This easy naan bread is an Indian flatbread that is soft and puffy. It can be served savory or sweet and is very versatile.
My favorite is the cinnamon sugar naan dippers! I first made this easy bread recipe while I was a culinary student at Great Lakes Culinary Institute.
My bakery instructor, Chef Mike first introduced me to this recipe. We had a deck oven at school that all the students would learn how to spin the dough rounds onto the hot oven surface.
We watched as the bubbles formed and would pull the naan bread out of the oven with a large wooden paddle also known as a pizza peel.
There is even a restaurant devoted to this wonderful flatbread. Check out Naan-Tastic in New York.
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What is Naan?
It is a flatbread that is traditionally baked in a tandoor oven by slapping the bread against the inside walls. The high heat cooks the flatbread recipe and the bread becomes airy and puffed.
Naan bread recipe is traditionally made with yogurt, eggs, and milk. These ingredients help make the artisan flatbread soft and fluffy.
How to Make Naan
Gather all of your ingredients to make your flatbread.
Mix the flour, salt, sugar, eggs, milk, yogurt, olive oil and active dry yeast together in a mixing bowl. You can use a flat paddle or a dough hook.
Add the water and mix about 2 minutes, to make a smooth dough. Grease a large bowl. Place the dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel.
Let the dough ferment/rise for 2 hours in a warm place. The dough should be about double in size.
Using a scale, divide the dough into 4 oz portions. Pre-shape the dough into round tennis sized balls.
Place balls onto a lightly floured surface, brush a little oil on the top of each. Cover with a cloth for at least 30 minutes.
Starting with the first dough ball, flatten like a pancake by tossing, slapping and gently stretching with both hands. You want them to be about 6-7 inches round. Continue shaping the rest of the dough balls until you have done them all.
This naan bread recipe can be halved for about 10 dough balls. It can all be doubled to make a very large batch. Get your kids involved in the whole process to learn how bread making works.
How to Cook Naan Bread
There are several ways to cook your naan recipe.
Use a deck oven and place dough rounds directly onto the oven floor. Cook until done and golden brown. Remove with a wooden peel paddle.
Using a convention oven, place the dough, in a single layer, on a sheet pan and bake until the bread is browned. Bake approximately 10 to 12 minutes.
To prevent a soggy crust, you can open the oven door during the last 2 minutes to help remove excess steam that may build up in the oven.
I cooked my homemade naan in a large non-stick sauté pan on medium low heat with a little bit of grease. Brown both sides until done.
This took about 1 ½ to 2 minutes on each side. Continue cooking until all of the dough rounds are done.
Blackstone Griddle
My choice of flat top griddle is a Blackstone Griddle. Pick from a gas griddle or an electric griddle. They come in various sizes, accessories, and options. Learn more at my New Owners Blackstone Griddle Buyers Guide! I own, use, and love my Blackstone 36″ Griddle, Blackstone 17″ Electric Griddle, Blackstone 22″ Griddle with Blackstone Pizza Oven Attachment, and Blackstone Griddle 5 Piece Accessories Kit.
Cooking Naan on the Griddle
If you have an outdoor griddle, this is my preferred method of cooking the easy naan recipe.
A large cooking surface, the Blackstone griddle is perfect for cooking up several of the dough rounds. After heating my Blackstone 36-inch griddle on medium heat until hot, I place a layer of olive oil onto the flat-top. Line as many of the pre-shaped dough rounds onto the Blackstone griddle as you can.
Once the naan bread is golden brown on one side then flip over and brown the other side. Remove from heat once both sides are golden brown.
If desired, apply melted butter to the top of freshly cooked naan bread before serving. Cut into strips for serving. This fresh bread is great by itself or can be turned into many other recipes.
How to Make Garlic Naan Bread
Combine 4 tablespoons of melted butter, ½ teaspoon of minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped parsley in a bowl. After the flatbread has been cooked and is still warm, spread the garlic butter on top with a pastry brush.
