stack of homemade naan on a white square plate on a wooden table.
Breads

Homemade Naan

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I just love this homemade Naan. Bread in general is one of my favorite things to make and eat, especially yeast-based bread.

In this recipe post you will learn how to make homemade Naan without using a Tandoor also known as a Tandori Oven. A tandoor is a cylinder clay stove that is used for making Naan and other dishes. They are expensive and usually you only find them in restaurants. But if you have one, feel free to use that with this recipe!

Naan is very popular all over the world particularly in Western and South Asia, Indonesia, and Myanmar.

I love eating homemade Naan plain or basted with butter. Also, it is fun dipping it in hummus, yogurt, or using it as a flatbread sandwich. You could even butter it and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top if you wanted! Naan is easy to make at home, if I can do it, you can do it. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Gather the ingredients

Flour and other ingredients in glass bowls on a wooden table.

Homemade Naan doesn’t require a lot of ingredients, in fact you only need 7 easy to find ingredients. Most of which you probably already have in your home right now:

  • Water – I always use filtered water, since my tap water tastes terrible.
  • Yeast – Typically I will use active dry yeast, but instant yeast and rapid-rise yeast will work as well.
  • Sugar
  • Olive oil
  • Plain yogurt
  • Flour – All purpose flour also known as plain flour in other countries.
  • Salt
  • Butter – Used for basting on the homemade naan once cooked. This is purely optional though.

Tools

  • Skillet (cast iron or non-stick)
  • Bowls
  • Towel
  • Plastic wrap
  • Whisk
  • Fork
  • Wooden spoon

Step 2: How to make homemade Naan

Glass bowl of activated yeast on a wooden table.

Start by activating the yeast. In a medium bowl heat up the water to 100 to 115 F (37 to 46 C). Add in a teaspoon of the sugar as well as the yeast. Mix it a bit with a fork or whisk and then allow it to sit for 5 to 10 minutes until nice and foamy.

If after 10 minutes the mixture isn’t foamy, start again. The yeast may be bad or old or the water was too hot or not hot enough.

Hand pouring in yogurt, oil, and sugar into a bowl with activated yeast.

Once the yeast has been activated, add in the rest of the sugar, the yogurt, and the olive oil. Mix it well with a whisk or fork.

flour and salt added to the homemade naan bread dough.

Now, add in about 1 cup of the flour along with the salt. Whisk that together until the mixture is smooth. Then you can put the whisk away and switch to a wooden spoon. Or if you are using a stand mixer you can switch to your dough hook.

Homemade naan dough complete in a large glass bowl on a wooden table.

Add in another cup of the flour and stir it into the homemade naan dough. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Use some of the leftover flour and dust the top of a work surface. Pour the dough out onto it and begin kneading it. Add more of the flour as necessary and knead the dough for about 8 minutes. Of course you can use your stand mixer for this if you like.

Risen homemade naan in a large glass bowl.

Spray a large bowl with cooking spray, or add a little bit of oil to it. Then place the ball of dough in it, cover it with a damp towel, or plastic wrap, and allow the dough to rise for about an hour or until it doubles in size.

Step 3: Cook the homemade Naan

Hand holding a flat piece of naan dough.

Once the dough has risen, place it on a floured surface, then divide it into 6 to 8 equal pieces depending on the size you want the Naan.

Roll each piece out flat in a round shape with a rolling pin until they are about 1/8th of an inch thick. Dust off any excess flour with your hands or a basting brush.

Time to cook them! Place your cast iron skillet which works really well for these or a nonstick skillet on the burner and set it to medium-high heat. Allow the pan to heat up until it is really hot.

Homemade naan being cooked in a skillet.

Add a piece of dough do the skillet and let it cook for a few minutes, it won’t take long. Once little bubbles form on top, it is time to flip it over and cook the other side for a minute or two. It may puff up on you as well which is totally fine and natural for that to happen.

Finished homemade naan in a pan being grabbed with tongs.

The homemade Naan will be done when there are nice brown spots on each side. Remove it from the pan with tongs and place it on a plate.

White plate full of fresh homemade naan.

