Soft Naan Bread with beautiful golden brown spots just the ones you find at the best Indian restaurants. The BEST Naan recipe out there!
Not just a flat bread, naan is just incredible! The pillowy soft bread is so addictive and perfect for mopping up curries, you’ll find it hard to stop at one! Our quick and easy recipe that will become your new favorite yeast bread recipe!
SOFT NAAN BREAD
A traditional flat bread from India, naan breads are normally baked inside hot Tandoor ovens with charcoal or wood fire. They cook on the inner walls of the oven at a very high heat of up to 900°F. The breads fill with air pockets and cook perfectly.
Because most of us don’t have Tandoor ovens, our naan bread recipe has been altered to include a combination of yogurt and oil to give them that irresistible soft and fluffy texture. Cook them right on the stove in a hot cast-iron skillet and watch them puff up into glorious breads right in front of you!
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NAAN BREAD AND PITA BREAD?
Both are flatbreads made with a yeast raised dough, however Pita bread has a harder texture when compared to Naan. While pita breads only contain flour, water, yeast, salt and some olive oil; naan is made with a fattier, more enriched dough including ghee (clarified butter), oil, yogurt and sometimes eggs. This gives naan its different texture.
TIPS ON HOW TO MAKE NAAN
- First, you’re going to activate your yeast.
- Then, mix all of the ingredients together until the dough comes together with your hands.
- Knead until smooth, then transfer to a lightly greased bowl. You can use the same bowl you mixed the dough in to save dishes.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let double in size.
- Divide dough into 10 balls and roll each piece into large ovals about 6-inches long and 1/8-inch thick. The thinner you roll them, the more air pockets form inside them while cooking.
- Get a lightly greased skillet nice and HOT. The high heat makes the dough rise fast and fills the breads with air.
- Cook until bubbles form, then flip and cook until large golden spots appear on the underside. Flatten the breads with a spatula while cooking to ensure they cook through.
- Wrap cooked naan in a clean kitchen towel and keep them wrapped while cooking remaining breads.
- Optional: brush warm cooked naan with a little melted butter; top with coarse salt and fresh chopped cilantro.
Serve with anything, from soups to stews or curries like Tikka Masala or Butter Chicken. Naan can also be eaten on its own or used to make wraps. Substitute them for tortillas for quesadillas, or for simple naan pizzas!
HOW TO STORE NAAN
When cooked, let cool completely to room temperature to prevent condensation. Transfer to ziplock bags and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
FREEZE NAAN
Follow steps above and store in the freezer for up to 2 months. Frozen naan thaws quickly at room temperature. Reheat in the microwave or on a skillet at low-medium heat.
Soft Naan Bread
Ingredients
NAAN BREAD
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast, or instant (rapid rise)
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 3/4 cup plain Greek yogurt, or natural plain yogurt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus 2 tablespoons extra for cooking
- 4 cups plain flour plus extra for dusting -- (19 1/2 oz. or 560g)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
GARLIC BUTTER TOPPING
- 1/4 cup butter, melted (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh chopped cilantro or parsley
Instructions
FOR NAAN BREAD
- Combine together the water, sugar and yeast. Let sit for 5-10 minutes or until the mixture begins to bubble on top
- Add in the milk, yogurt, oil, flour baking powder and salt. Mix until the dough comes together with your hands.
- Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Use floured hands to knead the dough until smooth, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Lightly grease the same mixing bowl with a small spray of cooking oil. Transfer dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest at room temperature for about an hour until doubled in size.
- When ready to cook, divide the dough into 10 equal pieces. Roll into balls, then use a rolling pin to roll each piece of dough into a large oval, about 6-inches long and 1/8-inch thick. Repeat with remaining dough.
- Heat a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Grease skillet all over with 1/2 teaspoon of the extra oil.
- Place one piece of the naan on the oiled hot skillet and cook until bubbles form on top, about 1-2 minutes. While cooking, brush the top with a little oil.
- Flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes, until large golden spots appear on the bottom.
- Remove from the skillet and wrap in a clean kitchen towel. Repeat with the remaining naan (keep them wrapped in a towel while you work).
FOR OPTIONAL GARLIC BUTTER TOPPING
- Combine melted butter and minced garlic together in a bowl. Brush each naan with the garlic butter and top with the fresh herb of your choosing.
Austin says
Wow! I made a half batch of this just to go with a small amount of leftover butter chicken curry, and that was a mistake! The naan was gone within two hours and my family wants more. I used sour cream instead of yogurt and seasoned the butter with some za’atar. Delicious.
Nura Q Legree says
This is THE MOST DELICIOUS NAAN RECIPE!!! I was skeptical about cooking the bread in olive oil but I am a firm believer that it shouldn’t be made any other way!! This was the second night I made this recipe and it’s to die for!! It’s going in my mental cookbook of recipes!! Thank you so much!!!
Kimberly W. says
The best naan recipe EVER and so addictive. All your recipes are amazing that I have tried. Which is why I’m a fan for life!
Ashley says
We have made this recipe at least 5x now and it’s great every time! Question though – if I’m making this ahead of time, how would I store the dough?
SusanL says
Cut the recipe down to two servings and regretted instantly when I took my first bite. SO GOOD! Only change I made was to brush with melted garlic butter as I cooked them.
Jamie Leighton says
Delicious. I didn’t get so many bubbles, and I wonder if I did something wrong? Also, I found that as I went on cooking them I started to make them longer and thinner– just my personal preference. Great recipe. Made garlic and butter naan!
Dai says
I made this recipe a couple of months ago with chicken tikka masala and garlic butter rice. OMG, it was so good. I am doing it again tonight. Thank you. The bread is so soft. Everything was divine.
Samantha says
Is there a version of this with cheese? Like a garlic cheese naan?
Francesca says
Thanks for finally talking about > Soft Naan Bread – Crave It All < Liked it!
Jordan says
Can I use olive oil instead of vegetable oil? What would be the difference in taste or texture – if any – between the two?
Greta says
What a brilliant recipe. My husband prefers these naans to shop ones. And my 18 month old granddaughter absolutely loves them.
Cortney says
Made these for a side to my butter chicken (also your recipe) and they were so good! Never buying premade naan bread again and always going to make my own butter chicken. Both delish!!
Johanne says
This is a fantastic recipe. I use it to make homemade shawarma with toum. YUMMMM!
I’m having a large group this wkd and was wondering if I double the recipe, do I double everything?
Thanks,
Jo
Claudia says
Is the calorie count and the nutritient numbers for 1 naan, or for the whole recipe of 10?
I think that should be specified in the recipe. Thanks very much!
Greta Savill says
Omg, what a fantastic recipe. They are wonderful and taste delicious and they definitely go well with the Butter Chicken. Thank you
Food Junkie says
Great bread! So easy. We cooked it on an iron griddle on the BGE. It was fabulous. Definitely a do-over.
Lena says
My second time making it already.. so ridiculously good. This time I did not have any milk and just substituted part water, part half and half. The dough came out so fluffy and perfect. This recipe freezes and reheats really well in the microwave!
Jeanne says
Absolutely gorgeous
Anthony says
I made the recipe as written and they are the rave. This was the best na’an bread I’ve ever eaten. Thanks for sharing such a wonderful recipe.
Patty says
Is plain flour the same as all purpose? Just making sure 🙂
Admin says
Hi Patty, yes it is.
Léa Heppner says
I’ve made this recipe however converted it to sourdough naan by using 1 cup sourdough, no water, half cup warm milk, 3.5 cups flour nd the rest of the ingredients.it was a hit
Lea
Bron says
I made these tonight for dinner with butter chicken and rice. WOW !! This recipe is SENSATIONAL – So easy and foolproof. I was looking for the difficulty. There was none. Thank you so, so much. My partner and I thoroughly enjoyed… So fluffy and yet with just the right amount of “rubbery” texture you also look for in a naan. I will be making them for other family members now. So much cheaper to make than store bought, and so much yummier! Thank you!
