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Once I learned How to Make Naan Bread, I haven’t turned back. This naan bread recipe is so simple and easy to make. You’ll never buy naan bread from the store again with this great recipe.
I’m going to show you how to make Naan bread two different ways, in a bread machine and also how you can make it by hand. No matter which way you choose, you’ll be amazed at just how easy it is to make delicious Naan bread at home. This Indian Food recipe is very frugal because you can make it for about half of what you would pay in the store.
I’m pretty confident that after you taste this homemade naan that you will love this recipe. You will be amazed at how easy it is to make but that it tastes just as good, if not better than the Indian Restaurant. Enjoy this bread with Instant Pot Chicken Tikka Masala and Crockpot Butter Chicken.
Table of Contents
What is Naan?
If you’ve never heard of naan bread before, you are really missing out! Naan is a flatbread from India. But don’t let the term flatbread scare you away! It is actually filled with bubbles which makes it quite soft and pillowy. You will love naan as soon as you try it!
Traditionally naan is eaten dipped in hummus or served alongside other Indian dishes like curry, butter chicken or Tikka Masala. The pillowy texture and amazing flavor makes it perfect for soaking up the sauces that are Indian food is most known for.
Ingredients
- Active Dry Yeast – Make sure to use fresh yeast
- Warm Water – Water need to be 110 degrees F
- Sugar – This helps to make the bread extra fluffy
- Milk – We used whole milk
- Egg – Helps to keep the dough tender
- Garlic – Learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves
Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.
Variations Ideas
- Gluten-free naan: use an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend in place of the all-purpose flour.
- How to make garlic naan bread recipe: brush your naan with garlic butter.
- Whole wheat naan: use up to 2 cups whole wheat flour. For 100% whole wheat naan substitute whole wheat flour and add 1 ½ tsp baking powder.
How to Make Homemade Naan Bread
Step 1 – Combine all ingredients EXCEPT garlic in bread machine. You’ll want to place the wet ingredients in the bottom followed by the dry ingredients. Do not include the garlic in this step.
Step 2 – Set for dough setting. When dough has completed first rise in the bread machine, remove and integrate garlic by kneading it in on lightly floured surface.
Step 3 – Pull off pieces of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
Step 4 – Preheat grill to medium-high heat (around 375 degrees). Once the second rise is complete, brush the grill with melted butter.
Step 5 – Roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Place dough on grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy and showing brown bubbled areas.
Step 6 – Brush the top side with butter and flip. Brush browned side with butter and cook until browned another 2 to 4 minutes.
- Step 9 – Remove from heat and continue until all the naan has been cooked.
Expert Tips
- Bread Machine – Now if you need a bread machine, I highly recommend this one here. It works great and it is reasonably priced.
- Combining Dough Ingredients – Follow the recipe as it is written so that the dough rises correctly.
- Cooking Dough – Watch the grill closely as it only takes a few minutes on each side to cook the Naan Bread.
Serving Suggestions
Naan bread can be served as a side dish to many Indian Recipes. We have even enjoyed it to make Homemade Pizza or to dip into Easy Homemade Hummus Recipe.
We even love to use it to dip into Instant Pot Chicken Curry Recipe, Slow Cooker Chicken Tikka Masala or make a Grilled Ham and Cheese Sandwich Recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Making naan from scratch is actually quite simple! It is as easy as dissolving yeast and sugar in water and combining it with milk, egg, water, salt and flour then kneading it and letting it rise. Once the dough has doubled in size, you break off small pieces of dough that will become your naan. After it rises again, you just need to cook it!
Naan is traditionally cooked in a tandoor oven. Tandoor ovens are basically a smoker, convection oven and barbecue grill all in one! They’re a cylindrical clay pot that is fueled by wood or charcoal. To cook naan inside a tandoor oven, the bread dough is actually slapped against the inside walls and grilled!
Considering that most kitchens do not have their very own tandoor oven, I’ve come up with a way to cook naan bread that is pretty close to the original. Grilling it! If you don’t want to grill your naan bread, you can cook it in a hot cast-iron skillet!
Naan Bread and Pita Bread are both flatbreads but are made with different ingredients and cooked differently.
Storing Tips
- Storing – Store the leftovers after they have cooled in an airtight container or ziplock freezer bag. You can keep at room temperature for up to 2 days or place in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
- Freezing – Freeze the leftovers in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months.
- Thawing – Thaw the frozen Naan Bread at room temperature.
More Easy Bread Recipes
We love to hear from you. If you make Naan Bread Recipe, please leave us a comment or a star review.
How to Make Naan Bread
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ teaspoons yeast 1 packet
- 1 cup warm water 110 degrees F
- ¼ cup sugar
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 egg
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons garlic minced
- Additional butter for oiling the pan/griddle
Instructions
- Combine all ingredients EXCEPT garlic in bread machine. You’ll want to place the wet ingredients in the bottom followed by the dry ingredients. Do not include the garlic in this step.
- Set for dough setting.
- When dough has completed first rise in the bread machine, remove and integrate garlic by kneading it in on floured surface.
- Pull off pieces of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls and place on a cookie sheet. Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat grill to high heat (around 375 degrees).
- Once the second rise is complete, brush the grill with melted butter.
- Roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Place dough on grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until fluffy and showing brown bubbled areas.
- Brush the top side with butter and flip. Brush browned side with butter and cook until browned another 2 to 4 minutes.
- Remove from heat and continue until all the naan has been cooked.
These taste better than store bought Naan.
Yes, you can freeze Naan. I would freeze the finished bread.
Can you freeze Naan? Would you freeze the individual balls or the finished bread?
This one going to give a try for sure. Love naan, all of us so this would be wonderful.