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Homemade naan bread is soft, chewy, and simply delicious. It’s an easy side, perfect for pairing with any meal.
Naan bread is a simple bread and a great side to so many dishes. We love to serve it up with Coconut Curry or even Homemade Hummus!
We love Naan!
Naan is the best! Have you made it before? We are going to tell you why you should make it, and why we love it.
- EASY! Believe it or not, this recipe is very simple and fail-proof.
- GREAT SIDE. 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.
- SIMPLE INGREDIENTS. If you cook or bake often, you typically have all the ingredients for this dish.
- STORE + FREEZE. This recipe is perfect for making ahead of time as well as freezing for later, which is great for busy weeknights.
What is the difference between pita bread and naan bread?
Both pita and naan are considered flatbreads and are often served the same way, but are made differently causing the difference in texture.
- Pita bread uses simple common baking ingredients and yields stiffer bread, ideal for holding different fillings.
- Naan uses common ingredients in addition to yogurt and sometimes eggs, resulting in a softer and pliable texture.
- They also typically differ in size. Pita bread is generally around 5″ in diameter and naan is around 10″ in diameter.
How to Make Naan Bread
Making homemade naan is similar to making Flour Tortillas or Fry Bread, but has its unique texture and flavor.
- DOUGH. 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 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Stir until smooth. You can use a wooden spoon or an electric mixer with dough hook attachments.
- KNEAD. Add enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead a few times on a floured counter until smooth.
- RISE. Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
- PREP. Preheat a skillet to medium heat. Cut dough into eight pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece into a 6″ circle.
- COOK. Add a little oil or non-stick spray to the skillet on medium-high heat. 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 top (the bubbly side) of each naan with melted butter. I added garlic to my butter, in order to make more of a garlic naan, but that is optional.
Cooking Tips
This naan bread recipe uses yeast, use these tips to help!
Yeast. Normally instant yeast does not need to be activated in warm water first, but for this recipe, it tends to create a fluffier texture than simply adding it to the flour or using active dry yeast.
Dough thickness matters. The width of the bread can be anywhere from 5-10 inches wide. 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.
Cast iron skillet. Homemade naan is traditionally cooked in a tandoor oven. If you’re like me you don’t have one of those so just use a cast-iron skillet. It distributes heat equally, giving an even cook to each piece of dough. Other heavy-bottomed pans will work too.
Make Cheesy Naan
While researching this homemade naan recipe, I saw this variation and just had to share it with you.
- Divide the dough into equal portions.
- Roll each ball out and then brush with garlic butter.
- Pile a bit of your favorite cheese in the center. Choose a “melty” cheese: Monterey Jack, Swiss, Provolone, smoked Gouda, or Havarti.
- Gather the edges over the cheese and twist them together to seal the dough.
- Flip the little bundle over and use a rolling pin to roll them out being careful to keep the cheese safely inside.
- Dry cook according to the directions.
Storing Info
STORE. Cool and store in a Ziploc bag. At room temperature, naan bread should last 5-7 days on the counter. If stored in the fridge it can last a couple of days longer.
FREEZE. Wrap in plastic wrap or foil and for extra security, place in a freezer-safe Ziploc bag and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let defrost and warm up in the oven or microwave.
Store the dough. To store the dough in the fridge or freezer to be cooked later, place them in an airtight container large enough to accommodate a gradual rise. It can be kept in the fridge for 3-4 days. Punch down, divide, and bake according to the directions.
Freeze the dough. Double the amount of yeast added to the dough to compensate for any that will die in the freezer. Freeze it a couple of ways:
- One large dough ball before you let it rise. To serve, allow the dough to thaw and rise to double (this will take several hours). Divide and cook.
- Form individual dough balls. Let the dough rise to double, punch it down, and divide the dough into balls. Place the dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze. Once frozen, store them together in a freezer-safe container. To serve, let the dough thaw and cook.
- The dough can be kept in the freezer for up to 3 months.
What to serve with naan?
Homemade naan can go with anything really, but it’s typically best with Asian and Indian foods. Here are some of our favorite recipes to serve it with:
Naan also does not have to be used as just a side. We like to use it to make Flatbread Wraps, Flatbread Pizzas, sandwiches, and more.
For more bread recipes:
Naan
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 ½ cup warm water, 2 teaspoons yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar in a large bowl; let sit for five minutes or till bubbly. Add 3 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ cup yogurt, 1 egg, ½ teaspoon salt, and 2 cups of 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" 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. I added 2 teaspoons garlic to 2 tablespoons butter, but that is optional.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was so easy and really good! My husband said it’s better than in a restaurant…..
I wasn’t sure Naan would be approachable, especially with an electric cook top, but this simple recipe, combined with specific tips for using a cast iron skillet, left me surprised I could do it and proud of the result. I’ve come back to this repeatedly. I don’t always do the butter steps because we like to dip the bread in sauces from whatever entree we pair it with, but otherwise I follow this to the letter and it’s reliable every time. This is a GREAT recipe for beginners!
Thank you for sharing! I’m so glad to hear the bread was a success!!
Question, how come in the video you don’t add salt?
Thanks!
Sometimes we update the ingredient list before having time to update the video again. So I’d say go with the ingredient list and add that 1/2 tsp of salt. But with or without the salt, it tastes quite similar and is really delicious! 🙂
needs more salt
Thanks for the feedback.
I don’t ever leave comments after using recipes. This Naan bread recipe was so good! I use the bread to make small pizzas for everyone. Thank you for the recipe.
You’re welcome! I appreciate your review/comment so much! So happy to hear the bread (and pizza!) was a hit.
This bread is amazing! It was wonderful plain, with butter, with garlic butter, and with butter, cinnamon, and sugar. While eating it, we imagined other recipes we could make with this wonderful, easy to make bread.
Recipe is easy to follow and the tips really helped.
So glad you enjoyed the Naan bread! Thanks for giving it a try!
This recipe looks divine and I can’t wait to try it!
I lived in India for several years, in the Northern part of the country and we didn’t ever have or see naan. Only roti. I can make a mean roti, but have never attempted naan.
However, my question is, can you use greek yogurt or does it have to be plain yogurt?
Yes, plain greek yogurt is perfect!
This recipe is as easy as it sounds and the results are a warm tender and soft naan with a delicate flavor that leaves you wanting more. I followed the direction exactly except I only used 2 cups of flour in total and dusted my kneading surface prior to kneading since the dough was slightly sticky and my rolling pin as well after the rise – this resulted in a very light naan that was perfect alone or used as wrap.
Storing before baking – to be specific do I store before proofing because it rises in fridge
Yes, you would store before proofing.
You have a lot of awesome recipes that I am trying yummy 😋