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 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!

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN, FRESH, SOFT, NAAN

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, using the back of your index finger/knuckle to test.

Once your yeast smells like yeast; add 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.

BAKERS 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 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.

Do you Bake Naan?

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.

Do I Have to Brush Naan Bread with Butter?

No, you don’t, although I personally say, “why would you not brush with butter” but I get it, not everyone is a butter-aholic as I am! You may need to spray the pan with a little spray oil before “baking” though!

Try Naan with these recipes!

• Easy Butter Chicken
• Coconut Curry Chicken
• Chicken Shawarma
• in place of any warm dinner bread or rolls.

This recipe is lightly adapted from Half Baked Harvest.

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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.

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Prep Time: 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 -10 naan

Calories: 264kcal

Author: Kathleen Pope

Equipment

• ▢
  Dexter-Russell – White Dough Cutter with 5 Blade Pastry Blender
• ▢
  Anchor Hocking 2 Quart Glass Batter Bowl With Lid 
• ▢
  Lodge 12 Inch Cast Iron Skillet. Pre-Seasoned Cast Iron Skillet with Red Silicone Hot Handle Holder.

Ingredients

• ▢ ¼ cup hot water not boiling, from your tap
• ▢ 1 tablespoon sugar all natural cane sugar
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
• ▢ ¾ cup warm milk not hot, I use whole milk
• ▢ 1 cup plain greek yogurt I like whole milk yogurt
• ▢ 4 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder aluminum free
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ¼ 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

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

• In a glass or ceramic mixing bowl, combine yeast and sugar (yeast, LOVES sugar, but not metal). Pour your hot (not boiling, hot) and give it a gentle stir until the yeast and sugar has dissolved. Allow to hang out for 5-10 minutes until frothy and rises a bit, it should smell yeast-y or breadlike.
• 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. 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 and mix 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.
• 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. 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.
• Heat your skillet over medium-high heat until pan is hot. A cast iron skillet our dutch oven works best. Brush both sides of naan dough with melted butter or oil. Try sprinkling on other spices as well, such as garlic, cumin or paprika.
• One at a time, place naan in the hot pan and cover with a lid, baking 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 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.
• 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. These are delicious served with any Indian dish, such as Easy Butter Chicken, Coconut Curry Chicken or Chicken Shawarma

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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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 51g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.2g | Trans Fat: 0.001g | Cholesterol: 4mg | Sodium: 308mg | Potassium: 139mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 38IU | Vitamin C: 0.001mg | Calcium: 110mg | Iron: 3mg

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