I like to butter the Naan after putting it on the plate. This is purely optional. You can also garnish the top with cilantro or parsley to give it a bit of color. And there you have it, fresh homemade Naan. That you can add as a side dish to many different meals. Enjoy!

How long does homemade Naan last?

Store it in a ziplock bag and it will last 5 to 7 days at room temperature or a few days longer in the fridge. You can also wrap them individually and freeze them for a few months.

(Pin it!)

Here are a few more bread recipes you may like:

Soft Homemade Flour Tortillas

Whole Wheat Bread

Homemade White Bread

Zucchini Bread

Easy Bread Sticks

stack of homemade naan on a white square plate on a wooden table.
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5 from 3 votes

Homemade Naan

This homemade naan recipe is awesome. It is really easy to make and you don't need a Tandoor oven. A perfect side dish to serve with lunch or dinner, or eat it by itself as a snack.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time5 minutes
Rising time1 hour
Total Time1 hour 25 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: Asian, Indian, Middle Eastern
Keyword: flatbread, soft, yeast
Servings: 6 people
Calories: 225kcal
Author: Matt Taylor

Equipment

  • Skillet (cast iron or non-stick)
  • Bowls
  • Towel
  • Plastic wrap
  • Whisk
  • Fork
  • Wooden spoon

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup of hot water filtered is best (177mL)
  • 1 tsp. active dry yeast 3g
  • 1 Tbsp of white granulated sugar 15g
  • 2 Tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil 30mL
  • 3 Tbsp. of plain yogurt 45g
  • 2 1/4 cups of all-purpose or plain flour. 270g
  • 1 tsp. of salt 5g
  • butter for basting

Instructions

  • Heat up the water until it is 100 to 115 degrees F. (37 to 46 C) Then add in about a tsp. of your sugar to the water. Next, add in your yeast. Mix it in the water a bit and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until nice and foamy.
  • Now let's add the yeast mixture to a large bowl. Next add in the rest of our sugar, the oil, and the yogurt. Mix that up well with a whisk.
  • Next, let's add in about 1 cup of our flour, then add the salt on top of that. Then whisk it until well combined.
  • Add in about another cup of flour and mix with a wooden spoon, until the dough comes together. Next, add some of the leftover flour to a counter or table, and knead the dough for 8 minutes. Add more of the flour to the dough as necessary to keep it from sticking.
  • After the dough is kneaded, add it to a large bowl that has been coated with oil or kitchen spray. Cover the bowl lightly with plastic wrap and a damp towel, and place in a warm spot to rise. Let the dough rise for about an hour or until the dough doubles in size.
  • Put the dough back on the work surface, and elongate it. Next, cut it into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball shape and then using a rolling pin roll it out into a circle or oval shape about 1/8th of an inch thick.
  • Heat up a skillet with medium-high heat on the stovetop until really hot. Add the dough to the skillet. In about a minute or two, little bubbles will form on top. Flip it over to the other side, and wait for another minute or two. It is done when you see nice brown spots on each side.
    Remove it with tongs and place it on a plate. Baste it with butter if you like. And cook the rest of them.
  • You can garnish the naan with cilantro or parsley if you like. Enjoy!

Video

How to Make Naan | Easy Naan Bread Recipe without Tandoor | Indian Flatbread

Notes

List of nutritional facts for homemade naan
Tried this recipe?Mention @WPRecipeMaker or tag #wprecipemaker!

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal

Do you like this recipe? Pin it! Please give it a rating and comment down below, I really appreciate it. If you make it tag me on Instagram @inthekitchenwithmatt. Also, sign up for the newsletter so you won’t miss out on any of my new posts and recipes.

8 Comments

  1. As I am unable to eat gluten I will try making it with gluten free flour.

  2. 5 stars
    The perfect bread for sandwiches! I also love it with hummus. This bread is so soft & light!

  3. 5 stars
    You’re speaking my language with this Naan! Yum!!! So good. The perfect accompaniment to curries!

  4. 5 stars
    This is perfect for any soup recipe! I can’t wait to make this recipe! My family is going to love this!

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