Soft, puffy, and golden, Homemade Naan is the easiest way to bring warm bakery style flatbread to your table.
We first tried it a few years back and the whole family is OBSESSED with how soft, simple, and delicious it is. Most often we eat naan warm with butter or garlic butter (it’s heavenly on its own), but it’s also perfect for dipping in hummus, pairing with soups or curries, or as a tasty side dish.
This bread (similar to Fry Bread) freezes very well so you can have plenty on hand when you need a quick and easy side or dinner. Although this flatbread may seem intimidating, our homemade naan is fail-proof and more simple to make then you think!
Why we think you’ll love it:
- Just a few steps! Believe it or not, this recipe is very simple and fail-proof.
- Perfect for dipping. Yes, naan bread is great to eat on its own, but it’s also the perfect side for Curry as well as other Indian dishes.
- Have plenty on hand. This recipe is perfect for making ahead of time as well as freezing for later, which is great for busy weeknights.
Naan Bread Ingredients
- Warm water (½ cup): Activates the yeast so the dough rises light and puffy (between 105-115°F).
- Instant yeast (2 teaspoons): Gives lift and those signature bubbles on the skillet. Or use active dry yeast. Normally, instant yeast does not need to be activated in warm water first, but for this recipe, we find it tends to create a fluffier texture than simply adding it to the flour or using active dry yeast.
- Sugar (1 teaspoon): Feeds the yeast and adds a hint of sweetness for balance.
- Olive oil (3 tablespoons): Keeps the dough supple and adds richness. Or use vegetable oil or melted coconut oil.
- Plain yogurt (¼ cup): Tenderizes the crumb for soft, flexible naan. Or use plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
- Egg (1): Adds structure and a little extra softness.
- Salt (½ teaspoon): Seasons the dough so the bread tastes savory, not flat.
- All purpose flour (2½ to 3 cups): Forms the dough body, added as needed to stay soft, not sticky.
- Butter, melted (2 tablespoons): Brushed on for sheen and flavor after cooking.
- Minced garlic (2 teaspoons): Stir into the butter for classic garlicky finish.
- toppings (optional) – We always finish with a sprinkle of fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley!
How to Make Naan Bread
DOUGH. Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl; let the yeast mixture sit for five minutes or till bubbly. Add olive oil, yogurt, egg, salt, and flour. Stir till smooth.
Add enough flour to make a soft naan dough. Knead a few times on a floured counter until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
COOK. Preheat a skillet to medium heat. Cut dough into eight pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece into a 6-inch circle.
Add a little oil or non-stick spray to a hot skillet. Cook each circle for 2-3 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on the bottom. Flip over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
SEASON. Brush the homemade naan top (the bubbly side) of each naan with melted butter. We added minced garlic to the melted butter, but that is optional.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Soft dough. Aim for a soft dough, slightly tacky is perfect, it yields the fluffiest naan.
- Thickness matters. The thickness should only be about 3-5mm thick. If rolled too thin they’ll be crispy, but if rolled too thick, they won’t form bubbles. Roll each piece to about 6 inches, if it is too thick it will not bubble well.
- Use a hot skillet. Homemade naan is traditionally cooked in a tandoor oven, but you can also use a cast iron skillet, which distributes the high heat equally, giving an even cook to each piece of dough. Preheat the skillet fully, medium heat, and cook until deeply golden spots appear.
- Try bread flour. The extra gluten in bread flour can make the bread even lighter and chewier.
Easy Naan Bread Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- ¼ cup plain yogurt
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2½-3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
Instructions
- Combine warm water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl; let sit for five minutes or till bubbly. Add olive oil, yogurt, egg, salt, and flour. Stir till smooth.
- Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead a few times on a floured counter until smooth. Place dough in a greased bowl.
- Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
- Preheat a skillet to medium heat. Cut dough into eight pieces. On a floured surface, roll out each piece into a 6-inch circle.
- Add a little oil or non-stick spray to the skillet. Cook each circle for 2-3 minutes or until bubbly and golden brown on the bottom.
- Flip over and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
- Brush the top (the bubbly side) of each naan with melted butter. Add 2 teaspoons garlic to 2 tablespoons butter (opptional).
Notes
- Thickness matters. The thickness should only be about 3-5mm thick. If rolled too thin they’ll be crispy, but if rolled too thick, they won’t form bubbles.
- Use a hot skillet. Homemade naan is traditionally cooked in a tandoor oven, but you can also use a cast iron skillet, which distributes heat equally, giving an even cook to each piece of dough.
- Try bread flour. The extra gluten in bread flour can make the bread even lighter and chewier.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
The higher amount of gluten in bread flour is what gives this recipe the soft, chewy texture. You can substitute the bread flour with 1:1 gluten-free baking flour, but it will affect the texture.
Place dough in an airtight container large enough to accommodate a gradual rise, refrigerate 1-2 days. Punch down, divide, and bake according to the directions.
To freeze, use 3 teaspoons of yeast in the dough to compensate for any that will die in the freezer. Let the dough rise to double, punch it down, and divide it into balls. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze for up to 3 months. Once frozen, store them together in a freezer-safe container. To serve, let the dough thaw and cook.
Store cooled bread in a Ziploc bag at room temperature for 1-2 days, in the fridge for 5-7, or up to 3 months in the freezer.
Complete The Meal
Main Dish
Coconut Curry Chicken
35 mins
Lentil Soup
45 mins
Buttery Baked Chicken
1 hr 40 mins
Easy Baked Salmon
40 mins
Desserts
Bread Recipes
Fry Bread
4 hrs 35 mins
Focaccia Bread
8 hrs 55 mins
No Knead Bread
3 hrs 14 mins
Sourdough Bread
8 hrs 40 mins
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This recipe was originally published January 2019.
Out of this world delicious. I added raw garlic to the wet ingredients. And baked it on a hot pizza steel. Preheated to 550° then switched the oven to broil and baked 2 minutes until nicely browned. I divided the dough into 4 pieces to make a sandwich bread. I filled the rounds and folded it in half. I will be making it soon again.
Thanks for sharing!! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe. It really is a delicious bread!
These were delicious! The dough was nice an soft and easy to roll out! Served it with chicken tikka masala.
Chicken tikka masala is the perfect meal to compliment this bread! Sounds delicious! Thanks for trying it!
Oh so good
Awe, thank you so much! I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
Easy and the best naan I have ever had!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thanks for trying it!
Perfect! Light and fluffy. Made this today and they turned out perfect. I followed the recipe exactly as I’m a challenged cook. I’m a very happy camper. My family think they’re great as well.
I’m so glad they turned out so well! Thanks so much for trying it and sharing your experience with us!
I make this often, easy and delicious 😋
I’m so glad you like it as much as we do! I love easy and delicious too!
Simple and easy to make. I love it !
Simple and easy are two of my favorite words. 🙂 I’m glad you loved it so much!
Wow!! I love this recipe. My husband loves bread and I’ve been deemed a “ supertaster “ by several in the culinary industry.
Flavor is delicate,nice accompaniment for hummus, we’ve even used it for pizza!
I love to brush garlic butter on it before cooking — delicious.
A little sticky to work with but well worth it — again — so good.
This will be my go to recipe for naan bread.
Thank you LL!!!!
You are so welcome! Thanks so much for sharing what you do. I love all the different ways you use this recipe. It definitely is a versatile one.
How much regular yeast would you use
You would use the same amount of regular yeast (2 tsp) in place of the instant yeast. Regular yeast takes a bit longer to rise so you may want to consider adding an extra 10-15 minutes for the rise time.
Tastes so good, will do it again
Thanks so much for sharing! 🙂