, roll out a ball of dough until it is 1/4 inch thick or about 6 inches in diameter.
Place the rolled-out dough in the hot skillet and cook on one side until large bubbles form and the side touching the skillet is golden brown. The bubbles will start small, like in the photo above, but eventually grow and merge together to form larger bubbles.
Flip the dough over and cook on the second side until golden brown as well. Naan is kind of like pancakes in that the first side is smooth and has relatively even brown marks, while the second side (where the bubbles were), has a different texture or pattern in the browned surface.
Here’s that second side flipped back up so you can see the characteristic browned bubbles.
As the naan come out of the skillet, stack them on a plate and cover them with a clean towel to keep them warm.
Brush the homemade naan with melted butter, garlic butter, or traditional ghee!
THIS CAME OUT SO PERFECTLY OMG. I followed the recipe to a tee, and the naan came out beautiful and fluffy like a cloud. The texture is just beyond words…I wish I could attach photos to my review. 10/10 would recommend!
Not crazy about olive oil taste in my house. Can I substitute with canola oil? Can’t wait to make this!
You should be able to!
The recipe and directions are rather too fussy. Also can I ask that more widely used units are given, like grams and millilitres, that everybody can understand. We don’t all use ‘cups’!
Amazing recipe. It was so easy and delicious. So much better than store bought and I would say way better for your body, being that it is not loaded in unnecessary preservatives. I will definitely make this a regular recipe in my home. Thank you so much!
Great recipe! I make this naan bread weekly now. Definitely a house favorite. Thank you for posting
I absolutely LOVE this recipe and make these breads very often. And I recently realized…you can throw them on the grill! I made lamb kafta the other night, and didn’t want to cook anything inside since it’s summer here, so I decided to try cooking them on the grill. The best part, I was able to cook 4 at a time, instead of just 1, so they were done in a flash.
I’ve been making this naan for years and I love it! It comes out perfect every time. My boyfriend is gluten free; can I sub almond flour or another type of flour for the all purpose?
We haven’t tried it! But you can check out this recipe! https://www.mamaknowsglutenfree.com/gluten-free-naan-bread/
The method is fabulous but it has a strong olive oil taste. I may try increasing the yogurt but a couple of tablespoons and reducing the olive oil in half.
Fantastic recipe! I’ve subbed yogurt (as I did not have any) for heavy cream, threw everything in a bread maker on a dough cycle, and after it was complete (1hr30min), I shaped and cooked like the recipe described. Delicious and tender naan!
Great recipe! I used coconut yogurt and it still turned out great! Our local store stopped carrying Na’an bread which was very sad because we eat a lot of Indian cuisine. Thanks for posting, Beth!
Great recipe for Naan Bread!
What kind or yogurt? Full or low fat? Greek?
Any of the above! But my favorite is plain (non-Greek), full-fat.
I’m currently waiting to n my bread to rise. I have to admit that I am excited and feel like a kiddo waiting. I love naan bread and I plan on making a garlic butter to melt and cook on one side of the naan .
I doubled the recipe and they came out fluffy and soft. I think it needed to be more like 1/8 of an inch as 1/4 still made mine a little thicker once it cooked.
I love this recipe! It’s simple and delicious. This time, I buttered the naan with Every Little Thing spread from Land o Lakes. Yum!
The best Naan recipe I’ve ever tried! Being an Indian I’m so in love with this recipe. Just a question, instead of olive oil what other oil can be used? I do use it but once in a way if its possible would like to have an alternative. Thank you
You can really use any oil of your choice here. :) Just keep in mind that if it is an oil with a strong flavor it will flavor your bread.
Avocado oil!
This looks like a promising recipe. I wanted to ask for the specifics of the type of flour you used. Was it all purpose or can I use self raising flour
I’ve been using this recipe for YEARS! I get soft and delicious naan that everyone loves. I just tried making the dough in my bread machine( placed ingredients per machine instructions on the small loaf setting and they turned on AWESOME! Makes a busy night a little easier.
I make this often, as written, with curries or to use for pizza. Freezes great, so I often make a big batch if I can manage to save any.
But I came back to say that this time I made it for friends with allergies, tried substituting coconut cream (from a can) for the yogurt and cornstarch for the egg (friend told me to use 2 TB per egg, and add a tiny bit of water). They came out PERFECT. Really just the same, I couldn’t taste the coconut. I also usually cook them on cast iron and this time did it on a regular nonstick skillet and came out great.
That’s AWESOME! Thanks for sharing that tip with us! ~ Marion :)
The recipe is easy. The pictures were helpful! I used only 2 cups of flour for the dough, plus a little to flour the board while rolling out. It worked well with a dry cast iron skillet in medium heat. Takes about 2-3 minutes each side. But I found them a little bland, and the 6 inch diameter a little thick compared to restaurant naan. Next time I will try adding the garlic powder variation and rolling them a bit thinner.
I made this! The dough was very easy to work with. My active dry yeast was two years past the best-before date so I used instant yeast and it worked fine!
I used my seasoned cast iron skillet without adding any oil. No oil is necessary! They came out perfectly. I brushed them with garlic butter and served them with lentil curry.
This recipe is perfect! Easy to follow and perfect naan everything time!
Can I freeze the dough
Absolutely! XOXO -Monti
You deserve five stars and more for your wealth of incredible recipes, easy to follow instructions and awesome informative pics. I literally use a recipe of yours at least once a week, and this happened to be one of them tonight.
It worked perfectly! Amazing!
My naan came out so soft and fluffy and absolutely delicious. I left it to rest in the refrigerator overnight and they came out gorgeous!
Thanks lot.
I got the best results as its after fallow your naan recipe. We eat naan with the spice masala chicken curry and raitha
Thanks.
Can u make the dough in advance before cooking, in frig, same day?
Yes, just be careful not to let it overrise.
Do you put anything in the skillet before you put the naan in? Do you spray it with anything. or add oil? Or do you fry it dry?
I put it in a dry skillet, but you could fry it in oil if you prefer.
I think those are he greates recepies i have seen in a long
Time, thank u..i live outside the states…. For now…
Wonderful. Thank you
Back to my original comment. For you, pita is Middle Eastern and naan is Indian. Former is a region, the latter is a country. Naan is actually more popular in other countries as an everyday staple item. I would highly suggest using inclusive language to come off more credible. Simply saying, that naan originates from South and Central Asian, would do the trick. It’s not cool to broad brushstroke an entire culture with just one country.
I appreciate the clarification and will update the description. :)
i am middle eastern and you’re a tryhard
WHO CARES
😂😂😂
Made vegan by substituting soy milk mixed with some apple cider vinegar in lieu of the yogurt and they were absolutely divine! Perfect to accompany curries and stews!
Thanks for reminding me of my favorite Indian flatbread; I usually crave eating on the weekend. I liked your instructions for making it, mainly loosely covering the dough and letting it rise until double in size (about 1 hour), which was new to me. I remembered eating this at one of the best restaurants in Chandigarh. Keep Sharing like this.
So pita bread is middle Eastern but naan bread is just Indian?
Those are the general areas where they originated, but you can find them in several countries throughout those two regions.
Great and easy to follow.
Do you have a recipe for NAAN that does not use Yeast?
Unfortunately, I don’t. Try Googling “no yeast naan” because I’m sure somebody out there has come up with a good way to do it! :)
This was the recipe that introduced me to your site and it remains a family fave! I’ve tried MANY different naan recipes over the years and nothing comes close. It also gets the seal of approval from my Indian friends :-)
This was not the best recipe I have tried…tried this one because of the high rating…the olive oil ruins it…will go back to my original recipe!
Thanks for the post!
Cool recipe! Now all my kids want this instead of pizza.. Love it! <3
This has become a favourite in the family. Thanks for the recipe. Super easy to make ❤
I concur. Super good and super easy to make. I’ve been substituting 50% whole wheat flour (slightly reducing total flour based on the feel of the dough while kneading) and freezing most of it in 60g balls — using it up over a month or two.. I use it both as naan and as pita (though, being enriched, it’s quite a bit more caloric).
Do you defrost the dough overnight in the fridge? I’ve made this recipe many times but don’t have experience with freezing and thawing dough. Thanks!
Yes, I pull out 2 or 3 balls at a time and leave them in a bag in the refrigerator. They defrost surprisingly fast — maybe 2 or 3 hours.
Hi, can I use rye flour or any other flour substitute for this recipe? I’ve got a ton of arrowroot as well. Thank you
Unfortunately, I’ve never worked wtih rye or arrowroot flour, so I don’t know how they would perform in this recipe. You definitely need something with gluten to achieve the correct texture, though.
Delicious and super quick and easy.Thanks for the receipe.
This is a delicious naan recipe. Made it for the first time for dinner to go along with lentil curry. Didn’t have yogurt, so I substituted with ricotta cheese which I thinned with a tbsp of milk. This was the only change I made and it was delicious, tender, and moist. My 2 yr old gobbled up an entire piece of naan all by himself. Will be my go to naan recipe going forward.
I’ve made this recipe countless times. No adjustments needed. It is my go to naan recipe. Comes out perfect every time. Thank you!
Why do you never say which flour you have to use
I use all-purpose flour unless otherwise specified. :)
I feel like this recipe is so versatile, I use half whole wheat and half all purpose flour and it comes out great! Also my favorite go to for mini pizzas, yumm 😋
Can you double the recipe? Or Best just to do the recipe 2 times to keep the proportions the same?
Yes :)
Extremely easy and yummy recipe for a beginner.
I’ve done this several times strictly to recipe, but now I’m contemplating sweet naan with flavored yogurt. Hmm…
Did you ever try this? I have honey vanilla yogurt in the fridge but I wanna make this naan.
Whenever I make this naan I use Greek honey vanilla yogurt and it makes it slightly sweeter but not overly sweet.
Can you use the stand mixer dough hook to knead this, or is it too short a knead to make the mixer a good choice?
Unfortunately, I’m not sure. I don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook, so I’m not familiar with the particulars of using one.
Yes. I always make these in my stand mixer and they turn out wonderfully.
Hey we have the same name
Jummie. I made these several times and they are delicious. I got feedback that they would taste better with spices, so I now blend in lots of Indian spices. The rest of the recipe stays the same.
I forgot to tell that I made it with both sourdough starter, as well as with dry yeast. So both of these work, although the sourdough varient takes at least 24 hours.
I tried it yesterday and it came out perfect the first time!! I love this recipe because it is so simple and I feel that this recipe is a healthy clean version!!! I am going to make it again today.
Great recipe did a few minor changes, I added 50% AP and 50% bread flour and removed the egg and increased the water too 3/4 cup. Used my KA Pasta roller on setting 2 to roll the 8 pieces of dough and cooked on a pizza stone on the bbq grill. they turned our awesome. I brushed one side with water and put on the stone till the bubbles appeared then flipped on the actual grill to get the burned effect on the bubble side. The only problem is they are all gone and have to make another batch, thanks Yum.
Thank you for this delicious recipe. I made the naan today and they turned out beautifully. Here, in Malaysia, naan is usually cooked in a tandoor. Now, with your recipe I can just use a skillet on a stove. Perfect!
I have not cooked this exact recipe, because I have cooked slight variations thousands of times with unwavering success, but each with interestingly different results. I love the non-traditional use of olive oil. but adding some proportion of butter / gee is worth a try. Some nut oils in moderation, and occasionally, will give rewards when your wallet can afford this. I generally add a little flax-seed oil, but I recognize that heating this oil will cause some degree of molecular degradation.
I sometimes add small amounts of pre-soaked ground-up dhal, to add flavor and nutrient. I vary the wheat flour anywhere from unbleached to whole grain. Please experiment, but (initially) keep your variations close to the publish recipe!
This bread is so delicious when eaten immediately, and it takes so very little time to prepare, so I don’t storage it. This is my personal trade-off.
There is nothing controversial about this recipe’s variation from traditional recipes based on thousands of years of experience by millions of families with varying tastes and economic situations, so experiment, enjoy, and it will keep you healthy and maintain your zest for life!
Nick
I made this Naan bread 10 times. I used sour cream a bit less and added 2 tablespoons water to thin it out. I used a total of 2 + 1/2 cups flour. Also added 1 + 1/2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon.onion powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 2 + 1/4 teaspoons yeast, 1 teaspoon parsley flakes, and after the dough rose, I flattened it out cut into 8 pieces and let the dough rest for 15 minutes covered to let the gluten relax and they were so easy to roll out did not shrink. When I proof my yeast I put my arm under water to test the temperature of the water, if it does not burn it is the right temperature. I also cover my container with the yeast water sugar to keep the heat in. My Naan breads came out beautifully and bubbly.
I made this naan bread and used sour cream but used a bit less and added 2 tablespoons water to thin it out. Also only used 2 + 1/2 cups flour total. I also added a 1 + 1/2 Italian seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon onion and garlic powder. I also let my dough rest for 15 minutes covered after I cut it into 8 pieces amd when I fried them I got lots of bubbles. Very good recipe.
Great, easy recipe!
I made this vegan using natural coconut yoghurt and a flax egg and it turned out perfect!
This is a very good recipe. I’ve always made a different recipe of naan but decided to switch it up this time and make this one. It was a good choice! The naan itself is very smooth in texture and tastes even better with some melted butter. I froze what I didn’t eat and plan to reheat on a skillet. Also, I used about 2.5 cups flour total.
I love this recipe. Sour cream works if you are out of plain yogurt. I also brush with melted butter/ minced garlic. Love!!
I used sour cream but used less than 1/3 cup and added about 2 tablespoons of water to thin it out
I’ve made this naan twice now and absolutely loooove it. Easy recipe and amazing results!
Amazing!!!! Just made these and they are fantastic, my kiddos also gave them the thumbs up!
Have you ever tried incorporating wheat flour? I want to try it, but thought I’d ask about any success/fails first. Thanks!
I haven’t tried that with this recipe, but in general I find that bread recipes work well with up to 50% of the flour substituted with whole wheat. Any more than that and they can get quite dense and heavy.
I went over everything a few times to see if I did something wrong, and even checked the date on my yeast, but this recipe did not come out correctly for me. The dough was super wet even adding more flour to try and thicken it but it still didn’t help.
I made these recipe 4 times already it is sticky but I still only used 2 + 1/2 cups flour total.
Y
Out of curiosity, did you use low fat yogurt? I ask, because it may have more water than regular plain yogurt.
https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-choose-a-healthy-yogurt#:~:text=Plain%20Greek%2Dstyle%20yogurt%20is,higher%20water%20content%20by%20volume.
Sorry, I didn’t realize the link would require a subscription.
The part that I was referring to was:
“Plain Greek-style yogurt is relatively high in protein because much of its excess water has been removed. This concentrates the yogurt. On the other extreme, nonfat or “light” yogurts have as little as 4 grams of protein per serving because they have higher water content by volume.”
I found this recipe and have made it 4 times now. The last time I used them to make homemade personal pizzas. Once I cooked the Naan I put on my toppings and baked in the oven at 425° for 10 minutes. Naan held up great and was not floppy because oven heat will crisp the bottom and edges just enough to make the perfect pizza.
What kind of skillet did you find goves the best results ?
I’ve made this with multiple types of skillets and don’t find one to be particularly better than the other. :) Just make sure the skillet is very hot and you’re good to go.
I’ve cooked these a few times now and the naan is always tasty but I can never get the characteristic bubbles when cooking. I follow the recipe exactly but it’s possible I’m kneading too vigorously/for too long or adding too much flour to avoid sticking while kneading. Any troubleshooting tips?
Too much flour might be an issue because if the dough gets too dry it will be too stiff to expand quickly and make the little bubbles. But the most common issue is that the skillet isn’t hot enough, so try turning up the heat a bit. :)
Hi! How long should I rest the dough after i’ve kneaded it for 3 minutes?
Step 4 in the recipe: Loosely cover the dough and let it rise until double in size (about 1 hour).
I made this recipe nine times. After I let it rise for an hour I take it out of my bowl and flatten it a little then cut it into 8 pieces and let them rest covered for 15 minutes to relax the dough before rolling them out and they come out so good.
Hi if I do freeze the naan what is the best way to reheat them
Thanks
Let them thaw completely at room temperature or in the refrigerator for a day. Then you can either heat them briefly in a warm skillet (make sure the heat isn’t too high), pop them in a toaster for a few seconds, or microwave for a few seconds. You could also wrap them in foil and place them in the oven, but that will take much longer and I haven’t used that method so I can’t recommend a time or temperature.
Great Recipe and quite adaptable, I rolled in sliced spring onions and crushed chilli for something a little different and it worked well. Great Recipe to experiment with so five it a try.
Found my goto Naan…..
Thanks
OMG!!! I am amazed with how these turned out! Followed the recipe to the dot and had no problems whatsoever! Thank you so much for this recipe and I am so glad I found you! :)
This turned out perfect – it looked just like the pictures! I had no yoghurt so subbed sour cream. The only other change I made was to let the “balls” rest for 30 minutes before I rolled and fried them in butter. Delicious – thank you for a great recipe!
This worked perfectly! Much better than my first attempt at naan.
I was intimidated to try this but it’s fantastic and easy! The first two times I made it as written, but the third time I didn’t have yogurt so subbed sour cream. Worked perfectly, so that’s probably the way I’ll go in the future since we always have that on hand
Good recipe but Naan is from Iran, it l is a Kurdish or Persian word for bread and the Persians brought it to India.
This turned out great! Rolling it thinner worked best for me. Then slather in garlic butter with fresh herbs. Yum!
Hoping to make this soon. One question-it doesn’t look like you are using any oil in the cooking pan. Just checking to be sure that is correct! Thanks.
Correct, I cooked them in a dry skillet. :)
I kneaded the dough inside the big bowl since I don’t have enough space on the counter, and didn’t have a roller so I just stretched each naan on a plate into a circle. They still turned out great! :) Great recipe, very easy and very delicious.
I kneaded the dough in the bowl too. I worked perfectly.
O love this recipe. I use sour cream instead of yogurt and it turns out perfect 👌. Thank you
This is my to go recipe with Naan bread
Its easy to make and it pantry essential items
Cant never finish a batch without the kids stealing a piece!
My first attempt naan it is 2:13Am in my location 😂 having late dinner i can’t wait to learn more of Indian food.
They puffed up beautifully! I recommend doubling the salt otherwise it will be very bland. It takes a while to do all of the pieces if you only have room for one naan at a time. Next time, I think I will try using a pizza stone in the oven so that I can do more at once.
