Homemade Naan Recipe with Step-by-Step Photos - Chisel & Fork (2024)

This homemade naan is surprisingly easy and even better than what you can buy at the grocery store. And no you don't need a tandoor oven to make them.

There is just something about freshly made bread - from more labor intensive homemade bagels to flaky buttermilk biscuits to quick and easy butternut squash bread to Irish potato bread to black pepper focaccia.

And this homemade naan recipe is about as easy as it can get, but people will think you spent hours making it.

For anyone older than 25, who admits to even knowing what naan bread was 15 years ago? I honestly had never heard of it.

Then one day my mom brought home some from Costco. I specifically remember her telling me, I think you'll really like it - it's like Indian pita bread. To me that description is perfect for this handmade naan.

Ever since having it for the first time, I've been hooked. I'll be honest, I will always choose naan bread over pita bread if I had to pick between the two. I still usually have a packet of naan frozen in my freezer to use when needed. It's great for individual pizzas or a panini or just to dip in something!

It was something I never thought about making because #1 - I thought it wasn't possible to do at home without the right cookware and #2 - I thought it would be hard!

That's until Half Baked Harvest posted a naan recipe. I've been eyeing to for a while and finally decided to give my own version of homemade naan a try!

Let's just say it's going to be difficult for me to ever buy another packet at Costco. It really couldn't be easier! And to me it's always fun to make something like this naan from scratch.

Ingredient Notes

• Yeast - creates that slight rise in the dough.
• Milk and Greek yogurt - important as it adds flavor but also creates a light and fluffy naan.
• Baking powder and baking soda - while not necessary, just a little big goes a long way in helping the dough rise for this homemade naan.

Ingredient Swaps

As with any recipe, you can mix and match the ingredients you use. Some varitions include:

• While I use active dry yeast, you can use instant yeast and skip the step of adding it to the water.
• I like using Greek yogurt in my recipes, but plain yogurt or even sour cream works too.
• Olive oil adds a little flavor and fat to the dough, but melted butter is a good substitute.

Step-by-Step Photos

Mix together the yeast, sugar and warm water in measure cup and let sit for 10 minutes before adding the milk, Greek yogurt and olive oil.

Mix the flour baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and then pour the wet ingredients into the middle of the dry ingredients.

Mix the ingredients with a wooden spoon until combined before forming into a ball. Cover with a damp dish towel until dough has covered in size.

Divide the dough into 4-6 balls and roll out on a lightly floured surface into an oval size about ⅙" thick. Then brush both sides of the naan with butter.

Heat cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and add the naan. Cover for 1 minute until bubbles form and then flip and cook for another minute or until browned.

FAQs

Variations

As with any recipe, you can adapt this homemade naan recipe to your liking. Some options include:

• Cheese - stirring in some cheddar cheese in the dough or topping with some Parmesan works great.
• Herbs - adding some cilantro or parsley is pretty traditional but thyme is also a good option.
• Garlic butter - bread and garlic butter is never a bad combination.

Ways to Serve Naan

Naan is super versatile. You can use in a variety of ways including:

• Dipping - it is great as a side dish to deep in saucy recipes like Indian butter chicken, creamy coconut curry chicken or chicken tikka masala.
• Pizza - it works great as a base for any pizza you like, from a spring pizza to BBQ chicken pizza.
• Sandwiches - it works great for sandwiches or even paninis like a chicken pesto panini.
• Wraps - can't ever go wrong with a wrap like this buffalo falafel.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Yogurt is important in making the homemade naan dense and soft, but if you don't have Greek yogurt, regular yogurt will work fine.
• Usebaking powderthat isless than a year oldsince it has been opened. If you use older baking powder, it won’t be powerful enough to help leaven the donuts. You cantestit by stirring half a teaspoon of baking powder into a cup of hot water. It will immediately start to fizz and release carbon dioxide gas if it’s still fresh enough to use.Baking sodashould be less thansix months oldand you can use the same test.
• The naan can be frozen for up to 3 months. Once it’s completely cooled, wrap each piece securely in plastic wrap and put in a ziploc bag prior to putting in the freezer. To reheat, wrap the naan in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F oven until hot.

Other Bread Recipes

If you’ve tried this homemade naan recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow meonFacebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

More Bread Recipes