Naan Bread

Name: Naan Bread
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 85 min
Ingredients: 2 tsp active dry yeast; 1 tsp sugar; 1/2 cup water (lukewarm); 1/4 cup vegetable oil; 1 egg (large); 1/4 cup yogurt (plain); 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour; 1/2 tsp salt; 12 tsp olive oil; 4 tbsp butter (melted); 2 tbsp parsley (chopped)

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Nothing is better than homemade bread and that applies to this Indian-style Naan Bread, so simple to make, yet so delicious! Super easy to put together and so good you’ll never have store-bought naan again!

a plate full of naan bread and hummus in the back

I love fresh bread, there’s nothing better. The smell is what gets me every single time. Over the years I’ve certainly baked my share of breads and while I may have some favorites, in general I love all bread. I’m what they call equal opportunity when it comes to fresh bread. I’ve certainly baked my share of bread rolls and flatbreads, but sometimes I just love a good old naan bread to dip in some good homemade hummus or butter chicken.

What is Naan

Naan bread is an Indian-style bread usually baked in a tandoor oven, which are these cylindrical clay or metal ovens. The great thing about tandoor ovens is that the temperatures can reach 900 F degrees which means these naan breads cook almost instantly, though I don’t think I’d want to stick my hands in these ovens and slap the dough on the side of it. I’m know it tastes way better, but for now I’ll stick with my trusted skillet.

What Ingredients Do You Need For Naan?

Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious naan:

Active dry yeast – you can use active dry yeast or instant yeast in this recipe. If you use instant yeast then you won’t need to activate the yeast, just add it to the rest of the ingredients.
Sugar – this is needed for the yeast, combine it with the yeast and water to activate it.
Water
Vegetable Oil – any vegetable oil will work
Egg
Yogurt – I recommend using a good Greek yogurt for this because I like the consistency of it. The yogurt will add a bit of mild acidity.
Flour – you need all-purpose flour. Gluten free flour can be used as well, however the recipe can differ a bit.
Salt
Olive Oil – You need olive oil to fry the naan.
Butter – for brushing over the naan.
Parsley – this is optional if you want to sprinkle some over the naan.

How To Make Naan

The dough for this naan bread is actually quite simple with just a handful of ingredients. I used active dry yeast which you have to activate first, but you may also use instant or rapid yeast which doesn’t require you to dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water and sugar, though you still need to add those ingredients.

The dough should actually double in size fairly quickly, assuming your yeast is good. Cut the dough into 12 pieces and roll each out into a thin circle. You can either roll and fry, roll and fry or roll out all the pieces at a time, but I would keep them in between parchment paper so they won’t dry out or stick to each other.

You will also need a hot skillet so that you can fry these breads. I usually add about a tsp of olive oil for each bread and brush it in the skillet so that it’s evenly distributed. The naan should cook fairly quickly, about a minute per side, but again it depends on how hot your skillet is. You will notice that the dough will bubble up nicely as you cook it.

As you fry pieces of naan, keep them covered in a towel so that they don’t dry out. When all of them are cooked, brush each one with the melted butter and garnish with some parsley. That’s all there is to it!

a plate full of naan bread with hummus in the back

What To Eat It With

There are so many great things you can serve this naan with. I personally love it with some good homemade hummus. I’ve also served it with an amazing butter chicken. But beyond these recipes, you can use to the naan to make gyros, wraps, the sky is the limit. Give this naan a try, I guarantee you will love it!

Here are some other suggestions:

Storage

Cool the naan first, then store it in airtight plastic bags at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Freezing

Naan can be frozen in airtight plastic bags for up to 2 months.

Try These Other Delicious Bread Recipes:

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I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Here you will find a variety of recipes using simple everyday ingredients and creating wonderful, delicious and comforting meals, including some decadent desserts.

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