I made it last night. It was easy to make and taste so good! Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Being a novice I read the recipe and followed it. It does not state to use warm water when adding to the yeast. I used cold. My dough did not rise very much. It would be helpful to have warm water noted in the ingredient list. Will try again.
Just made this and it’s delicious! Thank you!
Is it possible to freeze the dough or do you recommend making all the naan before freezing
Bread dough usually does freeze quite well, so that is an option. :)
Ok wow I can’t believe I just made my own naan. Next time I’ll be extra careful not to use too much flower when rolling out the balls, and I think I’d like to make them garlicky!
Could you use a quick yeast instead of active yeast to decrease the proofing time?
I haven’t used a product called “quick yeast” before, do you mean instant yeast? If you mean instant yeast the rise time will be the same. :)
I’ve never made naan bread before, and had a guest for dinner so crossed my fingers. Wow so many compliments! Extremely light and fluffy! Brushed them with butter and sprinkled with oregano and parsley. Thought I’d have some for the freezer but apparently not lol
So good ! Thank you so much
It was Delicious
Do you think there’s a way to make this recipe vegan? I would love to try this, but one of my sons cannot have eggs or dairy.
Any hope for those of us who don’t cook with eggs? Thanks for all your amazing recipes!
I forgot the egg once and it was still pretty good! The texture was a little different, but it was still delightful.
Naan bread looks like pizzas of Indians. All steps are quite similar with pizzas. Generally speaking, it is easy to make. I’ll try, thanks a lot!
Have you ever used a breadmaker for this dough? I assume I’d need to alter the recipe in some way… We love your recipes so much, that I trust you over other internet recipes :) Thanks!
Unfortunately, I haven’t! I’ve never used a bread maker, so I’m not sure what adjustments would need to be made.
If I have plain Greek yogurt will that work? It is either that or sour cream at this point! Thank you!
Greek yogurt has less moisture in it than plain yogurt, so you may find that you need to use a little less flour. :)
I’ve made this recipe a dozen times. With modifications it’s a 5/5 – without modifications it is a 4/5, so still very good!
The texture of this recipe is PERFECT! So light and fluffy. Baking directions are also spot on. As written, it’s a little bland – however, that’s easy to fix. I add in some minced garlic (1 clove), some garlic salt (1/2 tsp?) and I basically triple the amount of salt called for. It’s delicious!
This is a super tasty recipe. I read your comment that this recipe makes more than one person can eat in a sitting. You obviously don’t have a 15 year old boy in your household. We have never had leftovers of naan. Maybe if I doubled the recipe. We love this recipe. And the tikka masala recipe.
Hahaha, very true, I’ve never had to feed a 15 year old boy! 😅 I’m glad everyone is enjoying it so much!
What kind of flour did you use?
All-purpose flour. :)
Easy to follow and absolutely delicious with melted garlic butter on top. Mine didn’t get the bigger bubbles I see in some of the pictures above, but it was still delicious and paired perfect with curry.
Hello it could be made with vanilla Greek yogurt.
No, I don’t suggest using vanilla Greek yogurt as this is both flavored and sweetened, which will throw off the flavor of the bread.
Soooo good!!’ Definitely going into my regular recipe rotation. Can’t speak to how long they last, my household devoured the whole batch in one night!
Question: can these naan be frozen?
Yes, they freeze great! :)
It’s so cute. I love these. I will make it at the weekend. Thank you for sharing!
Omg. It’s so beautiful, easy and delicious. Will be make again. Thank you for sharing!
Just made these. My family says these are the best naans I ever made. Brushed them with butter with minced garlic and chives. Will make them again!
Can this recipe be made without using egg? If I take the egg out what should I use in its place?
I’ve accidentally made it without the egg before (didn’t realize I was out until it was too late, LOL) and it was still pretty good, but not quite as tender IMHO.
This stuff is AMAZING
I’ve made this Nan every Friday for the past few weeks. Question. Can you make the dough one day and use it the next day?
You might be able to get away with refrigerating it until the next day, but even then there is a chance that it will over proof (over rise).
I do this all the times. For over proofing dough, just get rid of all the air bubbles and let sit for few minutes. All good again. I like this recipe for my pizza base as well. Works really good. Just add another pinch of salt.
Thank you for this recipe.
i love it with butter chicken.
Naan
What herb did you sprinkle on top?
It’s just chopped fresh flat parsley. Enjoy!
Turned out awesome! Favorite toppings were butter and garlic powder, or the butter with cinnamon and sugar! Will definitely be making these again!
My first attempt!! SOOOO SOFT and tender. My only problem, and this is even when I make flour tortillas, I cannot regulate the heat so they would bubble up on the first side but I did not get the BIG bubbles….none the less, they are SCRUMPTIOUS(?)!!!!.
You don’t say what type of flor
All purpose flour will do perfectly.
Love this bread. It turned out really well and was simple to make. I realized too late that I’m out of yogurt, so subbed sour cream. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
Awesome bread – as good as from the restaurant! Tried a few different recipes, with and without yeast, but they don’t rate anywhere as good as this one. Try it – you’ll love it … and it’s easy to make. Cooked it in a ceramic pan on induction cooktop and can’t rave about it enough!
This was amazing and so fun to make! We used the cooked naan for pizza crust and then grilled them. They were so good that I’m making another batch now!
Very soft. Nice! Thank you!
Can you make the dough in the am, let it rise and then cook it in the evening?
You’ll want to refrigerate the dough so that it doesn’t over-proof (rise). Then take it out an hour before you plan to make it, so it can at that time rise for an hour or so.
Best recipe. Mmmm tasty
I’ve always been awful at making bread. That being said, this might be the best naan I’ve ever tasted. If a total fool like myself can make this, anyone can! My family polished off a double batch in one sitting. 10/10, would make again. Thank you for this recipe!
Nothing goes in the pan, like non-stick cooking spray or a little oil?
Nope nothing at all :)
I too made Naan today . Super yummy and easy method too. Thanks for the receipe.
Got the rise out of the dough, got it nice and stretchy but not a single bubble. Tastes ok but looks more like a flat bread than a nan. Tried different temps on my skillet and still no joy. Any suggestions?
Made these tonight. The recipe was easy, the photos were very helpful. I didn’t have yogurt and saw one of the reviewers used sour cream, so I was set They were soft and yummy. We had them tonight with soup, but I can’t wait to make them again to have with chicken masala. My husband’s review: “these are far better than any store-bought naans ever”. Yay!!!! Thank you!!!!!
Delicious! Thank you!!
Has anyone tried freezing these?
Yes! They froze beautifully
This is the best naan I have ever made and ever had. I served it with butter chicken. The next day I used the left overs to make butter chicken pizzas.
Just a quick question: If I want to make the dough directly into a pizza base, can I just put it in the oven or do I need to do it on a skillet first?
I haven’t tried using the raw naan dough for pizza, but I would guess that you’d probably want to use a hot surface, like a preheated pizza stone. That being said, plenty of people use the already cooked naan as a base for their pizza, so that’s an option, too! :)
We’ve made this so many times since you first posted it. It’s so easy and so fabulous. Thanks!!
Easy recipe with solid instructions. May add a little more salt next time but turns out great nonetheless. We make a dozen loaves from the batch and enjoy the leftovers.
Easy easy to do, Recommend you do it in the cool day. So great!
I made Naan for the first time tonight. Thank you for your easy to follow recipe.
Looks fairly easy to do, cant wait to try it!
Awesome naan bread reall easy to make just like the ones we get from the local indian
Great recipe, but please don’t show pictures of liquid being measured in a dry ingredients measuring cup. There is a difference!
A picture makes this a 2/5 star recipe? I don’t understand.
this recipe was amazingly easy and good! thank you!
Do you use regular all purpose flour or bread flour?
Hi Ruth! You’ll want to use regular all purpose flour for this recipe.
Can you substitute sour cream for the yogurt?
Beth hasn’t tested it without yogurt herself. It really helps to give it some great flavor. But a few commenters have used sour cream or cottage cheese with success!
First time baking Naan and what an incredible recipe! My family and I raved! I will use this recipe for Greek pita as well, and there was discussion about pizza dough!
Can other types of flour be substituted? Oat flour or white whole wheat… thank you!
I usually don’t suggest substituting any more than 50% of all-purpose flour for whole wheat because the texture changes become too drastic. Using whole wheat flour makes a much more dense bread, and this bread should be very light and airy. Whole wheat flour absorbs more moisture than all-purpose flour as well, so you may find that you need either a little more water or a little less flour.
I love your naan recipe. It’s so easy, quick, and tasty. I’ve been using it for years. Thank you. :)
Never baked anything with yeast before. This is great!
I was scared to try this recipe but they turned out perfect! I appreciated the step and by step picture instructions. Very helpful. We’ll be making these again for sure.
I’ve made this ,It’s completely a fantastic and easy recipe I’ve cooked them on medium heat and they rose beautifully I would definitely recommend others to try it.. Ive also used instant yeast as well
You make it looks so easy to make Naan, thanks for sharing your recipe! I created a list of recipes that are sure to remind you of your memorable Asian trips and your Naan certainly brings back a lot of memories about India so I included your recipe. You can check it out here: https://theopenroute.com/recreate-15-asian-recipes-remind-travels/.
Can the dough be put aside for the next day as I don’t need to cook them till then.
You might be able to get away with refrigerating it until the next day, but even then there is a chance that it will over proof (over rise).
Love this one! It’s a keeper! I wipe out the cooked flour after every 2 are cooked, just to keep the smoke down in the kitchen and each naan nice and white (vs. speckled) I also subbed in some sourdough discard this time around, and they turned out great! I’ve subbed sour cream, and once I used whey from cheesemaking instead of the yogurt. Both times the bread was delicious!
Can you make this recipe gluten free?
Thoughts from Beth, “I haven’t worked with gluten free flour personally, but the texture of this naan is heavily dependent on gluten, so I’m not sure that it would work very well.”
Easy and delicious!
I had no idea that Naan was so budget friendly and easy! Thank you for the recipe! Everyone thought I bought the Naan from Trader Joe’s. Froze the extra two and will definitely make again soon!
Really good and simple recipe. Thanks!
Is it ok to substitute instant yeast for active dry?
You can use the same method, without any alterations, if using instant yeast. :)
Just wondering if bread flour can be used instead of regular flour? A bit short on all purpose right now but I’ve got tons of bread flour.. will this change things too much?
Bread flour has a bit higher protein content so they may be a little chewier but it can work!
I made this recipe 3 or 4 times so far. It is a new staple, so good. I added a little more salt after my first go. I also changed my cook method. After trying on the stovetop the first time, I thought I would try them in a super hot oven. 550 degrees and a cast iron pan. Get the pan super hot and cook them one at a time. 1 minute then flip and 20 seconds. They all have a super puff, and the whole family loves them. Thank you.
This recipe turned out fabulous last night. I made it to accompany my homemade butter chicken. Added this to my new pandemic home baking toolbox.
Is there anything I can use to substitute for the plain yogurt? I don’t have any on hand and would love to make these today!
Unfortunately the yogurt is a really key ingredient.
I used sour cream last time because I didn’t have any yogurt. My family thought they turned out okay.
I made this tonight and didnt have yogurt either, I substituted cottage cheese that I put in my vitamix along with the egg and oil. I wasn’t sure how it would work, but it turned out great.
Just tried it and It turned out great. I was scared the bread would be hard but it was totally soft and pliable. The dough is so easy to work with and roll flat (I let the dough rise for two hours). I had it with homemade Thai Chicken coconut curry and it was a match made in heaven. Thanks for the recipe!
Do you use oil when cooking the naans
No oil needed.
Can you use instant yeast that is blended with the dry ingredients ? Thanks !
You can use the same method, without any alterations, if using instant yeast. :)
I made it wit instant yeast and it turned out perfect. No change to the steps in the recipe.
Yeast is no where to be found in local stores. The owner of a pizzeria kindly gave me wet yeast. What is the measure of wet yeast that would be equivalent of the dry yeast used in this recipe? Thank you.
How nice of them! Here’s a great post on conversion https://www.thespruceeats.com/baking-yeast-dry-and-fresh-yeast-measurements-1446706
How nice of you, too!
Thanks!
I loved this naan-so delicious! Have you tried making this with half all purpose, half whole wheat flour?
We have not yet but you can certainly give it a try!
Hate the style of these posts, first time making bread and used my only yeast not realising you needed to mix it with warm water. I used the recipe up top to find out there’s a more detailed recipe below that called for the water to be warm. Yeast didn’t froth, dough is sitting rising, whether it actually rises or not I’ll comment later. Honestly, leave your life story out of recipes! I just want a simple recipe that doesn’t have a ton of stories with it.
Did nobody ever teach you to read the directions before doing something you’re not familiar with? Always proof yeast with warm water. Cold water may still work (assuming your yeast is healthy) but the rise will take longer
If you look at the part that says “instructions” you can see the simple recipe in a easy to read layout with no story attached
Emma, I recommend you purchase a cookbook. This was easily one of the best naan recipes I have ever made!
Can I freeze the dough balls and and use them another night….?
While I haven’t tried that, you may be able to let it rise in the refrigerator for that amount of time. Letting bread dough rise in the refrigerator allows the dough to continue rising at a slower rate, but I haven’t tested it to know if 4-5 hours refrigerated would be enough or too much.
This was delicious!
My first naan was a bit thick but the second worked out much better. So easy to make too!
Is it possible to get the ingredients in metric? We don’t use cups in Ireland so there was some guess work involved!
I prefer to bake with metric units also so I have a cheat sheet of equivalent measurements taped to the inside of my cupboard cabinet. It’s the best way to go so that you can convert all recipes from around the world. Google ingredients as you go and you’ll find it comes in handy. To get you starred-flour 120g/cup.
This was excellent and so much fun! Just a tip: you can freeze the dough instead of making all of the naan and then freezing them.
At what point do you freeze the dough? Before the rise?
I just tried this recipe. When I’m frying it, I’m not getting all the little bubbles like your photos. It does bubble up when I flip it over and I get that somewhat typical naan bread look, but it’s not quite there. What could I be doing wrong?
My best guess, without seeing your process, is that maybe the skillet isn’t quite hot enough.
Hi, I am new to making naan. Can I let the dough rise for longer than an hour? Say 4 or 5 hours? Thank you!
While I haven’t tried that, you may be able to let it rise in the refrigerator for that amount of time. Letting bread dough rise in the refrigerator allows the dough to continue rising at a slower rate, but I haven’t tested it to know if 4-5 hours refrigerated would be enough or too much.
I don’t have any yogurt on hand, do you think I can substitute mayo? And if so how much?
I wouldn’t suggest using mayonnaise in place of yogurt. The two have very different flavors and properties, so it would probably not work the same.
What can i use instead of yoghurt ? As dont have it now
Beth hasn’t tested it without yogurt herself. It really helps to give it some great flavor. But a few commenters have used sour cream or cottage cheese with success!
Once I get to the small balls stage, can I put the balls in the fridge until I’m ready to cook them?
We haven’t tried that method but you can certainly try it and let us know!
I’ve been doing that and they cook up great! I divided the dough and lightly floured the balls and roll them out on a floured right before I griddle it.
it made amazing naan and it’s easy to do. i cook them in a wok because i don’t have a gas stove, it got very hot and cook them perfectly
HI! I love this recipe and have made it many time. In the time of COVID-19, though, I (like everyone else) have a happy sourdough starter on my counter. Have you ever used sourdough discard in this recipe? I would imagine it would reduce the cost even further as it would eliminate the need for active dry or instant yeast.
I haven’t tried that, unfortunately! I’m sure there’s a way to do it, though. Try Googling “naan with sourdough starter” and I’m sure someone has probably posted instructions already! :)
A google search for “Adding sourdough to a recipe” will bring up results that cover how to make the substitutions. There’s a great article by a flour company that covers how to modify a recipe to use your sourdough.
I am going to try this tomorrow, my question is, what can they be served with?
Above the recipe you’ll see a section titled “What do you eat with naan bread?” and there are some suggestions listed there. :)
I’m using a stand mixer to mix and kneed (with the hook) the dough and finding the dough very sticky unless I add at least 1/2 cup more flour than recommended.
The naan seems to be coming out ok, but I was wondering if anybody had any thoughts on where I might be going wrong here?
I’ve been using this recipe for years and have found myself almost always using more flour than is listed in the recipe. Just make sure that your dough matches the description provided above and you should be fine.
Hi could I substitute the olive oil for avocado oil?
Thank you!
Super allergic to olives
Yes avocado oil will work great!
This was my first attempt making Naan. I added minced onion and garlic to the dough. It was so good!! I will definitely make this again!!!
Thanks for sharing the recipe. Very easy and Naan are really delicious.
Please can you provide an estimate of the calories per each naan. Thanks
I made this a few weeks back to enjoy with a new Dahl recipe. My in-laws fought over the last piece of garlic buttered naan! I want to make it again tonight but realized I don’t have plain yogurt. Could sour cream be a substitute?
Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Yes I’ve used sour cream in a pinch and it’s worked okay!
Do you put oil in the pan first before cooking the naan? If so, what kind of oil?
No need to oil the pan before. It will be just fine :)
Going to try this recipe they look great. Do you brush the naan with melted butter if you are going to freeze some of them?
You can certainly do that but it’s not required.
I really loved this recipe and how the naan came out. Thanks for sharing! However I think they could have been saltier. Do most people increase the amount of salt?
Amazing. I love cooking and pride myself on my food. Asian food is my home food and this recipe was spot on and very authentic.
I made this the other day and it was AMAZING. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! This may be a silly question, but I was wondering if the type of pan used matters? In the photos, it looks like you used stainless steel. I used cast iron and although it turned out delicious, I didn’t get nearly as many small bubbles as you did. Should I try a different type of pan? Also, I just want to make sure– the pan is UN-greased, right? Thanks in advance!
Hi Mona! Thanks! I use my cast iron to make these and I’d just suggest playing with your heat for more bubbles. But it doesn’t matter what pan you use.
Made these about a week ago and they turned out great! So easy. Planning to make them again tonight. I followed the recipe exactly as written. Thanks.
Thank you! This was so easy to follow and it was tasty. Had it with some yellow curry and it was perfect.
In Texas we call these flour tortillas. Cheap at HEB . No need to make your own.
Flour tortillas and naan are completely different things, with different textures, styles of cooking and ingredients. They are both flatbreads but that’s where the comparison stops.
What kind of flour do you use ?
Definitely different, though you can pick up naan at HEB.
Flour tortillas typically only call for flour, salt, fat (shortening, lard, butter, etc) and hot water.
