Homemade Naan
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Learn to make irresistibly soft and pillowy naan in your own kitchen with this simple recipe – it far outshines any store-bought version.
Naan is a soft, pillowy flatbread traditionally baked in a tandoor. This cylindrical clay or metal oven, prevalent in restaurant kitchens across the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and Central Asia, reaches scorching temperatures, imparting a distinct smoky flavor to foods. Naan dough, enriched with yogurt and olive oil and flavored with anise seeds, is rolled out and slapped against the tandoor’s inner walls, where it adheres and bakes swiftly over open flames. Once done, it’s brushed with melted butter.
In this recipe, I’ve replicated the tandoor’s high heat and charred flavor using a very hot cast iron skillet or nonstick pan. Making naan at home is so worth the effort—aside from the rising time, it’s quick to prepare, and the taste is leagues above store-bought versions! Paired with saucy dishes like chicken curry, butter chicken, or chicken tikka masala, homemade naan truly shines.
“The dough came together easily, was nice to work with and cooked up beautifully… My search for the perfect naan bread is over—this recipe is the best!”
What You’ll Need To Make Naan
As you can see, the ingredients are very basic. The yogurt and olive oil add a bit of tang and richness. The anise seeds add just a hint of licorice flavor; feel free to leave them out, or replace them with nigella seeds (which have a subtle onion flavor), poppy seeds, or sesame seeds.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the flour, yeast, sugar, anise seeds and salt in a large bowl, then whisk to combine.
Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, and warm water.
Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients.
And stir with a fork until the dough comes together.
Dust your hands with flour and knead into a soft, sticky ball.
Cover with plastic wrap.
Let rise in a warm spot until about doubled in size, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Hint: the warmer the spot, the faster it will rise.
Fill a small bowl with flour. Dust some of the flour onto a work surface. Dump the dough on top and sprinkle the dough with more flour.
Shape the dough into a rectangle, adding more flour as necessary so it doesn’t stick.
Then, divide into six equal portions.
Heat a cast iron or heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. While it heats, roll one of the dough balls into an oval about 1/8-inch thick.
Place the dough in the hot, dry skillet and cook until the surface is full of air bubbles and the bottom is browned and blistered in spots.
Flip the naan and cook a few minutes more.
Brush the cooked naan with melted butter, and repeat with remaining dough balls.
Sprinkle with parsley, if using, then serve warm.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A: Depending on how far ahead you want to make the naan, you have a few options. If serving within one day, store the naan in resealable plastic bag at room temperature. For longer storage, wrap each piece of cooled naan securely in plastic wrap and put all the rounds in a sealable plastic bag, then freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, wrap the naan in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F oven until hot.
A: Instant yeast and active dry yeast are both types of yeast used in baking, but they have distinct differences. Active dry yeast has larger granules surrounded by a protective shell, which often requires it to be dissolved in warm water (a process known as proofing) before mixing with other ingredients. In contrast, instant yeast features finer granules without this protective layer, allowing it to dissolve and activate more rapidly. This means that instant yeast can typically be mixed directly into dry ingredients without the need for proofing.
A: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant/rapid-rise yeast in this recipe, however, the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a “head start” and speed things up, you can dissolve it in the lukewarm water and let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. After that, add it to the flour, sugar, salt, and anise seeds, and proceed with the recipe.
A: Sure! I’d add some minced garlic to some melted butter and brush it on the bread after it’s cooked.
Video Tutorial
Homemade Naan
Learn to make irresistibly soft and pillowy naan in your own kitchen with this simple recipe – it far outshines any store-bought version.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with a knife, plus more for rolling (see note)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast/rapid-rise yeast (see note)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Heaping ½ teaspoon anise seeds (optional)
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup warm water (about 100°F)
- 2 tablespoons melted salted butter, for brushing on finished naans
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional), for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and anise seeds (if using). Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together, the yogurt, olive oil, and ¾ cup warm water (about 100°F). Add the yogurt mixture to the dry ingredients and mix with a fork. When the dough is about to come together, dust your hands with flour and knead gently into a soft, slightly sticky dough (sprinkle more flour, little by little, if the dough is too wet to work with). As soon as it comes together, stop kneading.
- Lightly oil or spray a clean bowl with nonstick cooking spray (the bowl should be large enough to allow the dough to double in size). Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let sit in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until about doubled in size (hint: the warmer the spot, the faster the dough will rise).
- Fill a small bowl with about ½ cup flour. Dust a work surface with some of the flour and dump the dough on top. Sprinkle some of the flour on top of the dough and on your hands. Shape the dough into a long rectangle and cut into 6 equal portions, dusting with more flour as necessary so the dough doesn't stick. Roll each portion of dough in the bowl of flour to keep them from sticking.