Jayne says
These were the best ones I’ve ever made. I added some crushed coriander seeds to the dough. They were delicious – light and fluffy, much better than any I’ve tasted in Indian restaurants. I will be making them again and again.
Sadie says
I’ve tried several recipes for naan in the last few weeks and these are the best so far. Unlike many of the other naan doughs, this wasn’t sticky to work with and I didn’t need any flour to roll it out on the counter. The cooked naan were nicely charred, thick, soft, pillowy, slightly chewy, and had a great flavor. I fermented the dough in the fridge overnight before cooking. They froze beautifully. To serve I let them thaw, covered, at room temperature, brushed with herb garlic butter, and cooked for less than a minute on both sides in a cast iron skillet preheated to medium-high. Excellent!
kathleen pacilio says
I made these for dinner last night and they came out fantastic!! The dough was so easy to work with. I cooked them on the cast iron grill on top of my stove. Thanks!
Daniel Magee says
So yummy and so greasy. Better than takeaway.
Robbone says
I halved the recipe and used my stand mixer. It turned out great! My skillet may have been a little hot because some of my brown spots were black. It was still delicious though and I will definitely make again! So fluffy! Garlic next time! I’ll never buy naan again! Thank you!
Melissa Leblanc says
Excellent recipe. It turned out perfectly. my hubby couldn’t stop eating them! . I substituted Greek yogurt With coconut vegan yogurt as it was what was on hand. I was worried it wouldn’t turn out but worked out great.
Pam says
This is the best of all the recipes I’ve tried and I’m never going back. Thanks a lot. My family beg me for it.
Ryn says
This recipe is a keeper. I’ve been making this for my family. Paired it with butter chicken and palak paneer!
Meghan Porter says
i followed it using olive oil, 1 tablespoon of salt + each rolled out naan, I sprinkled salt on it and used the rolling pin to press the salt into it. otherwise, this would have been pretty bland. In terms of the texture, ease, and consistency of this recipe? I’m glad I found it. it was fun and easy to make and they were a hit at the picnic
Karen says
This naan bread recipe is a keeper. I’d convinced myself naan bread would be too hard so I never tried it. Last week I made the Chicken Tikka Masala and Garlic Butter rice recipes (both absolutely incredible), and decided to go ahead and make the Naan bread too. So glad I did. We love it! Just love it. I froze the remaining pieces and it’s so good we’ve been pulling pieces of Naan out of the freezer to eat with just about everything since. It’s that good. This is going to be a staple from now on. Many thanks.
Dave says
Made this recipe tonight. The Naan was FANTASTIC! Better than any naan our family has ever tasted which is saying a lot. Note I heated the yogurt slightly with the milk and the dough rose just fine. Thanks for sharing such a great recipe. If in doubt, be sure to try this recipe!!!!
Micah says
“naan bread”
aight lemme just make some bread bread lol
Emma says
This was the creamiest, most succulent butter chicken I’ve ever tried (restaurants included!). The whole family devoured the sauce and the naan bread, and my kids are usually very picky. Instant success! Thank you for the receipes!
David says
I added 1tsp additional salt. Substituted ghee for oil.
Placed baking stone in center of oven preheated oven then switched to Broil 550° placed naan on non-stick pizza pan brushed garlic butter and sprinkled with cilantro, chili flakes, & salt.
About 1 1/2 minutes in oven,
perfect bubbles, light and fluffy.
This is best recipe for awesome naan bread!
RK says
First time making Naan bread and it came out great!! Thank you.
Miru says
I just made it, my husband ate most of it before it made the dinner table.
Jo says
I’ve made many different naan recipes and this one is the fluffy kind that I love! Even two days later, the leftover naan was great heated up and remained soft. Really a great recipe! Thank you!