I’d definitely give these a shot if you haven’t.
These are not tortillas and only resemble them slightly. They have a distinct flavor and texture and pair especially well with foods from their region.
I love mexican food and tortillas but do not mistake naan for tortillas.
Tortillas and Naan are two totally different things. No matter how inexpensive something is to buy, it is good to have the skill of making something fresh from scratch. I would rather have a fresh, from scratch, tortilla or naan, over a product filled with preservatives that was made to last weeks or months sitting on a shelf.
Made from scratch> store bought all day, everyday! And yes tortillas and naan are worlds apart, 2 different cuisines.
Hello! This recipe looks so good! Can I use greek yogurt instead of regular? Its all I have on hand.
Yes you can!
This looks delicious! Can I replace the yoghurt with milk or anything else?
Beth hasn’t tested it without yogurt herself. It really helps to give it some great flavor. But a few commenters have used sour cream or cottage cheese with success!
Perfect recipe, made them three times already. My family absolutely loves this Naan bread. Thanks so much!
Can you advise on altering the recipe if I used instant yeast?
You can use the same method, without any alterations, if using instant yeast. :)
Love this recipe! I’ve made it a few times, and it has been the perfect side for curry meals every time. I typically cook the bread on an electric griddle. Using the griddle allows me to cook 2-3 at a time, and they still turn out delicious and bubbly. Thanks for a great recipe!
I’m excited to try this recipe!
I was wondering if I could cook it in a Le Creuset Dutch Oven on the stove top, obviously not using the lid?
I would love to hear what other people have used to make it. Has anyone used an electric skillet or has everyone used a stove top pan? I will take any advice on this! Thank you so much!
Yes it can work in a dutch oven!
My first time making naan and it was amazing. Crispy and pillowy soft, exactly like a restaurant.
I used 1.5 tsp of fast acting yeast instead of regular, and messed up and mixed things out of order at the beginning but it wasn’t an issue. I also used nonfat Greek yogurt.
Also, my dough did not rise at all until I turned on the oven for a few min (warm only, not hot), and left it in there for an hour.
Love this recipe. My husband was wanting Naan bread. Since we’re under stay at home orders and I didn’t have yogurt. I used the cottage cheese I already had. It worked great! I’m hooked!
Can I use low-fat yorgurt for this? Trying to get rid of some yogurt. It looks really good!
It should be okay Maria!
I would like to try this! Do you have to use the dough immediately? I’d like to make some naan tonight and then some later in the week. Hi
Do you mean before actually cooking it? The only issue you might run into with refrigerating the dough is that it continues to rise in the refrigerator, and it might over proof, which will prevent proper rising while it’s in the skillet. The cooked bread holds up really well in the refrigerator, though! Just let it cool completely at room temperature, then pop it into a gallon-sized food storage bag.
This naan recipe is fantastic. Yes, you could add a bit more salt to the dough, if you are eating it all by itself. This was fantastic with hummus. The texture and taste is like the Greek pita you get when you order a gyros in Chicago. It’s so nice and soft, but doesn’t break apart. I’ve shared this with my niece who likes to bake, and I posted a link on my FB page. This is definitely a keeper. I like the fact you ‘bake’ this on top of the stove. Although, I might try doing this in the oven or in the backyard grill. Maybe if I read more comments, someone already tried it . Thank you so much for this recipe!
This is another great recipe. I followed it exactly, using Greek yogurt. For my first Naan attempt, I am very pleased with the result. For those who find it needs more flavor, you can easily add whatever flavor you like when it is finished. Brush it with melted butter or ghee and sprinkle on whatever you like. I used Garlic Salt and it is delicious. It would be good with just sea salt or anything you like. You will be very happy, and all you have to do is follow instructions!
Also tried the recipe with milk, and it worked well! Next time I will add a bit of salt as well because it was a little bland.
Delicious! Just finished this recipe, and it’s the best naan recipe I’ve tried. The bread turned out light and fluffy, and for me had the right amount of salt. So happy to have found my go-to naan recipe, thank you very much!
Delicious. Subbed Greek yogurt and used a cup of whole wheat flour and the rest all purpose.
My first try and it came out super yummy.. Everyone just loved it. Everyone must try dis Naan 😋😋 Thanks for such wonderful easy recipe..
This is my third time to make naan bread. I can’t remember if this is the first recipe I did but it is like my first. The 2nd one is not a good one. This is just rigth for curry meal😉
I have made this twice now. The first time I was disappointed, but they did the job. I thought they lacked salt and were thick and didn’t bubble well. I rolled it out to 1/4, maybe even less thick. This time, after watching about 4 youtube videos of people making Naan I used the same recipe because it had a shorter rise time than the ones in the videos, but used their techniques. They turned out so much better. I followed the recipe and instructions with two changes: I used more salt. I used 3/4 tsp and then used sea salt on top after brushing with butter. I also rolled them out crazy thin, like paper thin. They bubbled like crazy and tasted very good.
Mine wasn’t quite as thin as yours. Any tips? Too much flour? Thanks! Mandi
You may need to roll them out a little more next time.
I add fresh herbs and Olives and sundry tomatoes in mine. It is amazing!!!
I made this for the first time using your recipe.
The only change I made was instead of using plain yogurt I substituted for 1/3 cup of milk.
And it came out perfect! Thank you!!
Can we use milk instead of yoghurt?
Beth hasn’t tested it without yogurt herself. It really helps to give it some great flavor.
Delicious naan recipe!
I was wondering if the water needs to be a certain temperature for the yeast to work in the first step. I have had trouble with yeast in the past, so I wanted to check. Thank you!
Room temperature is always best to assume. Cold water can make the yeast take longer to wake up :)
Great Recipe! It was super easy to make and yielded great results! My naan was a little sweeter than I expected but the overall taste and texture were amazing. I divided the dough into 12 pieces instead of 8 and cooked them on a well seasoned cast iron pan on medium-low heat, medium heat was too much.
They were easy to make and tasted delicious thank you
First time naan maker, and it was awfully good to me! Can’t understand why some have issues. Its very good. Thank you
Hi! I tried making this today but was unable to get it to be chewy. It would easily break when I pulled it apart and almost tasted chalky. I followed the directions and measurements precisely so I’m not sure what I did wrong. Any suggestions?
Huh, you’ve got me stumped! I really can’t imagine anything that would result in a chalky flavor. Without being there to watch your process, it’s hard to say what’s causing those flavor and texture results.
I wonder if the flour was not thoroughly incorporated into the dough? Or too much flour? Gluten not developed enough?
How would this recipe work without the yogurt? (Vegan reasons) Thank yoU!
Beth hasn’t tested it without yogurt herself. It really helps to give it some great flavor. But a previous reader noted this, “For veganizing: When I’ve used soy milk instead of the milk, it turned out just as delicious! once I used water, even, and I had no problems. In terms of the egg, I usually replace it with 3 teaspoons of cornstarch or flour, 3 tablespoons of oil, and 1/2 tsp of baking powder”
Thanks for the yummy recipe!! How did I never know it was that easy to make naan myself?? . To the person that commented that they tasted chalky — my husband thinks anything I make with yogurt in it tastes chalky. So wierd to me bc I love yogurt and all things made with it.. I always just figured maybe some people associate the yogurt with chalky for some reason.. ???
I have a question: do you have to oil or butter the hot skillet before adding the dough? It doesn’t say to, but doesn’t the dough stick? Thank you, making this tonight, can’t wait!!!
I season my pan before I get going with the naan. But the heat is high enough it shouldn’t stick :)
Great recipe, easy to follow and managed to make without problem 100% would make again. Thank you!
Best Nann recipe!
This recipe is fabulous and mouthwatering! Thanks so much for sharing!
This is the best Naan recipe and so easy to make!
Works just as well to use your dough hook.
I love this recipe. I make it often for my family as an appetizer . How does this freeze after baking?
It should be fine! But I would put a layer of parchment in between them.
I have been trying out multiple Naan recipes and this is the worst so far.
There are only six ingredients in Naan, so please enlighten us with the “best” combination of them?
Wow we call it Chapati in our local swahili dialect, so much wonderful recipe , Thank you
Have you tired this with gluten free flour?
Thoughts from Beth, “I haven’t worked with gluten free flour personally, but the texture of this naan is heavily dependent on gluten, so I’m not sure that it would work very well.”
What did I do wrong? It’s not bubbling? Thanks
Usually if it’s not bubbling up that means the skillet is not hot enough. I hope that helps! :)
Just made this and am so happy. Light, soft and perfect for mopping up sauces.
What can I substitute the yoghurt with
If you can still have dairy, you can swap with sour cream. If you cannot have dairy, there are dairy free yogurts out there on the market, but I’ve never tried any to know how they taste. The yogurt gives a really unique, almost sour dough-like flavor to the naan and I can’t think of anything else that will provide that (except maybe those dairy free yogurts). :P
Hi Kelly,
Thanks so much for this recipe which seems sooo easy and greedy. Just a question: in France we use to mention quantities by giving weight measures (in grs usually) rather than tsp or cups… cld you just give us an idea of the volume that represents a tea spoon and a cup so that we can then adapt it ?
Looking forward to cook your naans…
Kisses from Paris…
Amazing and easy recipe! Next time, I would add a bit more salt and garlic. Thank you for the step-by-step with pictures…so useful!
Can you substitute sprouted wheat flour, for the reg flour, in this recipe?
We’ve never tried it with sprouted wheat flour but you could certainly give it a shot!
Would it be okay if I let the dough rise for more than an hour? Would 5 hours be too long?
That would probably be too long, unfortunately. Bread can over rise and then deflate. You probably won’t get any nice bubbles if it rises that long.
You might be able to let it rise overnight instead. In the refrigerator bread dough will still rise, but do so very slowly. No guarantees, but something that came to mind.
I am looking forward to trying this recipe in the next day or two, have you ever tried making the dough in a stand mixer? I am a very experienced bread baker, so I do appreciate the pleasure of kneading by hand, but sometimes prefer the ease and “less mess” factor of using my stand mixer.
You can definitely use a stand mixer to knead. Have fun Lori!
Will definitely try this recipe, my kids love nan bread as snacks.. But do you use bread flour or normal flour..?
Thank. You.. 💕
Normal flour is the key! Enjoy!
We are on a low carbohydrate diet , what is the carbohydrate level to naan bread
We do get that request a lot, but unfortunately we don’t have a reliable source for the nutrition information. The calculators and databases that most bloggers and websites use to calculate the info can be extremely inaccurate, and for something that can so severely impact the health of people with health conditions, we just don’t feel comfortable publishing unreliable numbers. We prefer to leave it up to the reader to use the database or calculator they trust. I’m sorry and I wish accuracy were easier than shipping the food off to a lab for analysis!
amazing! my family and i love this recipe. i eat it with curried chicken and tzatziki.
Happy to hear it!
Sounds wonderful. Can you use whole wheat flour?
Yes you certainly can!
Hello, is it possible to freeze the dough rather than making the naan and freezing the finished product? Thanks in advance!
You should be able to, yes. Bread dough in general freezes great!
Perfect. Thank you so much for your response!
Most incredible and easy recipe – I’m obsessed, make batches of naan just for snacking.
Thanks Megan!
Can I substitute sour cream instead of the yogurt?
Yes you can!
I loved the texture it was perfect! Best naan ever.
I am allergic to yogurt and sour cream.
What can I use ?
I think someone mentioned that there are actually dairy free yogurts out there on the market, but I’ve never tried any to know how they taste. The yogurt gives a really unique, almost sour dough-like flavor to the naan and I can’t think of anything else that will provide that (except maybe those dairy free yogurts). :P
I tried this Naan recipe and damn…it came out soo well the first time. I am definitely doing this again soonest. And also i love your page…very easy to make recipes over here…even if i am all the way in Kenya, East Africa.
Hello Celeste! How cool! Thanks for sharing.
OH MY!!! This turned out incredible! They are so much softer than store-bought naan, and I was amazed how well they turned out on my first try. WOW WOW WOW. I will make this over and over.
Hooray! Thanks Britt!
INTERESTING RECIPE WILL TRY IT
AMAZING!!! I really don’t know how authentic this recipe is because I don’t know too much about Indian food, but wow it tastes authentic! It whips up quick and isn’t complicated. Always on our rotation whenever we have Indian food at home.
Can this recipe be used with a Kitchenaid mixer?
Hi Donna, if you usually use your Kitchenaid mixer to knead dough, this one should work as well. I’ve never used a mixer to knead dough personally, so I can’t offer any specific advice on that.
Has anyone tried this with no egg?
I have made this substituting ground flax seed and water for the egg and it turned out great.
I make this with my homemade chicken curry and it’s the perfect accompaniment. Thank you for the great recipe!! I posted below that I also use sour cream instead of yogurt. It’s delcious!
From what I see in the recipe and the photos, it looks as though the naan is cooked in a dry skillet with no oil or cooking spray to coat the surface of the pan. Is that correct?
Correct. :)
I made your naan bread, turned out pillowy amazing. I tell you I did not have yogurt as it was a last minute choice, I used sour cream and it worked just fine!!
Same! I never have yogurt and always use sour cream for this recipe! It’s delicous!!
Just made my first ever Naan.. Shabash!!!😍♥️♥️🥳
Nice, I’ve always wondered how its made. I have enjoyed at a local Thai restauran
Hi
My naans were lovely but no bubbles appeared when I was cooking them
Any idea why ?
It’s hard to say for sure without being there to see your process, but it’s usually because the skillet is not hot enough.
Do you think this would be viable with whole wheat dough? What changes, if any, would you suggest making to the recipe?
I usually don’t suggest substituting any more than 50% of all-purpose flour for whole wheat because the texture changes become too drastic. Using whole wheat flour makes a much more dense bread, and this bread should be very light and airy. Whole wheat flour absorbs more moisture than all-purpose flour as well, so you may find that you need either a little more water or a little less flour.
I will never buy naan again. This is a great recipe. My naan were soft and delicious. I served them with a Thai coconut chicken curry. Delicious! I look forward to using them for pizza.
Made it tonight for dinner along with your tumeric coconut chicken soup and both were absolutely fantastic!!
I am very new to bread making but have been cooking and baking for 30+ years. I used quick yeast because it’s all I had and I adjusted the amount accordingly. My first few pieces I rolled out at the 1/4″ recommendation but those pieces shrank on the griddle and turned out very fat. Those that I rolled more thinly seemed a bit better. Neither group though got many air bubbles like in your photos. Do you have any idea what that means about my dough and what I need to do differently? The flavor is really good though, even with my novice attempt!
The dough shouldn’t really be shrinking up like that, so I’m wondering if your dough was too stiff. A stiff dough can be a result of kneading too much flour into the dough. That may have also prevented the gases from expanding and creating the nice bubbles. The other thing that I find prevents the bubbles is when the skillet is not hot enough. Those are my best guesses, hopefully that helps. :)
Sure does- thanks!
Your dough shrunk because after you let it rise and flatten it to cut into 8 pieces let your dough rest covered for 15 minutes to let the gluten relax. I did that for the last 3 batches and my dough did not shrink”
Your dough shrunk because after you let it rise and flatten it to cut into 8 pieces let your dough rest covered for 15 minutes to let the gluten relax. I did that for the last 3 batches and my dough did not shrink”
Wow! These are delicious! (I am on a very tight budget…and couldn’t buy ingredients needed but used what I had and they still tasted amazing!). Thank you for sharing this recipe…it was easy! I didn’t have sugar in the house..so used a bit of maple syrup. No yogurt or creme of any kind…so used 2% milk. I was worried my dry yeast would not work (it was past the expiry but had never been opened. My Naan turned out more like greek pita bread….it still bubbled…and was airy.
Pretty cool i prepared it for myself and the taste really great. It’s easy to make and its really cheap too thank you for the recipe.
Nice .. I’ve always wondered how they make when I visit Indian eateries. I will try to make it
Is there anything I can substitute for the yogurt? I’m looking for something to make last minute and that’s the only ingredient I don’t have.
The yogurt actually gives this recipe its unique flavor and texture. Unfortunately I haven’t tested it with any substitutes.
Last time I made this I did not have yogurt but I had sour crème so I used that and it was delicious
great recipe! and so easy to make. they turn out perfect every time :)
Easy, very soft and delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you so much for the step-by-step instructions and very good recipe! The naan was a hit with my family. The picture of the frothy yeast helped assure me that my yeast mixture was ok. I felt so proud to produce restaurant-like naan for dinner.
This was so good! My two kids helped me make it and it was actually really fun and pretty easy.
Can I use a food processor with a dough blade to make this. I have arthritic hands and am no longer able to stir dough by hand. This looks so good! Would love to make it. Thank you for any suggestions you could offer!
Unfortunately I’ve never made dough in a food processor, so I’m unsure of how that would turn out.
I used my Kitchen aid to mix. It came out fine.
When I need inspiration for our meals I know I will find ideas and tested recipes at budgetbytes.com. I had looked at the naan recipe awhile back, but because of illness bought mini naan instead. More recently I have been trying to think of an alternative to rice when serving Indian inspired meatballs and naan seem perfect. I was happy to find a tested recipe with a number of good reviews here (too many internet receipes just look good in the pictures) and can’t wait for tomorrow’s dinner. Thank you
This recipe made perfect Naan that were so much better than what I had previously purchased and liked. An absolute must try. I can’t wait to make this recipe again with a different main dish.
Easy, simple and delicious. Thank you!
Can you make these ahead of time? Like after you cook them in the skillet then reheat them later in the butter and garlic?
Yep, I alway save the leftovers and eat them later. :) Just let them cool completely at room temperature to let all the steam evaporate (and prevent condensation) then keep them in a zip top bag in the fridge. You can reheat briefly in a skillet or in the microwave.
I loved it. Super easy to make only thing, i added a pinch more salt for my taste it was under flavored 😍😍😍😍 Thank you so much
I saw in a previous comment where you said one could freeze the dough. Would I freeze it before or after that one hour rise? Also, when I need it do I just pull it out of the freezer and let it thaw then rise again or just thaw and cook? Thank you a million! you are helping me feed my family in very tough times.
Yep, you’re correct. :) Freeze before the rise and then let it rise as it thaws when you’re ready to make it (the time needed for that can vary depending on the ambient room temperature, so you’ll probably want to play it by ear the first time).
I’ve tried several different naan recipe and this one is my go to! I’m making it again tonight with your Dahl recipe. Love your blog!
Hi, have you ever tried it with a type of whole wheat flour?
