Homemade Naan

This Naan is super soft, bubbly and fluffy. It’s ready to serve warm in under an hour. The garlic butter spread on top makes these irresistible.

I didn’t grow up eating food from different cultures. My family was very stuck in their meat and potatoes routine and so that’s what I thought was the norm. It wasn’t until my brother went to college and began to share some of his love for his new acquired tastes that I, too, began exploring different cuisines.

Naan is one of those bread recipes that I truly feel anyone can make. After the dough rises, the dough is divided. It rests 15 minutes, then the dough is rolled out and pan fried.

Now, you may be wondering what is the difference between a naan bread recipe and pita bread recipe. They do look relatively similar, and both do bubble when cooked. Although pita bread puffs up entirely, creating a pocket in the center. Naan differs from pita bread in the ingredients in the dough. Naan contains butter and milk in the dough, resulting in a softer, more fluffy and chewy dough. Whereas, pita bread has a more neutral taste. Alright, let’s get to baking this, shall we!?

The details

making the dough

To make the naan bread, you’ll begin by mixing the yeast with the warm milk and sugar. This recipe uses active dry yeast, which means it needs an activation period. In order to activate the yeast, it has to be mixed with a warm liquid and sugar, which serves as fuel. The warm milk should be around 110 degrees Fahrenheit. I would say a range of 108 to 112 is safe. Allow the yeast mixture to sit for 5-10 minutes until frothy in appearance. You’ll also be able to smell the yeast smell at this point.

You may mix this naan bread by hand, or use your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment. Add the remaining dough ingredients, making sure to not add the salt directly on top of the yeast (it can deactivate it). Add the salt on top of the flour. Knead for 5 minutes in the mixer or 10 minutes by hand.

first rise

The first rise takes an hour. However, if you are in a time crunch, turn on your oven to 100F. Once the oven reaches the temperature, turn the oven off and place your covered dough in the warm oven. Allow to rise for 30 minutes.

divide the dough and the 2nd rise

Punch the dough down, divide into roughly 8 equal pieces, then roll each into a round ball. Cover and allow to rise for 15 minutes.

rolling and pan frying

Roll each piece into a 7-8 inch roughly round circle. Heat a cast iron skillet with a coating of oil over medium heat. Once the pan is warm, cook the naan until deep golden/slightly charred, then flip and cook remaining side, which will cook faster, so keep an eye on it!

the final touch

The finishing touch for this naan bread is to brush with garlic butter, serve and enjoy! This naan pairs perfectly with my chicken tikka masala, but it’s also delicious to eat on it’s own, or even use as a “flatbread” to make a grilled cheese or wrap.

If you make this naan bread recipe, let me know what you thought in the ratings and comments below. I really appreciate your feedback as it helps me improve my recipes. Also, make sure you find me on instagram and youtube for the full baking video for this and fun behind the scenes.

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