Is there anything better than a warm piece of fresh naan bread in your hand?
This soft, chewy Indian flatbread is much loved and very popular. And making it at home is a super rewarding process.
I’ll show you a great way to make delicious naan bread right at home so you can enjoy it any time!
I love Indian food. The aromas, the flavors, the textures, the colors – I love it all. And whether I’m munching on crunchy onion bhaji or savoring saag paneer from my favorite Indian restaurant, I’m always enjoying it with a piece of warm, fluffy naan.
What’s the difference between naan and pita?
Naan, a staple of Indian cuisine, is a simple flatbread traditionally made in a clay oven. It usually consists of flour, water, yeast and salt.
Most naan recipes are made with either egg, milk or plain yogurt, and sometimes a combination. This makes naan soft, chewy and flavorful.
It’s different from pita bread in this way, as pita bread does not usually contain any milk or yogurt. Pita is a drier, less fluffy type of flatbread that often has a pocket for stuffing.
Ingredients
The ingredients for homemade naan are simple and humble. Here’s all you’ll need:
- All purpose flour
- Active dry yeast
- Sugar
- Salt
- Egg
- Milk
- Garlic
How to make homemade naan
Combine the Dough Ingredients
Before you combine your ingredients, dissolve the yeast in warm water.
It’s very important that the water is warm enough to activate the yeast. You’ve got to get the water to at least 110F degrees. I shoot for between 110F-115F degrees. It’s beyond warm, almost hot!
An easy way to check for the right temperature is to use a kitchen thermometer.
Once your yeast mixture it activated, mix in the dry ingredients. Do this is a large bowl.
Knead the Naan Dough
You can knead the dough in a stand mixer or by hand. I’ll usually set a timer for 6-8 minutes and knead the dough on the countertop by hand. It’s a great arm workout!
First Rise
Let the dough rise in a warm oven. Allowing your dough to rise in a warm oven vs. just a warm place in the kitchen will reduce the rising time by half!
Second Rise
After your dough has doubled in size, form it into smaller balls and let them rise again. This time, at room temperature.
Cook the Naan
Once your naan is ready to cook, it’s a quick process:
- Heat a cast iron pan.
- Roll out each piece of naan, brush one side with butter, and place it, buttered side down, into the hot pan.
- Quickly butter the top and cover it for a minute. Covering the bread while it cooks mimics the tandoor oven that naan is traditionally made in. Using a glass lid is very helpful, so you can keep a close eye for air bubbles.
- Once it’s bubbling, uncover and flip it for another minute.
That’s literally all it takes, probably 2-3 minutes total per piece. If your pan is big enough to fit two pieces at once, the process will go even faster.
Serving Suggestions
The different ways to enjoy homemade naan bread are truly endless! Here are some of my favorites:
1. The traditional way: Serve naan with any Indian main dish. Use it for sopping up the delicious pink sauce of Chicken Tikka Masala or a vegetarian curry dish. Anything saucy should have some naan for dipping!
2. With a side of raita: Most Indian restaurants will bring out a side of raita to your table when you’re having naan bread, and this is probably my favorite part of the meal! Raita is a yogurt-based dipping sauce that often contains cucumber and coriander. It’s cooling on the palate, so it makes a great side dish for spicier Indian main dishes.
3. As a sandwich wrapper: place cold or grilled meats and veggies in the center of a piece of naan and wrap it around the fillings for a fun twist on a regular wrap sandwich.
4. For pizza: Naan pizza is all the rage! Swap out traditional pizza crust and load your toppings onto a piece of pillowy naan.
5. For breakfast: Top a piece of naan with smashed avocado and a runny egg. Next level delicious!
Storage Instructions
If you happen to have any leftover naan bread, the best way to keep it fresh is by storing it in aluminum foil or an airtight container at room temperature. Since homemade naan does not have any preservatives like store-bought naan bread, you’ll want to consume it within a few days.
You may be tempted to put it in the fridge.
As with any kind of bread, refrigeration will extend its life, but it will also make it stiffer and firmer than if you had left it out at room temperature. If you’re going to eat your leftover naan the next day or day after, leave it out at room temperature, as long as it’s wrapped in an airtight container.
Reheating Instructions
Placing leftover naan bread on a microwave-safe plate and heating it for thirty seconds will restore its soft texture. This is certainly the quickest way to do it.
But for the best results, you want to steam it. And this reheating process will only take a couple of minutes.
Arrange your naan on a baking sheet and sprinkle it with a little water. Then warm it in the oven for 3 or 4 minutes at a medium heat, between 300-350F degrees.
can you freeze naan bread?
Yes! The easiest way is to wrap your leftover naan in plastic wrap and then place it inside a freezer-safe plastic bag for double protection against freezer burn. Defrost it on the countertop and then follow the reheating instructions above.
If you don’t have time to defrost, just do the same process with frozen naan bread and add 5 minutes to the reheating time.
When you make this homemade naan recipe, I’d love to hear about it! Drop a rating or leave a comment below. Enjoy!
For more bread recipes, try these:
For more Indian recipes, try these:
Homemade Naan
Ingredients
- 1 packet active dry yeast not instant
- 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp. sugar
- 3/4 cup warm water between 110-115 degrees
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 egg
- 3 Tbsp. milk
- 2 tsp. minced garlic
- 1 stick unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Let stand 10 minutes until bubbly. Stir the sugar, milk, egg, salt and 3 cups flour into the yeast mixture. Dough will be shaggy. Add remaining 1/2 cup of flour onto a countertop and knead the dough 6-8 minutes, letting it absorb some of the additional flour, until you have a smooth, soft dough. (Alternatively, knead the dough in the bowl of a stand mixer using the dough hook attachment.)
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees, and then turn the oven off. Place the dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a kitchen towel, and place into the warm oven for 30 minutes until doubled in size.
- Remove the bowl from the oven. Punch the dough down, remove it from the bowl and knead in the garlic. Form the dough into balls the size of golf balls and place them on a tray. Cover the tray with a dish towel or damp paper towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Using a rolling pin, roll out each dough ball and brush with melted butter. Place the buttered side down into the hot skillet, quickly brush the top with butter and cover for 1-2 minutes, until the top is bubbling. Flip the dough over and let cook 1 more minute. Remove naan onto a plate and keep covered until ready to serve.
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