I haven’t, but generally whole wheat flour will produce a much more dense product. I don’t suggest substituting any more than 50% of the flour with whole wheat flour.
Yesterday, attempted another naan recipe (from a large retailer of baking goods/products) – it was time consuming & went into the trash. Today I made your recipe – delicious! Amazingly simple & easy recipe that turned out perfect! Thank you for posting.
Can you freeze the dough?
Yes, bread dough freezes great. :)
We can’t do dairy, do you have any ideas for a good yogurt substitute in this recipe?
The yogurt is pretty central to this bread, as it gives it a unique flavor and helps keep it soft. You might be able to try a non-dairy yogurt (like coconut), but I’ve never tested those ingredients so I’m not sure how they would turn out. To leave it out all together I’d definitely have to do some testing because that will change the ratios of moisture to flour.
Hello!
I am making this tomorrow and I was wondering if I can make the dough a few hours before making. I won’t be making it until 8 or so but was hoping to get it ready early like 4pm or so. So about 4 hours in the fridge rising?
Definitely put it in the fridge to slow down the rising. That being said, I’ve never tested this recipe with a four hour refrigeration, so I can’t say for certain how it would affect the results.
Thanks so much. I am going to make it then make half of them and leave the other half in the fridge. I will let you know how it works.
Can you make this dough ahead of time and fry it the next day?
It might over proof if you leave the dough that long (definitely keep in in the refrigerator if you try). I’ve also never tried frying this dough, so I don’t know how that would turn out, either. I cook it in a dry skillet.
Can the dough be made the day before the meal ?
It might over proof if you make the dough the day before, but I’ve never tried it. If you do try it, definitely keep it refrigerated to slow the yeast down.
I’m going to make these tonight to accompany our spicy lentil stew! All I have is plain Greek yogurt. Will that work or is it too tangy for this recipe? Thank you for sharing! Looking forward to trying some of your other recipes too. Happy new year!
I think that would work, although you may need slightly less flour since there is less moisture in Greek yogurt compared to regular yogurt.
Hi there! How did it turn out? I am making this tomorrow and only have Greek yoghurt as well.
I always use greek yogurt for this recipe & it’s always terrific. You just may need to use marginally less flour, just let the doughball tell you how much flour it wants.
Looks great– can’t wait to try it!
Do I need to put anything in the skillet to prevent sticking? Or just put the dough onto a dry skillet? Which do you recommend– stainless or cast iron? Thanks!
You can just put it right into the skillet with no oil. :) The super hot skillet and the light dusting of flour keep it from sticking. I’ve made it with both stainless and cast iron, and they both work great.
These look good.
But do I really have to use yogurt in this recipe?
Can I just leave it out? I do not like yogurt in
bread. Can I substitute maybe sour cream?
But I would leave that out as well. Please let me know.
The yogurt does give the bread its characteristic flavor and the fat in the yogurt helps keep the bread very tender. You could do sour cream. If you decide to leave it out completely it will change the flour to liquid ratios, so I wouldn’t be able to offer specifics on how much of flour and water to use without testing it first.
I used sour cream and it tasted great! I’ve done it with the yogurt before and loved that as well. I just didn’t have any tonight. Great recipe!
Great recipe! Thank you.
What can I replace for egg?
I’ve made it without the egg before and it’s still fairly good. The texture is just slightly different.
These were seriously good, even better than from a restaurant…I added 1/4 tsp of onion powder, 1/2 tsp of garlic powder and a pinch of garlic salt to the dry ingredients for an extra kick of flavour. What kind of herbs do you use to sprinkle over top once they are cooked? I used a bit of dried oregano.
Great naan foundation. Thank you.
I puree some roasted beets and garlic added to the wet ingredients with extra salt. Not only tasty but beautiful color on the table.
This recipe worked great for me i made naan for the first time tough, Thank you so much for sharing it, already pinned it in my favorites.
I tried this tonight and the texture is exactly what I was looking for! The flavor was really bland though. Next time I will add some flavors to the dough, including a tiny bit more salt. Great dough!
Thank you for sharing your recipe
Love this! I follow the recipe and I use minced beaf and garlic in the dough and it looks so delicious.
And today my father try the nann and it still otw to cook the nann for the whole family.
Could I use Greek yogurt?
Yes, it does have slightly less moisture, so you may need to tweak the amount of flour used accordingly.
Thank you Beth for this very nice recipe! With butter and garlic it magic! Or hummus!
Just made some and they came out great. Recipe was easy to follow. Make sure you use an oil with flavor though. Canola and vegetable will not provide enough. Honestly interested in how using peanut or coconut oil would work.
How long can keep the dough?
You can keep it in the refrigerator for a couple of hours, if needed, but for the best bubbles you want to make it as soon as possible after you make the dough.
Not sure if anyone asked this before but can you use whole wheat flour for this recipe?
I haven’t tried it in this recipe, but in general I don’t suggest substituting more than 50% of the flour in bread recipes for whole wheat because it will have a large impact on the texture and density beyond that point. You may also need to adjust the liquid ratios, since whole wheat flour absorbs more moisture.
I made this recipe with a little over 50% whole wheat flour. It came out great–good texture and flavor.
Can I make ahead and refrigerate for later use (later in the day or the next day) after the rising step? Thanks!
Do you mean before actually cooking it? The only issue you might run into with refrigerating the dough is that it continues to rise in the refrigerator, and it might over proof, which will prevent proper rising while it’s in the skillet. The cooked bread holds up really well in the refrigerator, though! Just let it cool completely at room temperature, then pop it into a gallon-sized food storage bag.
Love this! I double the recipe and we use them as pizza crusts. I use minced basil and garlic in the dough for extra flavor.
Came out perfectly! I used sour cream instead of yogurt, since it’s what I had on hand. I will definitely be making this a regular thing in my household!
Looking forward to trying this recipe.
I made these and they look almost like the real thing, but they taste almost like an english muffin. They rose more like 3 hours because that’s what schedule allowed – could this have affected the flavor?
Yes, that can affect the flavor because the yeast has more time to ferment, eat up the sugars from the flour, and create their byproducts. :)
Nice – will try.
This recipe is amazing. My naan came out perfect. Thank you!!
I would recommend making them less than 1/4″ when rolling out since they puff up a bit when cooking. I did mine about 1/8″ thick and 8″ diameter. Also if you have a pizza stone, cook it in the oven on the highest temp it will go to simulate what a tandoor would do. My thinner ones turned out just like you get from a tandoor using this method, it just takes a little longer. Only modification is to tear/cut a couple slits in the naan otherwise you’ll hear a balloon. I think I had them in for 8-10 min but just keep an eye on them, when they look good take them out. Great taste
How long will the naan stay good? Can I refrigerate them or freeze them to keep them longer?
After cooking I let them cool completely, then place them in a zip top bag and store in the fridge for about five days, or in the freezer for a few months. :)
These look incredible. Going to have to try them in place of tortillas for tacos!
These came out perfect! Soft, pillowy, delicious. This is now my go-to recipe for naan.
If I make the naans in advance will they be soggy? Or not as good? I want to make them first and set them aside while I make dinner and then warm them up after to serve. Otherwise I’ll have 50 things going on on my stove lol. What’s the preferred way to warm them. In the oven? Microwave? Pop me back in a warm pan for a minute?
I think these hold up really well when made ahead of time. To reheat I would wrap them in foil and pop them in the oven for a few minutes.
Thank you! One more question. Do I have to spray the pan before I cook the naan? Will it stick?
Nope, I didn’t spray my pan. :) There will be a fine layer of flour on the dough, so it’s not sticky at all.
HI , INSTEAD OF OLIVE OIL , IT THERE ANY THING ELSE THAT I CAN USE ???
Hi there! I was wondering if there was a way to make this without using the yogurt (dairy-free)? Thanks in advance!
I would try using a store bought non-dairy yogurt. The yogurt definitely gives this bread a really unique flavor that I think you’d be lacking if you tried to use something else.
Can I use instant yeast?
Yes, that will work fine for this recipe.
Great nan ,best ive ever made,your recipe turned out perfect
Hi! Thanks for the recipe, this looks amazing!
Do you know if I can make the dough beforehand and let it rise in the fridge or leave it out a few hours longer to rise?
Thank you!
You can place it in the fridge if you need to make the dough ahead a few hours. I wouldn’t leave it out though, because it will likely over-proof and you’ll not get as many nice bubbles. :)
Wonderful recipe – just looking at the finished naans makes my mouth water!! No more stale, expensive store bought naans for me !
Any idea what the calorie count is per naan?
Dear friend, if your on diet please never consume any product that are made of flour. If u want we can treat once in week or in 2,3 week.
I am definitely looking forward to make this recipe. I happen to have all the ingredients on hand already, and it is for sure going to be much healthier than store bought naan. Thanks for the amazing recipe!
Can these be baked in the oven?
No, you need a hot skillet to get the correct results.
I have tried this recipe. Easy to follow. Greate result. I’ll make em again.
Thank you so much for the wonderful recipe. Tried it for the first time and it came out soft and light. Although I made it the next day after making dough.
can i use whole wheat flour ?
I wouldn’t suggest substituting all of the flour for whole wheat flour, as this can make the dough very dense and heavy. As a rule of thumb, I only substitute up to half of the regular flour in a recipe for whole wheat, to avoid to big of a texture change.
Can these be made ahead and freeze them? Want to make a large quantity for a party and thaw the day of.
Yes, they freeze beautifully. :)
Do you freeze the dough or the cooked naan? Thank you!
You can actually do either, but I prefer to freeze the cooked naan, so that I can just quickly reheat when I want to eat it. :)
Can I substitute sour cream for the yogurt?
That will probably work, although the flavor will be slightly different.
If I make this a couple of days ahead of when I plan to use it for a meal, what would be the best way to reheat the naan?
You can wrap it in foil and pop it in a hot oven for a few minutes (maybe 400 degrees), or you can microwave it for about 15 seconds.
I make this in advance, free the individual dough balls, and thaw about 2 hours before I want to cook them. They’ve turned out great every time.
Thank you for sharing that technique!!
Very good! Thank you for the recipe. I and my household are very pleased with results of my first time efforts to make naan. It was easy and rewarding.
Thanks Beth, the naan dough is rising! Your site looks great, first time visiting….
By far the best version of this I’ve tried. I would not substitute coconut oil as it’s incredibly high in saturated fat. A bit of melted butter brushed on is much better.
Hi,
Can you refrigerate the dough, and cook them the next day?
You can generally do this with any bread dough, but it does continue to rise at a slow rate in the refrigerator, so my only concern is that you might not get as many bubbles because it has risen so much before shaping and cooking. But that’s just a guess, having not tested it. :)
Do you have to grease the pan?
Nope, just lay it in the dry skillet.
Hello!
Is there a way to substitute the egg and yogurt so that I can make it vegan?
Not that I know of off hand. The yogurt definitely adds a unique flavor to the naan that makes it extra special. I have made it without an egg by accident before and it was still pretty good, but not as tender in texture.
Pretty good, but I find the flavor of the egg really overwhelming and un-naan-like in this recipe. Is there a way the egg could be omitted or substituted?
I’ve accidentally made it without the egg before (didn’t realize I was out until it was too late, LOL) and it was still pretty good, but not quite as tender IMHO.
This is a great naan recipe and it’s easy to adjust! I typically make it using coconut oil (melted first before mixing) instead of olive oil. I’ll also buy little single use containers of yogurt since I don’t eat enough of a big carton, and about 1 small container is just enough. I think the yogurt adds a little more sugar, but I don’t find it to be overwhelming. I can keep the cooked naan for about a week in a plastic bag, but I usually keep it in the fridge just in case.
Wonderful recipe! Thanks Beth!
Can heavy cream be substituted for the yogurt?
No, unfortunately that won’t work the same.
I’m wondering if anyone’s tried to make stuffed naan? I’m wanting to add in cooked potatoes. When do you think it would be best to do that?
Hi,
Your cost and servings breakdown is awesome! Would you please share where you found it? Also, I tried the recipe and wow!!! I will never buy these in the store again!
Thanks!
Stacey
Hi Stacey, I have lived in three different cities since starting this blog, so the stores where I buy my ingredients has changed over time. :)
Can the salt be omitted? and can the Olive Oil be subbed with Grapeseed oil?
If you omit the salt, the end product will likely be very bland. Grapeseed oil should work fine, though. :)
Best I have ever had! I usually buy them to make mini pizzas but never again. Easy recipe to follow and delicious. I made a stripper batch and will freeze them for future use. Thank you for sharing and getting it right
I want to try these tonight but all I h ave is greek yogurt instead of regular plain yorgurt. With the substitution produce similar results?
You might not need quite as much flour since there won’t be as much moisture in the dough.
Love this recipe. Best recipe so far
Thanks for the recipe, I can’t wait to try it! How should I store these, and how long will they keep? (Not that I expect them to last very long! ) Thanks!
Make sure they’re completely cooled first (to avoid condensation), then place them in a gallon-sized zip top bag and keep them in the refrigerator. You can freeze them, too!
I have made this twice now, still mastering the bubbles, but the naan is delicious and the recipe easy! Thank you so much. I shared it with my book club since I had served it when we read “The Orphan Keeper” about an Indian Boy. I have also made it for my family. Such a hit. I am going to share it on my blog with some more friends and family so we can all get the hang of making nann. Thank you!
Could I substitute sour cream for the yogurt? Just curious to know if that would change the results. Thanks!
That would definitely change the results. The cream has a different texture and doesn’t have that tangy sour flavor of the yogurt, which really gives the naan a wonderful flavor. :)
I’ve made several homemade naan recipes & have always been disappointed until now. THIS IS THE ONE!! It’s absolutely perfect. I cooked in a dry hot cast iron skillet with no oil. 5 stars!!
It turned out well, I grilled it in flat bread maker. Everybody likes it. I will definitely make it again.
Made this tonight and it was delicious and easy! Thank you
Hi Beth
Just tried this recipe and it turned out amazing . Five ⭐️ recipe
Thank you for a very descriptive and illustrative recipe that was easy to follow
Koodos to you :)
These we’re delicious! I only had white whole wheat flour and Greek yogurt, so that’s what I used. I’m reading in the comments that those could make it more dense, but I actually think it turned out quite well. My family is used to the slightly denser texture of whole wheat, but we still found these to be fluffy. I just made sure to use closer to 2.5 cups of flour rather than 3. They were fun to make and the kids liked watching them bubble up in the pan.
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback on the ww flour!
Is there any other substitute for the egg?
Can’t wait to make this!
Hi,
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Where did you get the servings calculator?
Thanks!
Stacey
This looks delicious! Do you think it would convert well to a gluten free all purpose flour? I’m looking for a good naan to serve with my chickpea curry!
This looks delicious. What is three calorie content?
I am 91 years old and have made many kinds of bread. In that time I have had more than my share of failed bread baking.
Your excellent use of photography and narrative made this recipe impossible to fail. What a beautiful presentation!!!
Oh, yes; this is my first time with naan and I shall enjoy this recipe many times in my few remaining years.
Thank you for the good instruction technique and for the introduction to wonderful bread.
Thank you!!
My first time making naan & certainly won’t be my last!
My first time making naan & xertainly won’t be my last!
I can’t wait to make this! I love naan, and it is pretty expensive for only two pieces to a package. It is time to make it, myself! Thank you so much for sharing!
Made these tonight and the whole family loved them! Subbed sour cream for the yogurt and vegetable oil for the olive oil as that’s what I had. Found I needed to roll them nice and thin not 1/4”. Will for sure make them again!
I successfully converted this to a breadmaker machine on the dough setting! Feeling excited. In this order: first water, beaten egg and yogurt, then flour and salt, then drizzled the oil over (I don’t know why, this is just when my breadmaker book says to add the fat). Then I made a well in the flour and added the sugar and yeast together. Turned out amazing!
Can I use plain Greek Nonfat yogurt in this recipe?
Greek yogurt has a lot less moisture than regular yogurt, so that will change the dough. I suggest sticking to regular yogurt.
I just made this today with homemade Greek yogurt and it was fantastic. Thank you so much for an amazing recipe!!
the original recipe calls for Greek yogurt
Beth , I had an accident last year that has kept me from being able to work .I have always worked and most days even when working have cooked at least one homemade meal a day sometimes three . Your sight has been a blessing helping me adjust the way I think about what to buy and save money and still put food on the table ! You are a saint ! My family now looks up recipes from your sight also your crack slaw is there favorite , keep up the good work . Thanks
Thank you, Cassandra!! That mean SO very much to me. :) Thank you for making my day!
Yes Beth good recipe – sorry Cassandra for you injury and glad these recipes can help you…
Delicious! Was easy to make. Excellent instructions! Will make it again for sure!
Thank you for sharing! <3
Thank you so much for this incredibly good naan recipe
May you always be blessed for giving joy to others like me
Noor Bhana
Would this work with plain Greek yogurt?
I don’t think Greek yogurt has enough moisture to work correctly in the dough.
I just made this bread it is so goog!!!!!
Thank you for sharing.
This is the best Naan recipes ever. I can’t stop making it. We love it
I made these today and they were amazing! Such a simply and full-proof recipe! Definitely a keeper. Thank you :)
Can we use “ata” flour that is used for chappati to make naan?
Unfortunately I’ve never used that type of flour, so I don’t know how it would perform in this recipe.
Can you use dark brown sugar, or does it have to be white sugar to make naan?
Dark brown sugar will definitely change the flavor and color of this bread.
Can you use wheat flour instead of all purpose flour to make naan?
I wouldn’t suggest it. That will make the bread very dense and heavy, instead of light and fluffy.
I don’t have any yogurt, will sour cream work?
I’ve never tried it with sour cream, so I’m not sure. They’re quite similar, so I would guess so, but you never know for sure until you test it.
I made the recipe with sour cream today (I didn’t have any yogurt in the house) and the naan turned out great!
Thank you for this easy recipe. I really loved it.
Can I use a baking steel instead of a pan?
That seems like it would work, although I’ve never used one so I can’t say for sure.
Hi I was wondering if I could do the dough in a mixer
If you have a dough hook, you can probably use a mixer.
Can I skip the yogurt to make this dairy free?
I wouldn’t suggest it. It’s the yogurt that gives this bread its unique flavor and texture. It will be more like a regular flat bread without it.
These were incredible! Thank you so much for such a amazing reciped
Can’t wait to have some homemade Nasn and some Seasoned Basmatti rice and verges! Thanks for sharing!
Just made these to go with some tzatziki, and they’re so soft and tender! Definitely a new favorite. Though, in the future, I’ll probably make a double or triple batch and cook them all at once and freeze extras, because this is a bit of work for just one or two meals.