Rani says
Great recipe I’ve made twice already! Thinking of using ½ whole white wheat flour. Will it work?
Rani says
Excellent recipe! Family stated it’s better than restaurants; we’re desis so high praise indeed! I served these naan with seekh kebab and it really was a meal similar to one of our favorite dhabas in Toronto!
Michele says
Great recipe, I followed to a T! Myself and my family loved it. I will definitely make again!
ILOveFood says
I just made this to go with chicken tikki masala and it was perfect! They came out looking just like your photo and it was so soft. The dough was easy to work with as I was able to hand stretch them for a more rustic look. Thanks for the awesome recipe! My search for the perfect naan recipe is over 🙂
Ann says
Can u make it with gluten free ??
Admin says
Yes you can
Hattoe says
My family LOVED this recipe!
ZUZANA says
So delicious recipe!!! everything so yummy! butter chicken garlic rice and naan bread!
Millsy says
Haha, Yes, so often people choose either rice or naan bread but I like yourself love both. Btw, have you ever tried accompanying the curry with mashed potato? My dad went through a phase of serving curry with a 50/50 mix of mashed sweet and normal potato or 50/50 pumpkin and normal potato. It’s surprisingly nice with any wet curry and a nice alternative to rice if you feel like a change, best with naan bread in addition of course 😋 a word of caution though, if you choose the combination of normal potato and pumpkin, the added moisture in the pumpkin means it tends to carry chilly heat more so than the alternative.
carmen rios says
thanks for this fabulous recipe, I just made for dinner and was excellent, my family could’n stop eating.
I wonder if instead do on the pan can I bake?
Admin says
Unfortunately no. They need to be cooked on the stove at a high heat for the best results. If you do try to bake them, please let us know how they work out!
Millsy says
You can but in a similar manner to pizza. You can use a pizza stone, ceramic tile or large cast iron frying pan but make sure you preheat the oven to very hot for a decent length of time and the desired cooking surface such as the cast iron frying pan Must be heated from cold in the oven as it heats from cold and do Not oil the surface as it will at the very least smoke and potentially set on fire. Easiest way to transfer the bread dough onto the cooking surface in the oven is by preparing the naan bread on baking paper and simply sliding the dough baking paper and all onto the cooking surface, turning the bread as the surface is cooked. Another option is to cook your naan on an upturned wok, ie on the outside base of the wok over a gas burner.
Gabrielle says
I bake mine in the oven if I am in a hurry, just heat oven tray or pizza stone first, when oven is up to heat and fought is rolled out/shaped, grease the tray and place dough, you do not really need to turn them either, but be careful they can cook quickly. They can be a bit different in. texture sometimes but that could be the flour. lazy kneading or quick rising. they are still soft, chewy and moreish! You can cook 3-4 at a time this way.
Gabrielle says
Sorry, the oven has to be hot – about 200-210C fanbake or 220-230C conventional
Kylie says
Added to my to-do list! I cannot wait to try this!
Rose says
Can I omit baking powder
sunantha joshi says
Tried today with ‘bear dough kneading machine’ and cooked on skillet, turns out super soft even after the naans cooled. I added extra half cup flour while kneading . Brushed with garlic butter
Rachel says
Just made the naan to go with the chicken curry. Outstanding! So soft, I’d say better than the restaurants.
Kat says
Making this again for dinner tonight, it’s my man’s favourite. We enjoy the combo of your garlic rice and naan with your butter chicken recipe quite frequently. Thanks for a flawless recipe!
Yani says
Absolutely the softest naan I’ve ever eaten it was so tasty. Thanks for the recipe 10/10 delicious and easy to make.
Jennifer Roberts says
An awesome recipe, thank you! It looks so delicious!
Mrs Grant says
I made this fantastic meal today. It was so delish and after cooking for years and years this was my first attempt to make naan breads. Perfect in every way. So happy about that. I will certainly make this curry again.