Rip the garlic naan into pieces and dip into a saucy main dish or spicy hummus. Or top the bread with pizza toppings and heat under the broiler or in a hot oven.
How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Naan Dippers
Cinnamon sugar naan bread is my favorite. After making these at culinary school and bringing some home for my family, I had to make more.
Melt some butter in a bowl. With a pastry brush, apply the butter to the naan bread.
Combine a cup of sugar with 1 tablespoons of cinnamon in a plastic baggy. Place the buttered bread (one or two at a time) into the baggy with the cinnamon sugar mixture and toss to coat. You can dip the bread into a yogurt dip or eat plain.
Naan Pizza
Naan bread pizza is easy to make. After the flatbread has been cooked, top with pizza sauce, add your favorite toppings and finish it off with a layer of mozzarella cheese.
Place in a preheated oven and bake until the toppings are golden brown. Serve the flatbread pizza piping hot!!
How Long Does Naan Bread Last?
Store in a Ziplock bag or wrap in plastic wrap at room temperature. Naan bread will last 5-7 days.
To refresh the bread, sprinkle with a little bit of water and warm up. The water helps the bread say soft and flexible instead of becoming hard and crunchy.
Can You Freeze Naan?
This batch makes 20 naan breads. If you have leftovers, then you can freeze them.
Place parchment or wax paper in between each piece. Wrap all in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag.
You can freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, defrost and warm in a low oven or in the microwave. Serve right away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Both breads are very similar but also very different. Pita bread has a “pocket” in the inside which makes it great for filling with lunch meats or other ingredients. Naan bread does not have that pocket. Pita bread is a little bit more dense in texture than naan bread. Naan bread has several airy bubbles as it cooks where pita bread has more of a smooth texture.
Naan Bread
This easy naan bread is an Indian flatbread that is soft and puffy. It can be served savory or sweet and is very versatile. My favorite is the cinnamon sugar naan dippers!
Ingredients
- Flour, All Purpose 3 lb
- Salt, Iodized 1 tablespoon
- Sugar, Granulated 1 tablespoon
- Egg - Room Temperature 1 each
- Milk - Room Temperature 1/2 cup
- Yogurt, Plain - Room Temp. 1/2 cup
- Olive Oil 1/4 cup
- Yeast, Active Dry 1 1/2 teaspoon
- Water 1 1/2 lbs
- Oil, For cooking bread 1/4 cup
Instructions
How to Make the Dough
- Gather all of your ingredients to make your flatbread.
- Mix the flour, salt, sugar, eggs, milk, yogurt, olive oil and active dry yeast together in a mixing bowl. You can use a flat paddle or a dough hook.
- Add the water and mix about 2 minutes, to make a smooth dough.
- Grease a large bowl. Place the dough into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a towel.
- Let the dough ferment/rise for 2 hours in a warm place. The dough should be about double in size.
- Using a scale, divide the dough into 4 oz portions.
- Pre-shape the dough into round tennis sized balls. Place balls onto a lightly floured surface, brush a little oil on the top of each. Cover with a cloth for at least 30 minutes.
- Starting with the first dough ball, flatten like a pancake by tossing, slapping and gently stretching with both hands. You want them to be about 6-7 inches round.
- Continue shaping the rest of the dough balls until you have done them all.
How to Cook Naan
- There are several ways to cook your naan recipe.
- Use a deck oven and place dough rounds directly onto the oven floor. Cook until done and golden brown. Remove with a wooden peel paddle.
- Using a convention oven, place the dough, in a single layer, on a sheet pan and bake until the bread is browned. Bake approximately 10 to 12 minutes. To prevent a soggy crust, you can open the oven door during the last 2 minutes to help remove excess steam that may build up in the oven.