Would you be ale t cook these un an electric roti maker?
I’m not sure, unfortunately I’ve never used an electric roti maker.
Awesome recipe! Tried this today. This is the best recipe of Naan online. It came out soft, fluffy and delicious! Thank you!!
Hi, cool recipe. Have you ever tried substituting for a flavored yogurt?
I have not yet! But that could be a tasty twist.
I’d definitely stick to something savory, but I haven’t seen any savory flavored yogurts. :D
Have you tried any substitute for the yogurt?
I don’t, unfortunately. The yogurt really gives the naan a unique flavor and helps keep the texture very tender. I can’t think of anything that will act in a similar manner.
Hey there made this a ton of times always great! Quick question, i want to make this early in the day and let it rest until ready to cook, is there any amount of time thats too much to let it rise?
Thanks!
Yes, dough can definitely “over proof” and when that happens it sometimes collapses and won’t be as nice and fluffy, but you can essentially press pause on the rise time by placing the dough in the refrigerator. :)
Interesting recipe. I’ve never been to an Indian
restaurant. And, I’ve never heard of, naan bread
before, but I’m going to try this recipe. Thanks.
Best, Barbara Jolie
Hi! I can’t wait to try this recipe! My question is; where did you get the serving calculator?? Thats amazing!!
That’s part of the recipe plugin that I use, called WP Recipe Maker.
Is there no oil needed in the pan when cooking? Also, how hot (my stove can get extremely hot) are we talking med heat or high?
You don’t need oil. :) Since every range top is a little different and the type of cookware can also make a big different, start with medium or just above and increase the heat if needed. You may need to adjust the heat up and down a little as you go. If the pan is not hot enough the naan will not bubble, and you’ll want to adjust up a little.
Do you suggest using all-purpose flour, or bread flour? Thanks!
I use all-purpose flour. :)
Have to try this. Love Nan bread. Indian food in general is very tasty, if made right.
Still looking to make good tandoori chicken dough; )
Whats the best way to store these?
I like to let them cool completely to prevent condensation, then I place them in a gallon-sized zip top bag and keep them in the refrigerator. You can also freeze them, if you wish.
Would this be weird with whole wheat flour?
Yes, it will definitely impact the texture. It will be more dense and less light and fluffy.
Thanks! I used all purpose and they turned out heavenly!!
Follow up question: I buy naan from the store with some goat cheese or something in little pockets on the top,, but when i tried, the cheese just stuck to the rolling pin. Any ideas?
The cheese is *inside* the bubbles? My guess is that they put the cheese inside when they shape the dough into little balls, then when the dough gets rolled out it distributes throughout the bread.
Made this tonight so easy and so tasty
made this for a catering style meal for 40 people. used a flat top grill and it worked great!
Wow! I’m impressed!!
Excellent recipe. I have made this 3 times.
I think it’s best cooked on a grill and I use strained greek style yogurt with a tablespoon of whole milk.
I made the last batch with whey instead of water – it was amazing!
Do you oil the pan to fry or no?
Nope. :)
I have made this about six times. Perfect every time and delicious. Easy recipe and no outrageous ingredients. Great for Egg MCNaan.
I just want to say, I come to this recipe all of the time. They’re always consistent too.
This may be “bastardizing” of the tradition of naan but I love it both when eating it with tikka masala and when I make gyros (for the wrap). I’d like to try to cut in some whole wheat flour (to the usual white flour) to make it more pita-like for that, might be an interesting experiment…
This morning I’m going to make chorizo and egg breakfast tacos with them. So, thanks for this recipe!
This was my first time trying to make naan. Good basic recipe. My first couple tasted a bit doughy, but overall I was impressed. I would recommend letting the mini balls rest for a bit after separating and before cooking – I think this was the problem with my first couple.
I wasn’t impressed with this recipe. It tasted more like fried dough that you get at a carnival than naan.
Any substitute for the yogurt and egg since I’m vegan?
I made this with those two ingredients straight up omitted. It’s turning out well, just like naan. You could use like coyo coconut yogurt I wouldn’t use daiya yogurt because it tastes like plastic but you could. I’m guessing the eggs are for leavening so you could use a chia seed egg. Or a flax meal egg / applesauce will do if it’s for binding. Also there’s a boxed product called egg replacer which is just for cooking you could use that. Being vegan is the best congrats my friend!
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I’ve only had naan once and loved it. I’d like to make some for the kiddos to have for lunch. How should I store the leftovers? Or if I want to make a big batch to have for a few days? Should I butter them all up or only the ones we will eat right away? Thanks!
I would only butter them when you’re about to eat them. To store them, I let them cool completely, then keep them in a gallon sized zip top bag in the fridge. You can also freeze them! :)
I cook these lightly (just to solidify them, no browning) and put them in a ziplock bag separated by paper towels or wax paper, then pop them on a medium high griddle for 2-3 days after and they turn out fine!
Thank you for the recipe. It was a great succes!
Could a gluten free flour be used to make them gluten free? They looK yummy!
I haven’t worked with gluten free flour personally, but the texture of this naan is heavily dependent on gluten, so I’m not sure that it would work very well.
Can the flower be substituted withe whole wheat flower!
You may be able to get away with substituting half of the flour for whole wheat, but if you use all whole wheat the naan will be very dense and heavy instead of light and fluffy.
Will an iron skillet work well?
Yes. :)
Recipe looks simple
I will try them
I was wondering about storing the dough, so that each one can be made fresh. Once the dough is separated into balls, is it possible to freeze it? I live alone and would hate for any of them to go bad before I can use them all.
Sorry, just scrolled back through the older comments and see that this question was already answered. Feel free to delete. :)
Delicious and amazing recipe!! I’ve made it 3-4 times and each time it has come out perfectly. I make my own flour and corn tortillas with varying results each time, but THIS naan is absolutely foolproof. Thanks!
I’ve made this several times. It is a fantastic recipe. I love your website. Thank you!
For the milk part, can I use almond milk? And instead of yogurt, can I use kefir? I’m having guest over tonight so I hope to hear from you soon👍
Just made this but substituted coconut milk (from carton) for the yogurt to make it dairy free, worked wonderfully and was quite easy to make. I am not a fan of cooking but have added this to my recipe box!!! Will definitely make regularly.
Just made this tonight for the first time. Easy recipe and it was a hit! Definitely going to be making this again and stop buying store bought naan! Thank you so much :D My families stomach and bank account thank you.
Very well explained and inspiring x
This is the very best “how to” naan cooking guide I have seen. For a newbie cook, like me, the pictures were most helpful.
Thank you so much!
I want to make this but I’m out of yogurt. Can I substitute sour cream?
I made this naan yesterday and everyone just loved it. Will definitely make it again.
Hi my name is Neli. Thanks for the wonderful step by step recepie . I did make the bread and my family love it.Now I got my self a job….Make naan ….. I am wondering if you can freeze the daugh or the fresh bake bread.
I would suggest freezing it after cooking. Baked bread freezes very well. :)
Looks good! Can it be frozen and used later?
YUM! Loved it! Will definitely be a new favorite recipe. :) Thanks!
Wow! Wow! Wow! There is never leftover naan in my house. My kids and husband love this stuff. Now if I can only perfect my chicken tikka marsala recipe.
Thank you Beth. We appreciate you…and your naan recipe!!!!
Hi- do you use olive oil or butter or anything in the skillet while cooking?
Nope, I cooked mine in a dry skillet. The little dusting of flour that is on the rolled out dough helps keep it from sticking.
Thank you Beth, this was amazing! SO much better than the store-bought stuff.
Can these be frozen?
Yes, these freeze well. :)
Any chance you could substitute sour cream for the yogurt?
Hmm, I haven’ tried that. The flavor may be slightly different, but I bet it would work.
This has become my favorite bread recipe. I like to saute garlic in the olive oil first to make garlic naan. Thanks so much!
Great easy no fail recipe! Thanks. One thing I did added some roasted garlic and cilantro I cut up when rolling out I spread it on and fold over and rolled once more so the good bits get embedded inside…. salted butter or ghee with some sea salt are a must.
I made these yesterday and had them today for dinner. SO GOOD! Very impressed, I did, however need more than 3 cups of flour to make the dough work.
Ps loved the bubbles-really makes the naan look extra special! THANK YOU :)
Sounds delish! Can this be made with alternative flours?
Unfortunately I haven’t done any baking with alternative flours, so I’m not sure how they would work out here.
Oh, how I do love this recipe. I’ve made it multiple times and it never fails. It’s so pillowy and soft. I am now off gluten and dairy, but am willing to make an exception for only this!
Good stuff. 2 suggestions/ideas (per my experimenting)…
1. Replace olive oil with unsalted butter for smoother flavor
2. Omit the egg if you want them crispy
Love, love, love this recipe. I put the flour and salt in my food processor and then pour the wet ingredients to combine. It comes out so beautiful. If you don’t have yogourt you can always use sour cream. My kids love to put melted butter and garlic on top.
Absolutely the best naan! It easily rivals anything you could find in a restaurant or store. I made the Moroccan Lentil and Vegetable Stew (also from this site and also delicious) and decided to take Beth’s advice and make the naan to go with it. So glad I did! To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes as I’m not the world’s best baker when it comes to yeast recipes. I followed the recipe exactly and used a cast iron skillet to cook it. It came out perfect! It’s definitely a versatile and easy to make recipe. My guests devoured every piece, so I’m off to make more.
THIS was an absolutely wonderful naan. I’d love to add some potatoes and peas to it. I do have a question, though. A friend and I are making and Indian dinner for one of our local firehouses. I want to make naan. Will the rising dough transport? How should I handle that, Beth?
Hmmm, that’s really tricky. It really depends on how long the transportation time is. I would keep the dough well chilled during transport to slow the rising because the risen dough will be a bit delicate.
What does the yogurt do? Can I use something Else? I don’t usually buy yogurt because it is generally a non essential menu item and I’m on a pretty tight budget.
It gives the naan the most wonderfully tangy flavor and keeps the dough very tender. Unfortunately I haven’t experimented with using other ingredients in its place.
Made your naan with butter curry tonight – delish! Best naan I’ve ever tasted and I made it myself!
I merged this with another idea I saw elsewhere. I used your exact same naan recipe (because it’s NEVER failed me… EVER) but when I rolled out the little balls, I didn’t roll them completely flat, and I tried to use as little flour as possible. Then I put about 1/4 cup of mozzarella cheese in the middle and folded the dough back around the cheese, making sure to pinch and roll the edges completely shut. Then I rolled the balls out again, carefully so as not to rip them to let any of the cheese out to burn when I cooked them. Sprinkle with minced garlic, and then cook in the pan as normal.
Garlic cheese naan!!
Now I want to make a quesadilla out of garlic cheese naan…….
Is this bread pliable like pita bread?
I mean can I fold it length-wise for making a sandwich?
Yep! It’s very soft.
Tks. Looks an easy method.
This came out delicious! A success my first time!
Before I made these my boyfriend asked me why I would bother to make Naan from scratch when the store bought ones are so cheap and tasty… now he is asking when I will make these again. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out superb: bubbly, chewy and delicious. I brushed with warm garlic butter and sprinkled with just a touch of sea salt and chopped cilantro… heaven! Thank you for this simple yet fabulous recipe
Can you freeze these? If so what is the best way to store them in the freezer & how would you reheat them? Thanks!!
Yes, these freeze very well. All you have to do is let them cool completely to room temperature, then place them in a freezer bag (probably a gallon size). They thaw quickly at room temperature, or you can microwave for about 15 seconds to warm them through.
How well does the dough keep? Could I make it ahead earlier that day, store it in the fridge and cook it up in the evening?
Yes, that should work just fine. :)
Made mine with whole wheat, then turned four into pita chips for hummus. Worked out great and super easy!
Thank you so much for this great recipe! I’ve made it several times and it has come out perfect every time. I doubled my last batch so I could have a lot of leftovers to freeze–I find they reheat really well, either in a 400 degree oven for a few minutes or in the microwave for 30 seconds.
This recipe is beyond wonderful! A huge keeper and literally is the first naan I’ve made from scratch yet best naan I’ve had in ages. Thank you.
Great recipe! Was great along side the tikka masala I made
This recipe is perfect! All I had was greek yogurt, so – based on your comments above — I used less flour (2 cups + 1 tbl total). The dough was a dream to work with and bubbled beautifully while cooking. I served it with greek meatballs, grilled veggies and yogurt sauce. Thank you so much for the recipe!
Used this again tonight to make individual pizzas, super quick dough to make and very tasty! Thank you so much for sharing!
This turned out awesome. Great recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Simon
I left mine to rise overnight in the fridge as something came up. Even though I had little to no bubbles, I cannot fault the taste. Brushed mine with butter and it is divine.
Hi what flour did you use?
Regular all-purpose flour (wheat).
The recipe and directions does not indicate the water should be warm (about 105 degrees); only in the step-by-step pictures. For a novice baker, this step is crucial to activate the yeast and have success with this recipe.
Awesome and easy. I used greek yogurt and went by feel rather than measuring the flour. Turned out perfect, best with minced garlic and ghee brushed on.
I love this recipe! I have used it since you’ve posted it every time I make Indian cuisine. I’m now vegan and I simply replace ingredients with the vegan substitute and it’s still delicious! Thank you:-)
Oh I almost forgot! I used a “slapping” method, not sure what it’s technically called lol but I lightly dust my cutting board with flour and them slap and fold the dough, lightly adding flour as needed. It helped me not add too much and not kneed to much . Hope this helps !
OMG-so good. I never thought that I was capable of making my own naan, but it was actually super easy. I only had sour cream on hand, so I used that instead of yogurt and it turned out perfectly. I brushed the naan with melted butter and chopped herbs, which made it really amazing. I served this with Beth’s Chana Aloo Masala which made for a great meal.
This one is a keeper, try it!!!
Question: I used whole wheat flour instead of white flour, and it didn’t bubble at all. It tasted wonderful, but no bubbles, and it’s a bit more dense than I was expecting. Any idea what happened/how to fix it?
Using whole wheat flour in place of all-purpose will always yield a more dense end product, unfortunately. :( I’m not sure if that’s the reason there were no bubbles, but that definitely is the cause of the density. I usually sub up to 50% of the AP flour with WW for a less noticeable texture change.
Hi Beth! I’ve tried a lot of your other recipes and they’re all great. I had some trouble with this one though; I didn’t get as many bubbles as I was expecting and each piece had undercooked spots left. I tried turning the heat on the stove down and leaving it on the first side longer; this helped but didn’t completely solve the problem. Any other ideas what I might have done wrong?
Oh, and I used greek yogurt instead of regular. Could this have played a role?
The Greek yogurt might have played a roll, yes. Greek yogurt has less moisture in it, so you’ll have less steam to create bubbles when it hits the pan. I’ve used Greek yogurt before, but I also reduced the flour a bit. Make sure the dough is soft and pliable because if it’s too stiff and dry it might not bubble up quite as well. :)
This is the best and easiest naan recipe ever! I love it!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it tonight together with butter chicken & rice. It all came out perfect! Thank you again!! It was super easy and delicious just like the restaurants!
I made 3 batches of this bread today it was great! Instead of Indian Food we had them with lamb, taziki , tomatoes and lettuce. My husband does not like pita bread so I made it with this instead it was great!
Proper naan does not contain egg
Food is food. So, what’s the BIG deal? :-)
I’m a super novice at bread making. Mine did not come out like it was suppose to; no bubbles and kind of thick. I didn’t add enough flour I think. Still pretty tasty though!
I have pinned and emailed to myself many of your recipes tonight. I’ve written a few comments, but I want to thank you again. Thanks also for the step by step photos.
Awesome recipe. Will be my new go-to since it dosent use butter but yogurt (which seems healthier??)
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I made it in my bread machine using the dough function. I used 2 3/4 cup of whole wheat flour and it came out perfect. Ate it with the chicken shwarma recipe. My hubby said it’s a keeper. Having a newborn its hard to find a quick and delicious homemade meal. Thanks again :)
Sounds so good! Actually forgot you have this recipe. Do you think I can make the dough in a bread maker?
I would think so, but I’ve never actually used a bread maker before, so I’m not sure what the limitations are.
I love your recipes!
Perfect! Super easy dough to work with and roll out. I could just eat this whole batch at once if my tummy was big enough!
Had with curry tonight but can’t wait to have it with breakfast and lunch tmr too
What is the yield of this recipe? is it 8?
Thanks.
Yes, 8, but you can make more smaller pieces if you prefer.
Soooo I just made this with your exact instructions, the spouse ate the first Three, leaving four, and so I just closed up the kitchen and ate my dinner in the kitchen, if I was going to eat them warm. It accompanied my mung bean curry perfectly!!! Thanks for your continued awesome recipes 😄
Can I make this dough the night before? Do I let it rise first, or just mix it into a ball and then put in the fridge?
You might be able to mix and knead the dough the night before and then let it rest in the fridge. Refrigeration slows down the rising process, but I’m not sure if over night will still be too much time even when refrigerated.
I have done that and even left it overnight and longer in the frig. Took it out the next day to warm up before rolling. Turned out great.
This is second time making these and I absolutely love them. I got part way into recipe when I realized I didn’t have any eggs… I decided to just carry on and see how they turned out and they were just as good as the first batch I made a few months ago.
Good to know!
Great naans. Turned out exactly as pictured.
I love your website and this is the recipe I keep coming back to. This naan is so good, my family is always excited when I make it! Thank you for making the recipe so easy to follow and so delicious!
Dear Beth,
Looks like a pretty easy and cool recipe. We love naan in our family! Who does not? :)
Planning to make them very soon. Can you tell me what kind of four u used? Stronger? Bread flour?
From ex I always use ‘designate’ flour for best results. Cake flour for cakes weak flour 9% protein), stronger (11% proteins) for pancakes.
I guess in this recipe we should youse stronger, right?
Thank you.
Xoxo,
Marilena
I like to keep things simple, so I only buy all-purpose flour and whole wheat flour. For this recipe, I used regular all-purpose flour. I’m not sure what the protein content of that is.
YUM! 2nd batch a did white and wheat flour and used regular plain full fat yogurt. JUST AS DELICIOUS as the first batch. For this 2nd I controlled myself and froze all the dough balls. Take one into work wrapped in plastic. By lunch it has unfrozen – I stretch it out and pop it into the toaster oven to bake – (easy cuz I work verrry close to the lunch room). Spread it with butter and sprinkled with salt – what a lunch – one naan, hot from an oven – delicious! THANK YOU! Hoping to never buy bread again ;)
Can you use instant yeast instead of dry active?
