Authentic Indian Naan
This authentic Indian naan recipe produces a soft, pillowy flatbread with the distinct chew characteristic of traditional Indian restaurant naan. We use plain Greek yogurt to build the crumb structure without requiring a commercial tandoor oven or eggs.
Servings 8 portions
Ingredients
For the naan dough
- 300 grams (2 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
- 6 grams (1 teaspoon) kosher salt
- 9 grams (2 ¼ teaspoon) white sugar
- 125 grams (½ cup) warm water
- 3 grams (¼ teaspoon) instant yeast
- 100 grams (½ cup) plain Greek yogurt
- 20 grams (1 ⅓ tablespoon) melted ghee - or cooking oil
For the garlic butter
- 50 grams (3 ⅓ tablespoon) ghee
- 6 cloves (6 cloves) garlic - minced
- ½ bunch (½ bunch) Fresh cilantro - finely chopped
- Flakey salt - for finishing
Instructions
- Bloom the yeast and mix wet ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 300 g of all-purpose flour, 6 g of kosher salt, and 9 g of white sugar. In a separate jug, mix 125 g of warm water with 3 g of instant yeast, 100 g of plain Greek yogurt, and 20 g of melted ghee. Let the liquid stand for 10 minutes until the surface becomes frothy.300 grams all-purpose flour, 6 grams kosher salt, 9 grams white sugar, 125 grams warm water, 3 grams instant yeast, 100 grams plain Greek yogurt, 20 grams melted ghee
- Mix the dough: Pour the bloomed yeast mixture into the dry ingredients. Mix the ingredients by hand until the liquid is fully absorbed. Continue mixing until a rough, shaggy dough forms with no dry spots of flour remaining.
- Hydrate, knead, and proof: Cover the glass bowl with a damp tea towel and let the dough rest for 15 minutes to fully hydrate the flour. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead it into a smooth, round ball. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with the damp towel, and place it in a warm environment, such as an oven with only the interior light turned on. Let it proof for 1.5 to 2 hours until doubled in size.
- Portion and weigh: Transfer the risen dough to a lightly floured surface and gently knock the air out. Flatten it slightly, then use a digital scale to divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, weighing 70 grams each.
- Shape and final proof: Shape each portion into a tight, round ball. Flip the dough smooth-side down, fold the edges inward, and pinch the bottom seam together. Lightly coat a baking tray and your hands with cooking oil. Roll the dough balls on the table to seal the bottoms, then place them on the oiled tray. Cover the tray and let the dough proof for 30 minutes until increased in size by 50%.
- Make the garlic butter: While the dough proofs, place a stainless steel pan over medium heat and melt 50 g of ghee or butter. Add 6 crushed garlic cloves. Cook lightly over low heat without browning the garlic. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the mixture to a bowl to sit at room temperature.50 grams ghee, 6 cloves garlic
- Roll out the naan: Place a proven dough ball onto a lightly floured work surface with the smooth side facing down. Flatten the dough gently with your hands, pressing the edges. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out until it is very thin and almost translucent.
- Cook and blister the dough: Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Wipe the base of the skillet with a paper towel holding a single drop of cooking oil. Place the rolled dough flat into the hot skillet. Watch for the surface to puff and form large blisters. Check the underside, and once adequately charred, flip the flatbread to cook the opposite side.
- Brush and serve: Remove the cooked flatbread from the skillet. Immediately brush the hot surface with the prepared garlic butter. Add chopped cilantro and a pinch of flaky salt. Stack the finished flatbreads and cover them with a plate to keep them soft and warm while you cook the remaining portions.½ bunch Fresh cilantro, Flakey salt
Video
Notes
- Yeast blooming: Dissolving the instant yeast in the warm liquid first is not strictly necessary for rapid-rise yeast, but it jumpstarts the fermentation process and acts as a viability test, ensuring your yeast is active before you commit the flour.
- The egg myth: Authentic Indian naan does not contain eggs. Modern recipes use eggs to mimic the rapid lift of a commercial tandoor oven, resulting in a tight, cake-like crumb. By utilizing precise hydration and the lactic acid from Greek yogurt, this dough achieves the correct chewy, large-pocketed texture naturally.
- Flour hydration: Both bread flour and all-purpose flour work. However, different flour brands and ambient humidity levels affect liquid absorption. Hold back 15 g of the warm water during the initial mix and only add it if the dough remains excessively dry and shaggy.
- Proofing environment: For a perfectly controlled, draft-free environment, place the covered bowl inside an unheated oven with only the interior light turned on. This maintains a steady temperature of roughly 26°C (80°F).
- Skillet science (No non-stick pans): Proper blistering requires surface temperatures exceeding 260°C (500°F). Standard non-stick Teflon coatings degrade and off-gas toxins at this heat. A well-seasoned cast-iron skillet or heavy carbon steel pan is mandatory for this recipe. I use this Skillet. Affordable and lasts a lifetime if you take care of it.
- Garlic butter technique: Do not microwave raw garlic in butter. It creates an acrid, bitter flavor and risks causing the fat to explode. Gently infuse the minced garlic into the melted ghee over low heat.
- Cold fermentation (Make-ahead): To make the dough 24 hours in advance, complete the first proof, knock out the air, and refrigerate the dough in a tightly sealed, oiled container. The dough must sit at room temperature for 1 hour to warm up before you portion and roll it.
- Freezing and reheating: Flatbreads freeze exceptionally well for up to 2 months. Stack cooled portions with parchment paper dividers in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Crucially, do not thaw before reheating; place them directly from the freezer into a hot skillet or a 200°C (400°F) oven to prevent gumminess.
- Room temperature storage: Cool cooked flatbreads completely on a wire rack to prevent condensation. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Never refrigerate cooked bread, as cold environments crystallize the starches and rapidly accelerate staling.
- Dietary substitutions: For a vegan flatbread, use unsweetened plant-based yogurt and a neutral oil. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 baking flour with xanthan gum and hold back 15 g of water. For whole wheat, replace 150 g of all-purpose flour and increase the total water by 15 g to hydrate the bran.
- Nutrition: The nutritional information assumes you use all the garlic butter evenly across all the naan.
Nutrition
Serving: 70grams Calories: 230kcal Carbohydrates: 31g Protein: 5g Fat: 9g Saturated Fat: 5g Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g Monounsaturated Fat: 3g Trans Fat: 0.001g Cholesterol: 23mg Sodium: 298mg Potassium: 73mg Fiber: 1g Sugar: 2g Vitamin A: 34IU Vitamin C: 1mg Calcium: 25mg Iron: 2mg
Keywords:how to make naan, indian naan recipe, naan bread
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