Whenever my husband and I go out for Indian food, we always order one or two sides of naan. And if our entrées come with a choice of rice or naan, without hesitation, we always ask for naan. After all, what better vessel is there for sopping up all the delicious sauces and wiping our plates clean than fluffy, buttery naan? In our minds, rice just doesn’t do the job.
It’s hard to replicate restaurant-style naan cooked in a hot tandoor, but this recipe comes pretty close. All you need are a handful of ingredients and a fry pan or cast iron skillet. The dough is essentially foolproof and requires only one rise before shaping and cooking. That means you can have fresh bread on the table in a couple of hours, from start to finish.
Recipe adapted from Half Baked Harvest.
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ cup lukewarm water
- ¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (see notes)
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ cup warm milk
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- melted butter (for brushing)
- cumin or minced garlic (for topping, optional)
- chopped fresh cilantro (for topping, optional)
- In a medium bowl, dissolve the sugar in lukewarm water. Add the yeast to the water and stir until dissolved. Let sit for 10 minutes until foamy.
- Combine the flour, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl.
- When the yeast is foamy, add the warm milk and yogurt. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir with a wooden spoon. When the ingredients start to come together, use your hands to lightly knead the dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Cover the dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm place for 1 hour or in the refrigerator if not using right away.
- When you are ready to cook the naan, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into an oval, about 6-8" long and about ¼" thick.
- Warm a fry pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Brush one side of the naan with melted butter and sprinkle with cumin or garlic, if using. Place the naan in the hot pan and brush the top with more butter. Cover it with a lid and let it "bake" for 1 minute. When you start to see bubbles form and the bottom is browned, flip the naan and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until large toasted spots appear on the underside.
- Remove the naan from the pan and brush with a bit more butter, if desired. Sprinkle with salt and cilantro, if using. Place the naan on a baking sheet and repeat the process with the rest of the rolled dough. Naan is best eaten fresh but can be frozen or wrapped in foil and stored in the refrigerator.
My folks love Naan bread, and from the looks of things, this would be a huge hit.
Thanks for sharing, I’ll be sure to make this in the coming week! 🙂