Yes, that will work fine for this recipe. :)
I just tried these today for a quick lunch–we’ve been craving lots of “around the world” food and I wanted pitas, but the hubby wanted naan. I’m so glad we decided on naan, to be honest. This is beautifully easy, delicious, and actually pretty quick besides the waiting. I burned the first one (our stove is fickle) and even that tasted fine after I clipped the burned parts off. I can’t wait to do this again; it’s definitely going to become a staple in our house now that we know!
I’ve made this recipe two times in the last month now. The first time, I made it right, and it came out pretty well (although I think the taste and texture is closer to pita than to naan).
Last night, I was in the process of making it again when I realized that I didn’t have any yogurt. It was too late for me to run out and get some, so I subbed the yogurt for a scant half cup of ricotta and eyeballed a quarter cup of milk (I use 1%). The dough was a little slower to rise and was stickier to work with, but the taste and texture were still good once they were cooked. I also considered pineapple cottage cheese that I had in my fridge, but I didn’t want the pineapple flavor with my falafel.
This is just a thought for anyone else in a similar bind that pretty much any soft dairy mixed with milk to get yogurt consistency should work. :^)
As a side note, this happens to me almost every time: I make a recipe from Beth once, love it, and then forget one ingredient when I go to make again. I’ve found every recipe I’ve done so far to be super flexible, and I haven’t had something I didn’t like yet. Thanks for the great recipes that are budget conscious and super flexible!
That’s what I love most about cooking – happy accidents! You learn so much about food and the science of cooking when you make mistakes or forget ingredients. It’s always fun. :) Also, I’m now obsessed with the thought of pineapple with falafel. I think it would be really good! Ha!
These look great, can’t wait tot try them. Could they be frozen? Then maybe reheated in the oven with a little oil brused on them? Thanks
Yes, they freeze wonderfully. You can also reheat by wrapping them in foil and placing them in the oven. That should help keep them from drying out.
So, I’m a terrible baker and I’m terrified of anything that requires yeast, but I heeded the advice of a previous commenter and went for it. My first attempt at the yeast failed because I didn’t use warm water, (duh). I started again and I wasn’t seeing the bubbles in the yeast- sugar-water like the picture. I then realized that I didn’t actually measure the water, but eye-balled it. (was that the problem?!) I said “F-it. I’m making it anyway”. Then, the dough stayed sticky no matter how much flour I added (unmeasured, again). I just started kneading and adding, and I think the only part I got right in the recipe was kneading for three minutes. It did rise. It rolled out beautifully, and the naan was picture perfect! Fluffy, tasty, and I can make bread!!! If a complete hack like me can make this fresh naan recipe, seriously, anyone can! Thanks, Beth! (ps: “yes” to a bench scraper!)
Awesome!! Half of learning to cook is working through those mistakes. I’m glad you kept going! :)
I made these tonight, and even though the recipe wasn’t measured exactly, the result was still great, just like store bought. I’m teaching my mom the recipe next week to pair with her pork molé and lentil dinner.
Made these again tonight, doubling the recipe because we had guest. They are absolutely rocking plain, but my mother came up with the genius idea of putting minced garlic, butter and cumin seeds together, melting it (the butter, but with the other ingredients in the bowl too) and using that instead of plain butter – AMAZING. We brushed it over the naans as soon as it came off the pan and grinded some salt too. Spectacular and well loved by everyone who has tried it :)
What size/brand/type of pan did you use and where did you get it? Thanks!
It’s a large stainless steel skillet that I got used from a garage sale of restaurant equipment, so I don’t know the brand. But, it’s very thick and heavy, which helps heat evenly.
I just made this, I had never had Naan or made it. It came out wonderfully, I used olive oil as well thanks for the recipe.
i just made these for the second time, with a couple of changes. first time i used bread flour, because that’s what i had. the dough was very springy, and the breads shrunk between rolling and baking, so they were sort of thick rounds. this time i used 1 cup whole wheat flour and 2 cups all purpose flour. the rise wasn’t as dramatic in the bowl, but the breads puffed and bubbled beautifully on the griddle. they are much thinner, more toothsome, and flavorful. i highly recommend this combo of flours.
also, the first time i tried to make rounds– so pretty! this time, i rolled them quite thin, not attempting a special shape. almost all came out sort of longish ovals, which fit really well diagonally on my two-burner iron griddle. the longish shape is great for tearing in two, or folding over.
i cut the ball of dough into 16 pieces, rolled them out thin, and have a whole lot of lovely naan.
thanks again for this recipe, beth.
Just made these to go with the moroccan lentil an veggie stew. Both turned out very very yummy, thank you so much for these great recipes.
I changes two things: I added diced chicken to the stew and substituted the greek yogurt in the naan with quark (I’m from Germany and although we have greek yogurt here, I don’t usually have it in the fridge). Quark worked fine, too.
I’ll definitely try more of your recipes :)
I can’t wait to make them today. Can you please just explain at what point can I freeze them? Before or after cooking?
Thank you so much!
Hi jelena, they freeze great after cooking. Just make sure to let them cool completely. :)
Thanks! Dough is rising right now, regards from the other side of the planet. I looove your blog, by the way ;)
Made these three days ago, but only cooked half of them, the remaining balls went into the freezer. This morning I took them out and let them thaw in the fridge during the day.
I must say that they actually came out much better when I cooked them this evening!
It may have to do with the buns being cooler and less elastic from the fridge, making it possible to roll them out a bit thinner than when the dough was freshly made.
As someone who makes Naan and Roti regularly (I’m from India) I can say with confidence that dough that has been left overnight in the fridge will make better Rotis and Naans. The lack of elasticity DEFINITELY aids in it, but my dough usually ends up thicker after a night in the fridge. Which then makes fluffier Rotis and Naans.
Just made these earlier this afternoom and they were great! I subbed heavy cream for the yogurt and they tasted fine but I will definitely make it again with the proper ingredients to get more flavor.
I don’t know if anyone else had this issue but you may want to open a window while making these since my kitchen got a bit smokey!
yowza!!
i’d started some curried lentils in the slow cooker ( had enough heavy, rich food for a while… plus there’s a heavy, poor person in my mirror ). thought i’d make some white rice to go with, but somehow i’ve run out. then i remember this naan recipe, and decided to give it a try. excellent decision!
i had only regular, full fat, plain yogurt so used that, and diminished the water to a scant half cup. stayed with your olive oil, though pricier– so flavorful and aromatic. the dough stirred up quickly, rose to double as promised, and was easy to handle.
feeling proud and frisky, i thought i’d cheat by using the tortilla press instead of rolling out the little rounds. bad choice. they squished out to the right shape, then immediately sprung back into a little thick round. amazing to watch them shrink between the counter and the stove :)
but no prob– rolling with a pin was simple and not at all sticky. and they kept their shape all the way (3 feet) to the stove.
i used my double burner lodge pancake griddle, and set it up over medium heat, but things were cooking too fast, so i ended up with it more medium-low. nice bubbling and wonderful flavor.
anyone thinking of trying this but saying, nah, this cannot actually be easy– go ahead and do it. so glad i did!
Really excellent recipe! Tastes like the naan in a restaurant. Everyone was impressed by this bread! I can’t believe how easy this was to make!
This recipe is pretty simple to follow and looked delicious so I tried it and it came out great. One thing I did though, I didn’t have yogurt available so I used whole milk instead. Still amazing…will definitely try this with yogurt but surely, this recipe will be on my dinner table everytime I have a curry dish…thanks a bunch, Beth.
Looks amazing! How long does the dough stay fresh? Can you make these a day ahead of time or should they be eaten ASAP?
I think they keep very well. Let them cool completely, then seal in a ziploc bag and keep in the fridge. :)
I love this recipe! I’ve made it three times now, and each time is better than the last. I’ll make a batch on Saturday and have one piece a day (with one extra for any roommates that might be lingering). Its great with currys, but Ive also used it as sandwich bread or eaten it with jam in the mornings.
Have you ever used egg whites with recipe? I just made a soup that took all my egg yokes and I’m left with 6 egg whites… What do you think?
They’re great for macarons! Or you can make an all egg white omelette or frittata. Just fill it up with some fatty things (cheese) to make up for the lack of yolk. ;) (that was kind of a joke… kind of.)
do you think this bread would freeze well?
Yes, definitely. :)
What would you recommend as a substitute for the yogurt? I do not like yogurt and don’t want to buy any just to try the recipe as I would not use up the rest!
Sour cream might work, but really the yogurt is a key ingredient here and makes the flavor and texture of the bread unique.
So easy and amazing! My boys had some for breakfast with butter and jam!
This was so delicious and simple! It was the perfect addition to a low fat chicken tikka masala dish I made last night. Thank you for your great recipes!
just made this tonight… deeelish! So glad I found your site. Thank you so much for sharing all these wonderful recipes!
I made this recipe last night and it was delicious. I never knew making naan could be so easy. Not only did I make it last night but my family requested more so I made another double batch after the first batch. Thank you Beth for this great recipe!
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!! I love all BudgetBytes recipes. Beth, you never leave me down! I’ve never had a failed or fluke recipe from your website.
Came across this naan recipe and immediately wanted to try it after seeing all the good reviews. I kept hearing that naan was hard to make and I just didn’t want to go through the process if it was going to be difficult or be a long process.
Trusting Beth, I knew I had to try it. SO GOOD. There go the days of buying naan to accompany our Indian dishes. YUMMY!!
Just made this, yummy! I also subbed sour cream for the Greek yogurt just because I didn’t have any. Still came out very tasty, soft and pliable. Used it for a taco. Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
I made this tonight for the second time. It is an amazing recipe! This time though, I tried to make it more similar to the naan I have had at my favorite Indian restaurant- and I fried the naan dough in olive oil (so I could feel justified about frying it). It was SO worth it! Thanks for this recipe!
What temperature should the water be (or does it matter?) when you mix it with the yeast? I know for some yeast recipes, the water should be warm, but this one didn’t specify so I thought I’d ask. :-)
It’s usually suggested to be about 110 degrees Fahrenheit. I just use my hottest tap water, but that will depend on how high your water heater is set. :)
Naan is one of my favorite parts of Indian cuisine (fufu and puff puff were my personal favorites in my Nigerian-American household growing up so, clearly, I like my carbohydrates). My mom has some health issues, and I was wondering if you could think of a good alternative to vegetable oil. I know that usually I replace it with unsweetened applesauce, pure pumpkin puree, ground flax seeds, or even nonfat Greek yogurt. Do you think any of those would work?
Hmm, honestly I don’t think any of those would work. You definitely need some fat to make it the correct texture and many of those substitutes have too much water in them. You can use olive oil as a healthier oil substitute, though.
Wow! This naan bread is awesome. So easy! I didn’t have yogourt but used sour cream instead. And I brushed on a little garlic butter before they cooled down. Thanks for such a wonderful recipe!!
This is a good start but it was very bland to me. I made it a second time using sour cream (was out of yogurt) and 1 tsp garlic powder. I also sprinkled salt on the naan while it was cooking. Much much better tasting!
This is our go-to naan recipe! We use it a few times a month. It’s super easy and I make homemade yogurt often which is great to use in your recipe!
Hi, I am making this as well as your dal nirvana, and I have a quick question. If I want to add garlic, at what stage should I put it in? And would you sautee it a little first or put it in raw and let it cook with the bread? Thanks so much, love your recipes. I make the skilled chilli with cornbread at least once a month.
Honestly, I’ve been trying to figure out what would be the best way to add garlic, too. I tried adding garlic powder one time and it wasn’t as flavorful as I hoped. I think the best idea would be to make garlic butter (heat minced garlic in butter for a few minutes), then brush it on the outside of the cooked bread.
I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but it’s definitely on the must try list! For those wanting more of a garlic flavor, when you get garlic naan at an Indian restaurant, it is the same as the plain naan, but has minced/chopped garlic on top of each piece, brushed on with the butter. I wouldn’t recommend putting garlic in the dough, because it will burn during cooking. Garlic naan is the best!
I love this recipe!! It was so easy to make. Question though if I wanted to make it a little healthier and use whole wheat flour do you know how I could do that still using this recipe?
You’d have to experiment with the moisture levels, probably adding a bit more water, since ww flour tends to absorb more. To avoid having it be really dense, which is what ww flour usually ends up doing, I’d use half ww flour and half all purpose flour. You can also try ww pastry flour, which is ground a bit finer. That might help it be lighter.
definitely on my to do-list ! thanks for yet another great recipe.
PS. what an expensive dough scraper. I bought a few months ago one in plastic for only 1€ and it works perfectly. I would suggest the shop, but hey that is in Belgium !
I had no idea naan was this easy to make. Yuuuuuum. Thanks for the recipe and easy to follow steps and pics. :)
Amazing! How would I go about doubling (or tripling) the recipe and saving them for another night? I’m always worried about making recipes bigger. Would this freeze well?
Great directions. I’d never worked with yeast before and this went off without a hitch. I wish I’d made better note of the tip not to roll out each ball until it’s ready to go in the pan. I stacked mine and let them sit for a bit and it made them harder to work with. I also learned that it’s better to leave them a little underdone than overdone because overdone cracks when you fill it. My kids fought over the last piece.
HAHA omg I started freaking out a little bit when first mixing the yeast, sugar and water. I was like “OMG what did I do wrong??!!?! why wont it froth?!” then I read on the packet of yeast that it says allow it to sit for 10 minutes :P hehe
Could you possibly make a video of making the small balls??? I’m a little confused, it’s probably a lot simpler than what I’m thinking, but it would be very much appreciated to see it done!!
I know, it’s super hard to explain with words, but yes, it is an easy task. :) If I had video making skills, I would definitely do so. Hopefully in the future!
I’ve made this before, and like all of your other recipes, it was a total hit at my house. However, now one of my family members is off dairy and I was wanting to make this to go with the indian creamed spinach. Do you think using coconut milk in both recipes would work out?
Hmm… I’ve never baked bread with coconut milk before, but I do know that it will change the flavor quite a bit. The yogurt gives this bread a subtle but distinct tart flavor (kind of like sour dough) that it won’t have with coconut milk. If you decide to give it a try, let me know how it turns out!
My son is allergic to dairy, and I use coconut milk in most things. When it calls for yogurt or sour cream, I use the So Delicious brand of coconut yogurt. That would probably work for this, though it will definitely give it a coconut flavor. Might be delicious with Beth’s coconut curry chicken.
Wow! Fantastic! This Naan recipe is just great! I made double the recipe, which I will do for now on. The double recipe made about 16 naan 6 x 6 in naan , and trust me this will be eaten fast. Than I simply froze the rest.
GREAT RECIPE! We’ve wanted to make naan for a while, but most recipes are too much work. Thankfully, yours came along because it was excellent. A bit nervous trying it since the last time we used yeast it was a struggle and your instructions were different from that on the actually yeast packet. Worked fine! Only ended up using about 2 cups of flour in the end I think, but still worked great. Had to turn our pan up a bit to make it bubble, but there were no problems frying. Even less problems eating! Thanks!
I’ve made naan before and yours is the most basic recipe I’ve seen. Thanks for making it easy for my friends, I couldn’t make it simpler! I like to add chopped onions to mine but that’s just me. As for your forgetting to get a dough scraper, don’t get it at the store! Go to your local 2nd hand store and you’ll not only help your wallet but you’ll be recycling something as well and if it’s a charity store, helping the cash help a good cause as well. It’s where I go for the small kitchen things. Cheers!
I just made this and it came out REALLY well!!! My Indian food obsessed 5 year old is ecstatic. It is so much cheaper than buying Naan from the local indian grocery, and tastes just as good!! :) I’ll be making this very often. Thanks so much!
Sorry I meant to rate this 5 stars :)
This naan was wonderful – easy to make and everything I needed to make it I already had! I tend to be intimidated by Indian food (lots of spices and usually a lot of steps), so we only eat it on rare occasions when we eat out. I am going to make your recipe for dal next.
I just made this Naan bread for our Sunday Night dinner served with oil and balsamic vinegar and it is absolutely fantastic! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
This looks amazing! Do you have any advice on making this with whole wheat flour? Do you think that I’ll have to make any adaptations?
Thank you for the great recipe!
You’ll probably need to use a little less flour as you knead it in because whole wheat flour absorbs more moisture than all-purpose. It might not make bubbles as nicely, either, since whole wheat doughs tend to be a little more dense. If you do try it, please let us know how it turns out! I’d love to know. :)
I tried using whole wheat flour tonight, and they were delicious. I probably used about 2 1/2 c. of flour, but the yogurt I used was not Greek style, so it was more liquid-y. Perhaps that had an impact on how much flour I used. In any case, the recipe worked very well! Success!
After a couple of false starts (mainly due to my total inability to read directions), this recipe turned out beautifully. Thanks Beth!! I’m 24 and this was my first time ever making bread. I’m so pleased at how easy it was :)
I just made these, following your recipe. At the moment they are cooling down before I store them for the next meal. The ‘blisters’ on my bread are not many like yours. But I’m sure they will taste just fine. Thanks for sharing a simple yet tasty recipe.
I love it, taste lovely I also made it with the spicy shrimp and tomatoe pasta! great meal
Turned out perfectly! Just paired it with the parsley/scallion hummus (with a generous injection of sriracha). Thanks for the great recipes.
Found your site after it was mentioned on NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour. The host was actually plugging your Dragon Noodle recipe (which I have since made three times in two weeks, in various forms).
I made this naan tonight to accompany a standard beef & bean chili. I was worried because a) I’ve never made bread from scratch and b) I’m feeding my two picky pre-teens who hate just everything these days. I decided to throw caution to the wind, though, and I’m so glad I did.
They cannot stop talking about how great “that bread thing” was! Utter success, and frankly, I’m pretty sure I over-kneaded the bread!
Thank you for your site — I’ve pinned so many new recipes this week it’s ridiculous.
These were super easy and came out perfect! Will definitely be making them again. Thanks for the wonderful recipe!
Made this 4 times already. It has become a staple in our house. Easy and fun for the kids to help with. I also added garlic to one of the recipes and that was also really, really good as well. Thank you so much for all of your great recipes!!
These turned out beautifully. Used part whole wheat. I’ll be making these again. Thanks so much for sharing.
We double/triple this recipe frequently (it works beautifully). And we also substitute instant yeast for the active dry with great results.