- I cooked my homemade naan in a large non-stick sauté pan on medium low heat with a little bit of grease. Brown both sides until done. This took about 1 ½ to 2 minutes on each side. Continue cooking until all of the dough rounds are done.
Cooking Naan on the Griddle
- If you have an outdoor griddle, this is my preferred method of cooking the easy naan recipe. A large cooking surface, the Blackstone griddle is perfect for cooking up several of the dough rounds.
- After heating my Blackstone 36-inch griddle on medium heat until hot, I place a layer of olive oil onto the flat-top.
- Shape the naan dough.
- Line as many of the pre-shaped dough rounds onto the Blackstone griddle as you can.
- Once the naan bread is golden brown on one side then flip over and brown the other side.
- Remove from heat once both sides are golden brown.
Notes
How to Make Garlic Naan
Combine 4 tablespoons of melted butter, ½ teaspoon of minced garlic and 1 teaspoon of freshly chopped parsley in a bowl. After the flatbread has been cooked and is still warm, spread the garlic butter on top with a pastry brush. Rip the garlic naan into pieces and dip into a saucy main dish or spicy hummus. Or top the bread with pizza toppings and heat under the broiler or in a hot oven.
How to Make Cinnamon Sugar Naan Dippers
Cinnamon sugar naan bread is my favorite. After making these at culinary school and bringing some home for my family, I had to make more. Melt some butter in a bowl. With a pastry brush, apply the butter to the naan bread. Combine a cup of sugar with 1 tablespoons of cinnamon in a plastic baggy. Place the buttered bread (one or two at a time) into the baggy with the cinnamon sugar mixture and toss to coat. You can dip the bread into a yogurt dip or eat plain.
Naan Pizza
Naan bread pizza is easy to make. After the flatbread has been cooked, top with pizza sauce, add your favorite toppings and finish it off with a layer of mozzarella cheese. Place in a preheated oven and bake until the toppings are golden brown. Serve the flatbread pizza piping hot!!
How Long Does Naan Bread Last?
Store in a Ziplock bag or wrap in plastic wrap at room temperature. Naan bread will last 5-7 days. To refresh the bread, sprinkle with a little bit of water and warm up. The water helps the bread say soft and flexible instead of becoming hard and crunchy.
Can You Freeze Naan?
This batch makes 20 naan breads. If you have leftovers, then you can freeze them. Place parchment or wax paper in between each piece. Wrap all in plastic wrap and place in a freezer bag. You can freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, defrost and warm in a low oven or in the microwave. Serve right away.
Recommended Products
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This page contains affiliate links. Click on the highlighted text in a post to explore a product. If you purchase through one of them, I will receive a commission (at no additional cost to you). I ONLY EVER ENDORSE PRODUCTS THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY USED. Thank you for your support!
Nutrition Information
Yield
20Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 295Total Fat 5gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 3gCholesterol 10mgSodium 338mgCarbohydrates 54gFiber 2gSugar 1gProtein 8g
Note: For exact nutritional information, consult your dietitian. All nutritional information is simply a guideline.
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How many cups of water is 1 1/2 pounds?
1 1/2 pounds of water is 2 3/4 cups. I hope this helps.
If I want to halve this recipe, is it still 1 egg?
I have not tested this recipe with just half the ingredients and still using 1 egg. If you try it that way please leave another comment and let me know how it turns out.
Thank you so much for this recipe. It was so easy to make and I’ve got a freezer full of naan now. 🙂 We love it, so it won’t last very long at all. Plus I love being able to make things at home rather than buy prepackaged.
We love naam bread! Just for fun, on a day she was off from school, my daughter and I made a batch from scratch (rather than skipping that step and buying it). Our naan pizzas tasted even better than ever because we knew we’d made the bread!
I have always been a little nervous about making naan bread, but your instructions and the insights you shared made the process so much more approachable and enjoyable. Your recipe has become a treasured favorite in my household 🙂
I am glad to hear that! The more you make it, the more you will love this bread recipe.