Easy Homemade Naan

Homemade naan, seriously, I love any homemade bread, but homemade naan is out of this world! Why you ask? Because it’s homemade, and it’s bread, and it’s freshly baked and it might have some melted butter brushed on top and did I say it’s easily homemade…with butter?!

You don’t need to be a baker (bread or otherwise) to make homemade naan! It comes together quickly and easily and I’ll take you through an easy step-by-step process. Your family will line up to eat the next hot naan fresh out of the pan!

Let’s start with prepping our yeast, don’t freak out on me if you’ve never worked with yeast before; it’s fairly forgiving and before you know it you will have your own airy and light naan bread.

TIPS FOR WORKING WITH YEAST

1. In a medium glass or ceramic bowl, combine your yeast and sugar (yeast, LOVES sugar, metal not so much).
2. Pour in your hot (not boiling, just tap hot water) and give it a gentle stir until the yeast and sugar are dissolved.
3. Allow it to hang out for 5-10 minutes until it’s frothy and rises a bit, it should smell yeast-y or breadlike.

MAKING NAAN DOUGH

While your yeast is doing it’s thing, warm your milk in a small saucepan, just until warm, not hot, not boiling, you don’t want to kill your yeast. It should feel warm to the touch.

Once your yeast smells like yeast; add your flour, warm milk, yogurt, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Give it a good stir with a wooden spoon.

Mix with wooden spoon until it comes together and forms a sticky ball. Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with oil or a damp tea towel and set in a warm place for an hour.

TIP | If you have a proof setting on your oven use that, if not, you can warm the oven to the lowest setting and turn off, then place the bowl inside oven, covered and allow to rise until doubled.

Shape your dough into a disc, then divide using a knife or a bench scraper into 8 or 10 roughly equal parts. They do not need to be perfect, in fact it adds to the rustic look of the bread.

HOW TO BAKE NAAN BREAD

On a lightly floured surface, one by one, roll out a dough ball into about 6-8 inch flat bread, not too thin. Repeat with the rest of the dough.

Now comes the fun part, it’s time to bake your bread, but not in the oven, on a hot skillet.

Heat your skillet over medium-high heat until pan is hot. A cast iron skillet or even a dutch oven works great.

Brush both sides of naan dough with melted butter or olive oil. Try sprinkling on other spices as well, such as garlic, cumin or paprika.

One at a time, place the dough in the hot pan and cover with a lid and bake for one minute until bubbles form.

Flip and bake on other side until golden about 1-2 minutes. Remove and if desired, brush a little more butter and a sprinkle of a little kosher salt and a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley or cilantro. Place warm naan in a cloth lined dish or basket to keep warm.

These homemade naan are best when eaten warm and fresh, however; they will keep well in a baggie in the fridge or freezer. Easily warm them by popping into the toaster on a low setting until warmed through.

These are SO delicious served with any Indian dish, such as my Easy Butter Chicken, Coconut Curry Chicken or Chicken Shawarma or honestly it’s just delicious in the place of any warm dinner bread or rolls.

This recipe is lightly adapted from Half Baked Harvest.

If you try this, I would love to hear what you think, please rate the recipe and comment below!

TOOLS FOR THIS RECIPE

Easy Homemade Naan

Homemade naan, seriously, I love any homemade bread, but homemade naan is out of this world! Soft and fresh, buttery with a hint of salt and herbs.

• Author: Kathleen | The Fresh Cooky
• Prep Time: 70 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 8-10 naan
• Category: Bread
• Method: Pan Fried
• Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup hot water (not boiling, from your tap)
• 1 tablespoon sugar (all natural cane sugar)
• 3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 3/4 cup warm milk (not hot, I use whole milk)
• 1 cup plain greek yogurt (I like whole milk)
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (aluminum free)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for sprinkling
• 2-3 tablespoons melted butter for brushing (or olive oil)
• Fresh cilantro, parsley or other herbs for sprinkling

Instructions

1. In a glass or ceramic mixing bowl, combine yeast and sugar (yeast, LOVES sugar, but not metal).
2. Pour your hot (not boiling, hot) and give it a gentle stir until the yeast and sugar has dissolved.
3. Allow to hang out for 5-10 minutes until frothy and rises a bit, it should smell yeast-y or breadlike.
4. Meanwhile, warm your milk in a small saucepan, not hot, or boiling, you don’t want to kill your yeast. It should feel warm to the touch.
5. Once your yeast smells like yeast; add your warm milk, yogurt, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Give it a stir with a wooden spoon
6. Mix with wooden spoon until it comes together and forms a sticky ball. Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with oil or a damp tea towel and set in a warm place* for an hour.
7. Once raised, shape your dough into a disc, then divide using a knife or a bench scraper into 8 or 10 roughly equal parts. They do not need to be perfect, in fact it adds to the rustic look of the bread.
8. On a lightly floured surface, one by one, roll out dough ball into about 6-8 inch flat bread, not too thin. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
9. Heat your skillet over medium-high heat until pan is hot. A cast iron skillet works best.
10. Brush both sides of naan dough with melted butter or oil. Try sprinkling on other spices as well, such as garlic, cumin or paprika.
11. One at a time, place naan in the hot pan and cover with a lid, baking one minute until bubbles form.
12. Flip and bake on other side until golden about 1-2 minutes. Remove and if desired, brush a little more butter and sprinkle a little kosher salt along with fresh chopped parsley or cilantro. Place warm naan in a cloth lined dish or basket to keep warm.
13. Naan is best eaten warm and fresh, however; they will keep well in a freezer baggie in the fridge or freezer. To warm, pop into the toaster on a low setting until warm and toasty.
14. These are delicious served with any Indian dish, such as my Easy Butter Chicken, Coconut Curry Chicken or Chicken Shawarma

Notes

TIP* | If you have a proof setting on your oven use that, if not, you can warm the oven to the lowest setting and turn off. Place the bowl inside oven, covered and allow to rise until doubled.

If you try this, I would love to hear what you think, please rate the recipe and comment below!

Keywords: naan, homemade, bread, Indian food, step by step, flatbread

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