This recipe is VERY forgiving, and just cries out for additions. So we obliged :)
For 1 recipe we commonly use half organic unbleached flour and half organic rye…adding 1 Tablespoon of caraway seeds and 1 teaspoon of Deli Rye Flavoring powder from King Arthur.
Oh yeah, RYE NAAN! Woohoo!
I love rye! Great idea!
I made these tonight and they are to die for! I think I’ll have to double (or maybe even triple) the recipe next time because my family is scarfing them down like there’s no tomorrow. Thank you!
HELP, S.O.S., MAYDAY! I cannot stop eating these. Send help. I melted some unsalted butter & added garlic salt & grated parmesan to it & am dipping it and OH GOD SAVE ME. It tastes just like Crazy Bread from Little Caesar’s (<–I hate myself).
Thanks for this site, Beth! I just found it last week and am obsessed.
Hahaha, I wish I could help, but the naan has already taken me over – mind and body – as well! :)
Thanks! Have always wanted to make Naan but thought it would be too difficult. This is so simple and amazingly tasty! My husband seriously wants to have this every night for dinner!
I have made naans and absolutely love those breads. If you have a grill, you can cook naans on a grill using a cooking stone. They will turned out just like the one they serve at the restaurant. You can also cook papadums on a grill (a bit less fattening). You don’t need the stone for these but the heat needs to be on medium otherwise they will burn.
Someone is lifting your content and getting pinned on Pinterest with it. Might want to ask them to take it down: http://www.recipebest.com/2013/06/naan.html
It’s okay. They don’t post the actual recipe, but they do post the link to my page, so I get a lot of traffic through them. It’s all good. :)
First let me say I love your site. I made this tonight; super easy and delicious!!!! Thank you for sharing such fabulous recipes.
This naan recipe was simple and delicious. I can t believe I made naan, thanks for the recipe.
Hello!!
First and foremost: Love your blog! You have a great thing going on here! You were one of my inspirations to start my own blog. Yester day I made this Naan bread, and will for sure mention you on the blog. And boy, oh boy… Will this be a sure thing in my house for now on!
Absolutelly loved it!
See ya around the blogsphere!
FYI: My last comment had last than full stars, I don’t know why!
It’s a keeper for sure. It’s easy, yummy and cheap so we will be making plenty off these
Super easy, cheap, and tasty! A family hit. Thank you!
I have served at two Indian weddings and loved the food. They use Naan to sop up sauces, for dips, and to scoop up food with folded Naan.
I will be trying this recipe because I have tasted this fabulous bread and wondered where the sweetness came from. It’s yogurt!
I pinned this about a year ago and make it all the time. Just wanted to return and finally print out the recipe in case somehow it got lost! Thanks for making it available!!
This recipe turned out so well! Thanks for sharing.
I tried this recipe today. It’s extremely yummy and very easy. Thank you so very much for sharing.
I have made two of your bread recipes (this and the foccaccia) and my dough never rises. I have tried warm water, cool water, stirring…I just can’t get the yeast to activate. Tips?
Have you tried stirring a pinch of sugar into the initial water/yeast mixture? That will give it something to feed off of and jump start the activation. If the water doesn’t become foamy on top, the yeast isn’t activated and it probably won’t rise if you continue on with the recipe. Also, make sure the dough is in a warm place when you let it rise. Even a cold kitchen can significantly slow it down. I hope you’re able to make it work!
Just made this tonight and OH MY GOSH so good!! Even someone who’s pretty dough-challenged was able to make it! So light and fluffy and delicious! I made it with a yummy Indian buttered chicken and jasmine rice and honestly the naan was the best part (although it was all good!) Topped with a melted butter and garlic salt mixture and it was perfection!
This was an amazing recipe. It turned out just like yours in the pictures, that rarely happens for me! Thanks for your hard work in sharing this :)
Easy to follow, easy to make. Thank you!
I did have a problem; the Naan didn’t quite bubble up as nicely, just a little bit. I tried different temperatures with similar results.
Any idea what I could be doing wrong? BTW I used regular lowfat yoghurt and squeezed most of the moisture out.
Did the dough rise up nicely before dividing and shaping it and did the yeast and water get nice and frothy? I wonder if the yeast wasn’t quite activated enough. That’s just a guess, though. Unfortunately with bread there are so many little places where things can go a little off, so it’s hard to say without actually watching. :)
Thank you so much for this recipe! I just finished making my naan and I can’t believe it is really homemade! It turned out beautifully! The bread is so soft and delicious! Thank you for teaching me how to make naan so I never have to buy it again!
OMGOMGOMG!!! Indian food is my fav food, but it’s soooo darn expensive! I’m going to try this with the tikka masala sauces they sell at the grocery store. yummmyyy.
I didn’t read through all the comments so maybe it’s there but I was wondering, is there a dairy free alternative for the greek yogurt?
P.S. I absolutely love your website, I don’t know where to start :3
I think someone mentioned that there are actually dairy free yogurts out there on the market, but I’ve never tried any to know how they taste. The yogurt gives a really unique, almost sour dough-like flavor to the naan and I can’t think of anything else that will provide that (except maybe those dairy free yogurts). :P
Recipe looks awesome. Question, have you tried using your dough hook on the kitchen aid mixer instead of hand kneading?
I haven’t tried that, but probably only because I don’t have a Kitchen Aid mixer. I’d definitely try it if I did, though!
I use my KitchenAid to make this all the time and it works well. My only advice is that if you are going to double the recipe either have the heavier larger version or just watch it carefully as you mix. I make a double batch all the time it because of the amount of dough it creates it tries to creep up the hook. Plus it is a very heavy dough and makes my mixer work hard.
I have been wanting to try to make naan bread myself, it always looks easy enough. It totally is! I followed your instructions more or less exactly and it was so easy and is SO good! This is definitely going to become a regular item in my kitchen.
Just finished making this NAAN bread…Oh my goodness its delious…. Recipe was simple as can be
I made this last night and cooked it in my cast iron skillet…my boyfriend ate 2 pieces and I ate 5 and saved one for breakfast. I cannot control myself around this bread! Can’t wait to make it again.
Yay! I made Naan! It’s yummy, too!
Thank you for the recipe and easy instructions! When I was grilling yesterday I grilled a whole eggplant and set it aside. Today I made an eggplant dip with it and ate it with freshly made Naan! :)
My 8-year-old daughter and I made this today, and she LOVES it. I think I’m going to have to make it for school lunches, because she won’t eat sandwiches.
I had to turn the heat up to a little above medium to get it to bubble…turned out GREAT! Thanks!
So excited to try making this! I love Naan and absolutely cannot find any decent premade brands where I live. My only question is whether I can sub out the plain Greek yogurt and use plain “regular” yogurt instead? I bought a giant container of plain yogurt to make the Greek marinated chicken and am hoping I can use the leftovers for Naan!
Yep, you can use regular yogurt :) In fact, I’ve pretty much used regular yogurt every time since writing this post :) You’ll probably end up kneading in a little extra flour to compensate for the moisture, though.
this is one of our family fav’s…..question, have you tried freezing a batch? If so, how did it work out for you?
All set! just read your comment on freezing, I’ll give it a try.
I have never heard of naan until I found this site. I made it this evening but not having eaten it before I called the expert (my sister). She said it tasted great but it was a bit “heavy”.
I doubled the recipe so I could freeze some. It seemed very sticky so I kept adding flour until it was not sticky. I am thinking maybe I kneaded it to much??
The other possibility was that I let it rise near the oven vent on the stove while cooking the chicken. Could that have made it “heavy”?
Hmm, I don’t think the oven vent would have made it heavy. If the dough was stiff at the end of kneading, you may have kneaded in too much flour. A dry dough won’t be as pliable and therefore won’t expand into a light fluffy loaf. It’s hard to say what the problem might have been without being able to feel and see the dough. My suggestion is to go with your intuition and keep trying. Bread is one of those things that you just get a “feel” for after doing it enough :)
This is the first “bread” I have ever made. It is sitting in a bowel resting now. I can’t wait till I have the finished product!!
Love these naan breads- one or two people commented on not using yogurt – it helps the dough to rise don’t know how or why, just like buttermilk does in soda bread or in some biscuit recipes. So if you miss it out the bread won’t be as pillowy ( my son’s description) as they ought to be. Great site I’m always looking for good but economical meals and you’ve nailed it!
This is fantastic! Thank you!!! How long will the naan last after cooking? Should it just be served immediately or does it have a shelf life?
I keep mine in the refrigerator (in a ziplock bag, make sure it’s completely cool first to prevent condensation) and it keeps for about a week. You can also freeze it, though, if you want to keep it longer.
So I found you this morning, and I’m in love! So excited with your info that I made Naan at 9AM! Had to improvise. Olive oil instead of regular. Added instant dry yeast and garlic powder to dry flour cuz I had no active dry yeast. Ran out of flour before I could knead it so had to use some rice flour i had on hand. Little too sticky so I pressed them out by hand and were a little thicker. Also pressed a little kosher salt into the tops and fried them in a touch of garlic olive oil I got from the canned food store (Grocery Outlet lol)… After all this and they’re still amazing! Breakfast was a bowl of vegetarian chili and a nice toasty naan to scoop it with. Doing this again!!
I have made this recipe twice, and I love it! So much fun to make. The second time I put some garlic paste in the dough and rolled the pieces in minced garlic for garlic naan…also delicious. Thanks for the great recipe!
My 12 year old son has just made this naan bread.It was 11 out of 10….great.Thanks for your efforts.
wow that looks amazing
My family is in love with this naan. Best I have ever made. Thank you so much!
yum looks good have to try
LOVE this. I make it all the time for my family now as it’s so much easier than pita but just as tasty. It makes a great dip for hummus.
I made four, put the other four in the fridge, and made tomato and mozzarella pizzas with them. Delicious! Thank you for such an easy recipe. I have never tried making bread before. :)
This recipe was very easy and good. However, it was nothing like I’ve had at an Indian restaurant. This tasted more like a pita to me. I can’t put my finger on it, but it was not the same taste as I’ve had at several restaurants. I was disappointed that it did not seem authentic.
This recipe is amazing! Found it on Pinterest about 6 months ago but never tried it. Tonight was curry night at home, and my boyfriend loves naan bread, so I finally decided to try the recipe. I followed it precisely and they turned out lovely, just like shop bought naans, but even better! Although I couldn’t get any bubble…
Will definitely make again, it is so simple and foolproof! And the best thing is that I will be able to make naans when I’m back in France (I live in the UK at the moment and in France you can’t find naan bread).
This recipe made my day, thank you so much for sharing it!!!
I tried making this naan last week, and it was seriously amazing and really easy. I will definitely make this again! Thank you!
I agree this is the BEST recipe I have tried for Naan bread. My hubby has me make this weekly. We eat it plain,tacos,pizza and anything we can think of. I grew up making tortilla’s from scratch but find this bread easier and soooo yummy.
What a great recipe! I love the step-by-step instructions and it looks so easy. Thank you!
The best naan recipe! Thank you.
I made this for the 32nd time last night. This is (and likely always will be) my go to naan recipe. I always make a double batch to use up as much yogurt as possible, and freeze whatever is leftover. Simply pop in the microwave for a minute and it’s as fluffy and fresh as the day you made it! Thanks so much for this delicious recipe, I look forward to eating leftovers tonight!
This reminds me of fried bread dough that my Mama always made us when we were youngun’s…used to make it for my youngun’s too. We take it straight from the cast iron griddle and slather peanut butter on it…yum. Hope you got your dough scraper by now. Ü
made these tonight- we liked them better than our usual takeout naan. even with salad and chicken, these made for a fantastic accompaniment
Oh, also – they freeze well between sheets of kitchen paper then in a freezer bag. Take out when needed and heat on a tray in the oven.
Thank you so much for this recipe and tutorial. I have made the naan 3-4 times now and my family love it. Once I got started making it and didn’t have yoghurt so I used sour cream and some lemon juice and it was perfect too. It is now a part of our curry style meals, of which we have plenty!
Cheers – Joolz (Australia)
Anonymous – you will need about 3 cups of flour, maybe a little less. The exact amount will vary depending on humidity and other factors.
can someone tell me how much flour is in this recipe? I can’t understand the amount it says:( Thanks.
That is an INCREDIBLE idea! Thanks!!
Tip-You can use a rounded metal mixing bowl upside down (cooking on the outside of the bowl)over the burner. Spray the surface you will cook on with non-stick oil and roll out the dough supper thin and cook, and it turns out great.
I completely forgot the egg. It still tasted good and wasn’t very bubbly.
I double the recipe since I have a large household and did not add egg and also added a cup of whole wheat flour. Hope it turns out. Very excited since I love this bread.
Oh my goodness typing this while I cook, half way through cooking up the naans they are amazing was planning on freezing the left overs but after tasting one not sure if there will be any leftovers! Thanks for a great easy to follow recipe!…
For those wanting the nutritional value of this….258 calories, 37 carbs, 9g fat, and 6g of protein per serving.
I made this recipe last week and served it with garlic butter, it was completely amazing!! I’m going to experiment with it in tortillas this week, so hopefully it goes well!
This looks really interesting .. has anyone tried it with Gluten Free Flour?
I added cilantro and garlic to this–amazing recipe! I hate greek yogurt, but it definitely made a difference (for the better) in this naan! Deliciooooous!
I made this last night for the first time and can I just say: WOW!!!!! I’ve had store-bought naan before and it was okay, but this homemade naan is absolutely AMAZING! For how easy and cheap it was to make, it is probably one of the best things to ever come out of my kitchen. And I consider myself to be a dynamite cook! Seriously, I could go on and on and onnnn about how freaking amazing this bread is. It was the perfect complement to the dal nirvana i made for dinner.
Jack – I would suggest cooking all of the dough and then storing the cooked naan either in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for a few months.
Made it this morning. It was awesome. How long will the extra dough keep?
I want to try this with Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free all purpose flour… SO BADLY! I miss eating naan. So happy I found this recipe – will try it with GF flour (and xantham gum) and report back :)
This was SERIOUSLY THE MOST AMAZING NAAN EVER!!!!! And this is coming from someone who lived in the Middle East for two years! Amazing recipe and SO easy!! I will be making this again!
I think this is my first time EVER posting on a blog recipe. I made these last night to go with Tikka Masala. They came out amazing!!! My husband asked me to make them again tonight and I have already caught him sneaking pieces of the left overs this morning! Thanks!!!
I used all-purpose flour :)
What kind of flour do u use?
Just made this…..FANTASTIC!!!!! Once I saw the bubbles I was so excited! Tastes wonderful :-) Now I have to figure out a way to not eat all of it by myself!
I NEVER comment on sites – but I just made this and it was AMAZING! Of course it takes more effort than store bought, but the taste and texture is SO much better (not to mention the price!). This is going in our recipe rotation! Thanks so much for wonderful recipes!
That looks so yummy! I’d be so tempted to spread some garlic butter on that and just eat it all day! One of my friends found this really cute healthy cooking blog , and she is always finding such yummy recipes. Plus, the benefit of that, is that she is always passing them on to me! I’d love to find some more healthy cooking blog , but I’m not sure where to start. I’m pretty sure my friend found her healthy cooking blog, just on a whim, a stumble upon of sorts. Is there a way to search for healthy cooking blog with good recipes? What is the best way to go about searching for them?
I made these to go with my curry tonight- they were easy and really good! I didn’t have yogurt so I used the old vinegar-and-milk trick and it worked fine, though I’m sure it would be better with actual yogurt.
-Maia
Sooo delicious. The directions are so easy to follow, and the pictures help. So much cheaper than the grocery store… THANKS.
thanks I’ll try 1/2 oat, it is lighter,
Kimberly – I’ve never cooked with oat flour, so I’m unsure of how that would work. Whole wheat flour would probably change the texture too much. These are a very light, fluffy flat bread and whole wheat flour tends to produce a heavy, dense bread.
can you use wheat flour or oat flour???
I’ve made these several times now, and they always turn out great! I’ve made them to go with actual Indian food, and tonight we used them with burgers. So good!
My 11 year old daughter have used this recipe about 4 times already and we love it. I love to use this naan with your your yummy hummus recipe too! Simple, wholesome and cheap!
Thanks Beth!
Love this recipe! I didn’t have Greek yogurt one time so I substituted 3 tbsp of 2% milk (all I had in the fridge) and about 1 tbsp of vanilla yogurt. Came out great! We couldn’t tell a difference from the original recipe.
This naan bread recipe was and is oh so amazing!!!! My husband and I had it for dinner with our curry tonight and I also gave some to my 13 month old daughter and she absolutely loved it!!! It has the perfect texture for just about anything – gyros, sandwiches, chalupas, pizza, or a substitute for tortillas… Its just perfect. I will continue making it. Thanks for the wonderful recipe, Beth!
FANTASTIC recipe! It was so easy to follow and make! I recommend it to anyone!
I love naan and have always wanted to make it, but I couldn’t imagine I could possibly come close to duplicating what I’ve been served in restaurants. I followed this recipe to the letter, and it was both easy and amazingly delicious! Thank you!
Fantastic!! I love Naan bread and will be making this with my next curry xxx
I made this tonight using the coconut milk. While it wasn’t as fluffy as it probably would have been had I used yogurt, it was amazing! (Actually, the last few were nice and fluffy. I think the first few I over cooked resulting in a crispy texture)
I also added in a clove of grated garlic.
Kim – I’m sorry but I’ve never used spelt flour so I’m unfamiliar with its characteristics or how well it works when replacing AP flour.
would spelt work
Steffanie – I usually just use all-purpose flour. In most recipes I do a mix of WW and AP like you did, but for this recipe I stuck with all white flour. It really makes a difference in the texture. WW flour is just too heavy for a delicate, fluffy bread like this.
What kind of flour did you use (All Purpose or Bread)? I used about 40% whole grain flour and 60% bread flour and they came out just okay; not the chewy flexible consistancy that I love Naan for.
Ishum – that’s just some extra parsley that I had in the fridge (roughly chopped) :)
Oh, and what kind of herbs are in your pictures? I can’t quite tell, but it’s so pretty!
I’m picking up some Greek yogurt this afternoon so that I can make this. Looks amazing! My husband is a huge fan of Indian food and his parents are coming over for dinner tonight. Hopefully between this recipe and the Crockpot Chicken Tikka Masala recipe that I have, it will be a winner!
Cassie – I’m really not sure how coconut would do in place of the yogurt because the two are quite different in chemical composition. Yogurt is very acidic and has protein and coconut milk is not acidic and has quite a bit more fat than yogurt. So, I’m not sure how it would effect the texture. But, I say go for it! And please let us know how it turns out!