- Warm a large cast iron or heavy nonstick pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Using a rolling pin, roll one of the dough balls into an oval shape about ⅛-inch thick (it should be about 9 x 4 inches). Pick up the dough and flip-flop it back and forth between your hands to release any excess flour; then gently lay the dough in the dry skillet and cook until the top is bursting with air bubbles and the bottom is golden and blackened in spots, a few minutes. Flip the naan and cook about 1-2 minutes more until the the bottom is lightly browned and blistered in spots. Remove the naan from the skillet and brush with melted butter. Place the naan in a tea towel-lined dish to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining naans, adjusting the heat lower if necessary as you go (I usually find it necessary to lower the heat to medium after the first naan). Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve warm.
- To keep the cooked naan warm, place them in a 200°F oven. Store leftovers in a Ziplock bag and reheat in a 350°F oven wrapped in foil.
- Note: I use King Arthur flour, which is higher in protein than some other all-purpose flours. If using a flour with a lower protein content, such as Gold Medal, you will likely need to add a few more tablespoons of flour.
- Note: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant/rapid-rise yeast, however, the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a boost, you can dissolve it in the lukewarm water and let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. After that, add it to the flour, sugar, salt, and anise seeds, and proceed with the recipe.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The naan can be frozen for up to 3 months. Once it’s completely cooled, wrap each piece securely in plastic wrap and put all the rounds in a sealable plastic bag prior to putting in the freezer. To reheat, wrap the naan in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F oven until hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 naan
- Calories: 241
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 323 mg
- Cholesterol: 11 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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hi jennifer,
this will be my first attempt at making naan bread. i have all ingredients on hand except for all purpose flour. i have bread flour. will that work?
Hi Dawn, I haven’t made these with bread flour, but another reader commented that she did and was happy with the results, so I think you could get away with it. LMK how they turn out!
I have made these four times this week — boyfriend loved them so much that they quickly disappeared an hour after making them. He also commented several times that that house smelled SO good as I was baking them (i use a cast iron skillet). I am not a bread person at all but I do love naan and after tasting these, I will certainly not be buying any from the store. These also put the naan fine dining restaurant I have been to shame. P.S: last time I made them I doubled the recipe and froze six of them (after baking and brushing with butter). I separated the naans with parchment paper and wrapped the whole bunch tightly in plastic wrap. To eat, I reheated the oven to 400, and once preheated, I put the naan directly from the freezer into the oven and turned it off. Waited some 5-10 minutes and took it out. It is as amazing and I was surprised how well it froze!! I will also point out that I was surprised how easy and fun making this recipe was! Thank you Jenn for this amazing recipe!!
I love Naan. This is the best I have ever had
Have you ever prepared these in advance and frozen either the dough or the cooked naan? I’m wondering the quality if I did this.
Hi, I haven’t frozen these or the dough, but I think you could get away with either and still enjoy them just as much.
Hands down better than store bought! I don’t bake bread and this was easy and amazing!
When you keep your naan in the oven to stay warm do you put them in as is or with foil?
I usually put them in without foil, but either would work.
can this recipe be made with a gluten-free flour blend?
Hi D, I’ve never made a gluten-free version of these. Can’t say they will be the exactly the same but it should work — just keep in mind that you may need to fiddle with the quantities a bit (for example, you may need a bit more or less flour). I’d love to hear how they turn out!
I looked at the list of ingredients and NO WHERE in the list did you indicate the 3/4 cup of water at 100 degrees….. I would have appreciated this information in the ingredients rather then having to SCROLL all the way thru the endless pictures, which by the way show the yeast proofing and still NO MENTION of the amout of water…. before I finally found the amount of water to proof the yeast. Seems like a pretty big oversight! So sadly because this was so difficult to navigate thru I am giving you only 2 stars!
Whew .. time for a deep breath. It’s going to be ok. How did the Naan turn out?
I hadn’t reviewed previously but decided I need to because the recipe, pictures and instructions deserve five stars! Thank you for the recipe and for the free, yet valuable, information you provide.
I second Ann. Delicious, wonderful naan! Thank you for the recipe and great instructions! I also use this recipe to make peshwari naan (my favorite). Mix sliced raisins, shredded coconut, and cardamom. Roll out piece of naan dough, add spoonful or two of raisin mix on top of dough. Fold dough over raisin mix, roll out again gently. Cook as directed. Heaven.
Oh no Maggie!
You mean you got something FOR FREE? And it wasn’t given to you just exactly the way you demand it?
Man, it is such an unfair world, isn’t it!
Thank you, Rick 🙂
My thoughts exactly.
Wow Maggie, you had to scroll?? and read through the whole recipe?? That must have been so exhausting for you, you poor poor thing.
PS… this is a fabulous naan recipe, I hope you had the energy to continue making it after all that scrolling and reading Maggie.
Made this with spelt flour and lactose free yogurt, and it was just excellent. Thank you for the recipe. I can enjoy naan with my husband.
The best homemade naan recipe I’ve tried yet. I had to add a 1/2 c of flour since my dough was still quite sticky. I also substituted soy yogurt since my husband can’t do dairy yogurt, and it was still a winner! To get my naan to look like yours I needed to butter the dough after I rolled it out, otherwise it just didn’t look very dark, and then I buttered the other side while the one side was cooking on top. Thank you for another awesome recipe!
I also should add that I did the whole production in the bread machine on the “dough” setting. 🙂