I love naan bread – it’s the perfect accompaniment to Indian curries or stews. And, if I’m being honest, it’s absolutely perfect even on it’s own, especially if you’ve taken the time to make it yourself.
This naan bread comes together super quick. The most time consuming part is actually just waiting for the dough to rest. This particular recipe has both milk and yogurt in it. The yogurt gives the bread just the right amount of softness and chew with just a bit of complexity and acid; kind of like a sourdough cheat without the wait. And as a bonus, this recipe doesn’t use yeast for it’s fluffiness, just a simple mix of baking powder and soda.
I love the contrast between the fluffy softness and crispy bubbly parts. Happy naan making!
Basic Easy Naan Bread Recipe
makes 4-6 naan breads
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 + 1/8 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- melted butter and chopped cilantro, to serve
via Indian Simmer
In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and yogurt. Set aside.
Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl or on a clean work surface. Make a well and slowly add in the milk-yogurt mix bit by bit, combining with the flour. Knead into a soft dough. Gather into ball and cover for 1 hour.
Lightly dust your work surface with flour. Divide the dough into 4-6 equal pieces and use a rolling pin to flatten and stretch out.
Heat up a heavy bottomed or cast iron skillet (with a lid, preferably a glass lid) over high heat. Brush one side of the naan with water and place in the skillet, water side down.
Cover the pan and cook for 30 seconds, then check it to see if has started to bubble and rise.
Use a pair of tongs and take it off the pan and cook the uncooked side over direct flames until it starts to char. Alternatively, flip and cook the pan until it starts to brown.
When the naan is browned on both sides, brush with a bit of melted butter and sprinkle on chopped cilantro. Repeat with the remaining dough. Enjoy warm.
What kind of yogurt?
hi cynthia,
i used greek but you can use any yogurt :)
Hi do you think this recipe will work with a gluten free flour?
hi sharon,
i haven’t tried with gluten free flour but i think it might? then again, i’m not too sure how the texture would be. sorry i’m not more help!
How do you make this without direct flames?
hi tonya,
just continue to cook it in the pan, flipping it :)
I would drizzle a little olive oil on it. And put it on the grill. Its delicious
How can i translate these measurements into grams ?
hi nadia,
i don’t have the recipe in grams right now, but the next time i make this i’ll make sure to make a note of the weights and change the recipe!
ahhh I miss my gas range, so MUCH! perfect for toasting naan bread, tortillas and basically every darn thing ever. Made these in a large cast iron skillet and they were delish! Thanks!
How is it keto with all purpose flour?
hi monica,
this naan isn’t keto!
Hi! Can i swap the baking soda and powder for fresh yeast?
hi i haven’t tried so i don’t know what the measurements would be but i think it would work! let me know if you try it :)
Do you happen to know if I can use kefir instead of yogurt? :)
i haven’t tried but i’m pretty sure it’ll work!
About how big or thick do I roll these out?
hi billie, after i cut the dough into 4 or 6, i roll it out as big as possible. they have a tendency to pull back a bit after rolling, don’t worry about the thickness too much :)
After it’s done, could you brush lightly with olive oil, sprinkle fresh parsley And parmesean? Would the yogurt make it taste “ off”?
hi, you could definitely brush it with parsley and parm! i don’t know by what you mean by “off” – if you’re asking if they have a sour taste, they don’t at all!
Can I bake it in a pan with no oil? Instead of direct flame in the range?
yes, absolutely!
Hi! Would this recipe work with self raising flour and without the added baking powder/soda? Finding it very difficult to find flour at the moment!
hi holly,
i think it’ll work but be sure to add the baking soda – self rising has baking powder already, but you’ll need to add the soda yourself :)
Making them now! The dough is resting for an hour. I subbed cashew mylk for real milk. And Markus Sweet for the sugar. Hope it turns out! Will let ya’s know!
i hope they came out chewy and delicious!
I’m making this with unsweetened Almond milk, Greek yogurt, lemon infused olive oil, and fresh rosemary. I’ll let you all know how it works :)
Worked great, thank you!