These look amazing!
I can’t eat dairy, do you think coconut milk could substitute for the yogurt?
Kimambler – I’ve made it with plain yogurt pretty much every time since posting this and it works great :D I guess the extra moisture doesn’t make that big of a difference!
Does anyone know if you can substitute plain yogurt for the greek yogurt? Just bought a 32 oz container and need to use it somewhere.
If you’re really worried about the extra moisture let the juices drain out in a cheesecloth for a little bit.
Cassidy – Yep, that is a strong possibility. Kneading too much will create a stiff dough and and end product that is more dense, like bagels. I think the last time that I made it I didn’t even knead for a full three minutes. Just until it was smooth and still very soft and pliable. I hope it turns out better for you next time!
question, this didn’t turn out quite as soft & pillowy as i was expecting. could that be from over-kneading the dough?
The bread machine yeast worked perfectly! We sent half of the naan over to our neighbors and ALL of it was quickly gobbled up. Now I have an excuse to make more! Thank you!
Anon- Yep, bread machine yeast should work just fine! :)
Newbie here! I only have “bread machine” yeast. Will that work? Hoping to make this tonight with a vegetarian version of the turmeric chicken and jasmine rice. Mmmmm….
first time to your blog. excellent! and, this recipe looks perfect; will be trying it out next time i get a chance. thanks for sharing and keep up the good work :).
Oh my goodness…where have these pillowy bits of heaven been all my live. LOVE!! Thanks for sharing!! :)
I made these for the first time today, and my whole family was amazed and impressed — they were perfect! I dipped mine in raita and loved every minute of it. :)
I am totally impressed! Made these for the first time today, they were a perfect compliment to the turmeric chicken and jasmine rice. A definite do-over!
Oh and accidentally used vanilla/honey greek yogurt instead of plain and they still turned out great.
Anon – It probably would “work” but it would definitely have a different texture. If you try it, let us know how it turns out!
would it work it i didnt add oil to the mix or a lot less of it?
I made these a few weeks ago I loved them! So easy and tasty. I plan to make them next week with your Indian meal plan. I love your blog!! Tasty cheap food….I can’t get enough!!!
must. not. eat. entire. recipe. :)
Wow- what an AMAZING and simple recipe! I followed your instructions step-by-step, and they came out amazing. Thank you!
I just doubled this recipe to use as pizza dough- instead of frying them in a frying pan, I’m going to add the dough to my pizza stone, top it with fresh tomato sauce, buffalo mozzerella, and some fresh basil! Can’t wait to try it out tonight!
lovely! I made it today, and I doubled the recipe. Thank you for the recipe :)
Wendy – doubling the recipe should work fine, although if the dough ball is very large it may be a little more difficult to knead. Other than that, it should work exactly the same :)
I made this the other day and it was so yummy my family ate it all within 20 minutes! I had planned to put it in lunches for the week. Bummer. ;) So my question is whether or not the recipe will still turn out OK if I double it? I’m not very experienced with yeast breads, so I don’t know how that will go. Thanks!
It will continue to rise in the refrigerator, just at a slower rate. There is a possibility that it will over rise, but I think it’s worth a shot! Every pizza place I have ever worked let their dough rise in the refrigerator over night before using it. So, just mix it up and refrigerate in place of the first rise. Good luck!
So i was wondering about freezing these naans also. I wanted to make a bunch because we are having an Indian thanksgiving meal this year. I made a 10 of these naans and stuck them in the freezer. Once they were nice and frozen i took two out. Reheated on in the oven for 5 minutes at 350 F and the other on the skillet. They both turned out perfect like freshly made! I keep them on the counter top and tasted them again in 2 hours, they were still nice and soft and perfect (colder, but great). With other frozen naan from the store if you let them sit too long you feel like you are eating leather. These naan definitely held up my freeze test!! LOVE this recipe.
I LOVE this recipe! It comes out great every time. One question though–I see a lot of questions about freezing, but I’m wondering if this dough will hold up well if I just refrigerate it overnight. Thanks!
I tried these for dinner tonight using whole wheat flour and doubling the recipe so we would have plenty of left overs. I had my 5 year old help roll them out and we all loved them. I bet they would taste better with white flour but we try and only use whole wheat. Thanks for sharing.
Yep, frothy means that it looks foamy after a couple of minutes. Also, if your kitchen is a bit on the cold side, it may just take a bit more time for it to rise. But, I’m betting on the skillet being not hot enough. You should make your fiance make it for you! ;)
I bought the yeast just for this recipe. I am not sure what “frothy” means. Does that mean like bubbles at the top?
My fiance is Indian and I so wanting to make this for him. He laughed when I told him I was going to make this because I am not a good cook.
Thanks for the response!
Did your yeast foam up in that first step? That will let you know if your yeast is still good. Also, the many times I’ve made this I have noticed that the first few naan didn’t bubble up because the skillet was not as hot as I thought it was. As the skillet got hotter, they began to bubble up more. I hope it works out better for you next time!
It seems like the dough didn’t rise and I didn’t see bubbles form when I put them on the skillet. Idk what I did wrong.
This happened to me a couple of times to, I think that it’s because I didn’t stretch my dough enough.
I made these tonight and they were amazing! After they came off my skillet, I brushed the tops with melted butter and fresh minced garlic. I also sprinkled parsley.
I made these last night and they turned out really well! Puffy, browned in bits, but tender on the inside. I was surprised at how simple they were to make, too. The dough was nice and stretchy so it was easy to roll them out (and pull a bit, like pizza dough) so they were thin enough. I ended up liking them a bit thinner than you suggested, maybe 7 inches – that seemed to produce more big bubbles.
Made these tonight….DELICIOUS! Even my extremely picky 6 year old daughter loved them! I sprinkled garlic on some and cinnamon/sugar on the others…both yummy :) It reminded me of an Auntie Anne’s Pretzel. A+ recipe!
Just made these with my 4 year old and they were fun, easy and delicious! Thanks!
I’ve thought about doing it and I think the best way would be to add garlic powder. Or, maybe you can knead in some chopped garlic.
I love garlic naan. When I’ve had it at restaurants, or the frozen Trader Joe’s brand, it looks like roasted garlic is added to the dough. Any one have any thoughts on how to do garlic naan?
Instead of mixing the garlic/garlic powder in the dough, I put a dash of garlic salt in the pan along with the oil or when they’re all stacked on the plate I put garlic powder in between them.
Oh and if you want to make it even cheaper plain yogurt works fine but if you really want greek yogurt take a cheesecloth, tie it over the faucet head in your sink and put the yogurt in until it’s as thick as you want it (I save the juices that come out to put in smoothies ).
Deb – I’m sorry, I don’t have the nutrition stats :( But there are websites and smartphone apps that allow you to enter recipe ingredients to calculate nutrition info. Try fitday.com or sparkpeople.com
hi!! i was wondering if you know the nutrition stats, and would you mind posting them? thanks!!
It was either cilantro or parsley… I’m sure I just grabbed whatever was green in the fridge because I needed to add color to the photo :P
What herb did you top this with in the picture?
This was amazing! Even my 11-year-old son with autism who won’t eat anything new LOVED it. Thanks for the recipe!!!
This was specacular!!! My family loved it!
I love naan…I may be making this one soon!
This was amazing and so easy! It was such a hit. Thanks so much for your very clear directions and step-by-step photos. It was really simple. I made it with basmati rice and chicken tikka masala…they were both great, but we were all piling everything on the naan because it was so good!
Anon- I can’t offer any advice about the tofu as I’ve never cooked with it… but as far as the egg is concerned, I accidentally made it without the egg once and it still worked great :) It was a little less rich and fluffy, but it still tasted awesome!
Hey I found this on Pinterest and I was just wondering if I could make this right now with silken tofu (similar in consistency to Greek yogurt) or if I should just go to the store and get the right stuff.
I am not currently vegan, but I am working towards it and I always look for ways to modify great recipes for the future. Have you ever made this without the egg? Is the egg a binder or an additional leavening agent or what? Thanks, I am so eager to try this vegan and regular!!
Great recipe, I made it tonight for dinner and it was a hit. My girlfriend gave me a kiss it was so good. Thanks!
Just made this tonight and it turned out REALLY well!!! Thanks for the recipe. I’d post a pic if I could (I certainly did on FB… always like to show off my kitchen success stories!).
These are amazing, and easy! I just made them tonight and plan on making a big batch for my husbands work party to go with the tikka masala! Thank you!
Yogurt is pretty easy to make to save even that purchase. :) I made almost two gallons the other day and you can make it thick like the greek style as well!
Great recipe! Thanks so much for posting this!
This naan looks so good. I’ve seen it made in the oven though, might try this new way though.
Just made this for my family – turned out awesome, we could NOT STOP eating it. Gluttons, all of us. :)
MisaLawilet – the difference between plain yogurt and greek yogurt is the water content. Greek yogurt has been strained to make it thicker and richer. I *think* I made this once with plain yogurt and it was still good although you may end up kneading in more flour to compensate for the extra moisture.
Would plain regular be ok instead of Greek? I’ve never tried Greek so I really don’t know what the difference is.
I made this with a modification, I added cilantro because I love it and it tends to make everything taste amazing. I made these for my brother and he’s constantly asking me to make more!
I just stumbled upon your blog from Elise Blaha’s site and am so glad because your naan looks amazing!
I’ve frozen these tons of times as well as made them vegan, and they turn out great every time!
For freezing: I froze them both cooked and uncooked (as the little balls of dough just before rolling). The cooked ones worked much better – the uncooked ones just didn’t rise as much.
For veganizing: When I’ve used soy milk instead of the milk, it turned out just as delicious! once I used water, even, and I had no problems. In terms of the egg, I usually replace it with 3 teaspoons of cornstarch or flour, 3 tablespoons of oil, and 1/2 tsp of baking powder.
This recipe is one of my standbys! I usually make a double or triple batch, so that I won’t eat it all right away :)
I just made this with all whole wheat flour and no egg, and it was great!!!! I didn’t mean to leave out the egg, but I didn’t print it out and just forgot it, thanks.
Made this last night…delicious and will definitely make again. Some of the Naan had bubbles others not….Is it possible, the thinner the Naan, the more bubbles? Thanks…Lyn
I would think so. Bread in general freezes very well and they sell frozen naan in the grocery store!
can you freeze these??
Thank you! This was delicious and easy. My 10yo daughter made it and the whole family gobbled it up.
do you have the nutritional info so that the weight watcher points can be calculated?
I made these tonight and they are amazingly easy and satisfying. I spent years in professional indian kitchens and learned how to make so many things but never naan! I had a fear of yeast! I always thought it would be so hard, but your recipe here broke me of that. I *had* to try this, and you know what? Everyone ate them and loved them!
first time to your blog. excellent! and, this recipe looks perfect; will be trying it out next time i get a chance. thanks for sharing and keep up the good work :).
Yeah, I actually forgot the egg once when I made it. It was still pretty good! It wasn’t *quite* as fluffy but I barely noticed :)
Can you make this without egg? or what’s the substitute?
I made this last night and ate it for dinner tonight as well!
I made this last night. It was delicious and I could have eaten it all night. I’m making pizza this week, so maybe this will be a good sub!
My boyfriend and I made this last night. It’s our second attempt at making naan – the first recipe we used (NOT one of yours!) had absolutely no flavor at all, and was just terrible! This one turned out GREAT – I totally could have forgotten the rest of the food and pigged out on this alone!
I made it in my cast iron skillet, and it turned out quite well. The heat got a bit too high at one point, but even the darker pieces tasted great. I will DEFINITELY be making this again (and again…and again…)
And by “you’re recipes” I of course mean “your recipes”. That naan was so good it shut off all cognitive function.
You’re a GENIUS. I’m absolutely awful at making anything that calls for yeast, but whipped up a batch of delicious homemade naan with no problem. Every single recipe I’ve made from your site has been PERFECT. I just want to throw away the rest of my cookbooks, ’cause you’re recipes are the ones I trust most in the world. (Well, aside from the sainted Alton Brown’s, of course.)
Alton Brown is amazing.
This naan recipe is excellent. I cooked mine on a griddle rather than in a skillet and it still turned out wonderfully! Thanks for sharing. :)
Next time I might try adding some wheat flour… Any recommendations?
I tried this and it was AWESOME!! I made it with the Dal Nirvana- everything turned out beautifully- thank you!
I am so excited to try this recipe! I am eating store-bought frozen naan from trader joe’s as I read your recipe, and at 2.99 for 4 pieces, your recipe is surely more economical and much fresher. I love cooking and have recently branched out to making my own pizza dough from a recipe I found on a different blog – so this naan recipe is going to be my next kitchen experiment! Your blog is great, I’ve bookmarked it and will definitely be branching out to trying more of your recipes in the future.
Awww, Melanie! That is the sweetest thing ever :) I’m so glad that the recipes have worked out so well for you (aside from the traditional yeast… wish I could have seen that)! Thanks for the kind words and glad you’re no longer anonymous!!
:D
Beth
(no longer anonymous lol)
Fantastic recipe Beth!
Made once for friends, to wonderful accolades. Next time halved and made with a gluten free flour blend so I could enjoy it. It was a bit less awesome, but just to get to have a familiar curry side made my dinner!
Oh and I messed up and used traditional rising yeast (we wont talk about that…) the dry active one rise yeast is the only one to use as far as my results lol.
Side-note: the English muffins, Dal nirvana, creamy tomato soup, raspberry oat bars and szechuan pork have all been hits with the hubby and I.
So much so, that we went through your site and are trying to cook/shop using ONLY recipes from your site. Today is day 3!!!
Ty again dear, keep up the great work.
Did your water/yeast mixture ever get frothy? If it didn’t either your yeast is old or your water was too hot and killed it. If it did get frothy and you still didn’t get any bubbles that is more perplexing. Was your skillet fully preheated before you put it in the pan? If the pan is too cold you won’t really get any bubbles. Did your dough ever double in size after kneading? If it never rose then there must be a problem with the yeast. It’s hard to say without watching you make it :P Hopefully that helped!
I can’t get the dough to bubble!! What did I do wrong?
I’m shocked to have never stumbled upon your site before. Love it! My naan dough is rising as I type…
As always, Budget Bytes comes through with another winner. This was awesome! My only suggestion, after some trial and error, is to “hand stretch” the dough instead of rolling it out. I found that hand stretching it gives it a lighter, airier texture with more bubbles than rolling. And it’s easier! Just gently stretch out the dough as if you were making a pizza. Follow the rest of the directions as written. It will be odd-shaped, but that’s okay, and actually much more authentic.
I found this recipe about three weeks ago — and have made it three times since! Once question though. Mine, while they taste perfect, don’t have “bubbles” that are as large as yours. (And I really want the big bubbles as it looks more authentic!) Any tips?
Thank you for a lovely recipe!
Make you naan thinner and roll evenly all over. I had the same problem with the first 3 i made, then i rolled it out a little thinner and bam! got the same bubbles as her :). Love Love Love your blog Beth…
Try hand stretching the dough instead of rolling it. Worked wonders for me.
try to cook it using clarified butter instead of spray, it makes a HUGE difference!!
This recipe looks amazing! My husband and I recently discovered the wonders of naan and I use it to make just about anything! I am definitely going to have to try making it for myself.
My cousin just forwarded this blog to me, and I’m so glad she did. Now I CAN make naan! Hip hip hooray!!! Thanks for the step by step photos.
Amazing. You never cease to impress! Your pizza dough has become a staple in our house for pizza and calzones and I really look forward to trying this recipe out. Have you ever considered a recipe for sandwich bread?
this was AMAZING!!! i was a little intimidated at first- but it turned out great! Thanks for the amazing recipe! and i really hope you do make a cookbook! i would def buy it! :)
just wanted to thank you for this delicious recipe! It turned out awesome. I served it with Channa and coconut milk curry. =D This is a keeper.
Most breads do freeze well although I’ve never tried to freeze naan. I’ve seen frozen naan in the grocery store so it probably works! (That’s secretly how I gauge whether or not I should try to freeze something… do they sell it in the store frozen? hahah)
Doubling in size is really just an estimate. The time required depends on the temperature inside your house; warmer temps mean a faster rise. It usually takes mine about 45 minutes. In a really hot house with no AC (we’re talking in the 90 degree range) it would still probably take 30 minutes or so. In a cold house it will take closer to an hour. This step doesn’t have to be exact, you just want the dough to have risen considerably.
Hope that helps!
about how long does it take to “double in size”? (or, how does one measure that?)
There is one of two ways you can gauge whether it has doubled in size:
1.) Eyeball it.
2.) When you think that it has about doubled in bulk, gently poke it with two fingers. If it moves to fill up that spot, it’s not ready. If it does nothing really, it’s done.
can you freeze these?
These look so good! I love naan. Also, I love those step-by-step photos–makes things look a lot easier.
This looks really easy. Thanks for posting!
Wow, I was actually planning on making naan (for the first time) tonight! I’ve been eyeing this recipe, which looks just as easy and especially flavorful: http://guiltykitchen.com/2009/12/garlic-naan/ Maybe you’ll try some of your own variations since you’re planning on making more anyway?
I am so glad i found your place. I have given up making Naan as it never comes out fluffy like in your picute and i only make the inidian roties or chapathies.
Sure gonna try your way.
I was so excited that this recipe was coming up. I’ve been craving all kinds of indian food, including roti’s, and so I’m definitely going to try this out!
This recipe looks like it turns out a really nice bread. I was surprised to see an egg in though since Hindus don’t eat them. I’m very tempted to try it sometime though, I’m not Hindu :)
Negative on this one. Hindus only stay away from meat.
And by meat you mean beef.
Different Hidus have different eating habits. A friend of mine eats no meat or egs. Also no root vegs.
hinduism is a religion, indian is an ethnicity. not all indians are hindu.. cmon now.
Ghee is clarified butter, pretty common in Indian food. You make it by boiling butter until all the water comes off, leaving only the fats.
I make it by putting butter in a dish on the stove when I bake. By the time dinner’s ready it’s separated and I can pour the top off. BTW I discovered this by accident so don’t think I’m clever. Just lazy.
Sounds like how I make most of my discoveries ;) Thanks for the tip!
I can’t wait to try this! What is Ghee?
my breadmaking attempts are usually an “epic fail” so we buy ours at the supermarket, and use them to make individual flat bread pizzas
Should definitely look into compiling a cookbook.
“Budgebytes” – Edible food for on the budget foodies.
lots of pics, pricing charts and detailed instructions for any level cook.