If there’s anything that will make you fall in love with Indian food, it’s naan. This flatbread from the North of India is juxtaposition at its most beautiful: pillowy and elastic, with dark charred bubbles and a crispy bottom. It’s usually made in a tandoor oven, a clay oven that can reach up to 900 degrees F! That’s hard to replicate at home, but this stovetop version comes pretty darned close.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 3 hr 30 min |
| Prep: | 15 min |
| Inactive: | 3 hr |
| Cook: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 6 loaves |
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling, see Cook’s Note*
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kalonji (nigella seeds), optional, see Cook’s Note**
- 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, optional, see Cook’s Note**
- Melted butter for slathering on the finished naans
- Coarse sea salt for sprinkling
Instructions
- In a large glass, dissolve the dry yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar with 3/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees F). Let it sit on your counter until it’s frothy, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar and baking powder into a large, deep bowl.
- Once the yeast is frothy, add the yogurt and the olive oil into the glass, and stir to combine. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and add the kalonji and fennel seeds, if using, and gently mix the ingredients together with a fork. When the dough is about to come together, use your hands to mix. It will feel like there isn’t enough flour at first, but keep going until it transforms into a soft, slightly sticky and pliable dough. As soon as it comes together, stop kneading. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it sit in a warm, draft-free place for 2 to 4 hours.
- When you’re ready to roll, make sure you have two bowls on your counter: one with extra flour in it, and one with water. The dough will be extremely soft and sticky-this is good! Separate the dough into 6 equal portions and lightly roll each one in the bowl of extra flour to keep them from sticking to each other.
- Shape the naan. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a teardrop shape, narrower at the top than at the bottom. It should be 8 to 9-inches long, 4-inches wide at its widest point and about 1/4-inch thick. Once you’ve formed the general shape, you can also pick it up by one end and wiggle it; the dough’s own weight will stretch it out a little. Repeat this method with the rest of the dough. (If you’re making the gluten-free version, you’ll have better luck pressing the dough out with your fingertips, than rolling.)
- Warm a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it’s nearly smoking. Make sure you have a lid large enough to fit the skillet and have a bowl of melted butter at the ready.
- Dampen your hands in the bowl of water and pick up one of your naans, flip-flopping it from one hand to the other to lightly dampen it. Gently lay it in the skillet and set your timer for 1 minute. The dough should start to bubble.
- After about 1 minute, flip the naan. It should be blistered and somewhat blackened, don’t worry – that’s typical of traditional naan! Cover the skillet with the lid and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
- Remove the naan from the skillet, brush with a bit of butter and sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt. Place the naan in a tea towel-lined dish. Repeat with the rest of the naans and serve.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 212 |
| Total Fat | 6 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 34 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Sugar | 2 g |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Cholesterol | 3 mg |
| Sodium | 134 mg |
Reviews
Delicious! I didn’t have the plain yogurt so I used sour cream. I added some fresh chives and parsley to the dough and garlic to the butter.
Just tried it for the first time. The dough is difficult to work with, but the end result is very good. Nice and chewy
I just finished eating this. Best Naan I’ve ever made. I have tried several recipes and was never happy with it. I will keep this one to use always. It’s also so easy to make.
Followed the recipe as stated except I had used up all my plain yogurt the night before in tzatziki sauce, so I used 3 tablespoons of that, containing fresh lemon juice and garlic. Also used course kosher salt and omitted the seeds, since I didn’t have any. The results were delicious. The bread is fluffy, moist, flavorful, and has the characteristic charred blisters and shape and texture. Enjoyed it with hummus and tzatziki sauce. Wonderful.
Excellent!!
This came out amazing! I don’t eat yogurt (I know I know…it’s a texture thing) so I subbed sour cream and it came out just perfectly. Super easy to follow recipe and watching the attached video helped with the visuals of what you’re looking for. I highly recommend giving it a try!
This was the perfect recipe for Naan. It takes a little practice, but you can’t go wrong, unless you aren’t careful with timing. It could easily burn. We used them to make delicious cheesy tuna melts. I don’t make them often only because I would get addicted and gain weight. Love.
This naan is Excellent! I’ve made it twice now and we all loved it. I didn’t think I could make this but just follow the recipe and it will turn out! Thank you!
Made this today and it came out amazing. After cooking, I brushed with garlic butter. It was so good. I made extra as we use Naan for Shawarma. We typically buy store bought naan, but using this recipe, not only was it better, but much cheaper. Just takes a little bit of work, but worth it.
NAAN