Indian Naan Bread

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Be sure to also try our Sourdough Naan!

A traditional flatbread that commonly accompanies Indian dishes, this recipe yields deliciously soft, moist, and tender Naan Bread.

Nan bread, or “naan” per the more common English spelling, is traditionally cooked in a tandoor.  Used in Southern, Central, and Western Asia, tandoors are cylindrical clay pots used for cooking and baking.  The heat is generated by a wood or charcoal fire at the bottom of the tandoor and the air inside the tandoor can reach upwards of 900 degrees Farenheit!  Tandoors are often left lit for hours at a time and a consistent temperature is maintained.

Naan and other flatbreads are baked in these tandoors by slapping the dough up against the sides of the clay pot.  The surface is so hot that the dough adheres to it and is cooked within a couple of minutes or so and then peeled off.

Flatbreads, including naan, are eaten with any kind of dish, but it is especially suited to “saucy” dishes as a utensil for scooping.

There are also many delicious kinds of stuffed naan bread.  Variations include naan that is filled with ground meats, nuts, raisins, mashed potatoes and onions, and of course lots of seasonings. This recipe is for plain naan to enjoy as an accompaniment to any Indian dish.  Traditional naan bread is made by making a yeast dough that is left to rise and is then divided into balls which are flattened and baked.  It often resembles pita bread in appearance, though is commonly tear-shaped. For this recipe I’ve added a little yogurt to the dough for a nice added flavor.  I also use milk instead of water to produce a deliciously soft and moist dough.  I also like to sprinkle the naan with sesame and nigella seeds.  I was first introduced to nigella seeds (aka, kalonji or onion seeds) in the Indian restaurants in England when I lived there and have enjoyed the unique flavor of these small black seeds ever since.  You can find them in most specialty spice shops, Indian and Asian grocery stores, or you can find them online HERE, for example.  Cumin seeds are also commonly sprinkled on naan bread. And while we don’t have a tandoor to make naan bread, we’re going to a conventional oven and crank the heat waaaaaaay up.  And you’re going to love the results!

This recipe comes by way of request from Phil who enjoys Indian food but is faced with a very limited selection of it in Thailand where he currently lives.  Thus he and his wife have decided to tackle Indian cuisine within the walls of their own kitchen, including this naan bread.  I’ve been meaning to post a recipe for naan bread for quite a while, so thank you for the reminder!

Naan Recipe

Let’s get started!

Stir the yeast into 1/2 cup of the lukewarm milk (be careful it’s not too hot or it will kill the yeast and the dough will not rise properly).  Let sit for 5 minutes until frothy.  (Ignore the fact that it’s a cup in the picture – making a double batch here for company)

Combine the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer.  Make a well in the center of it and add the yeast mixture, yogurt, and melted ghee or butter.

Knead the dough with a dough hook on the bread setting for about 7-8 minutes, adding the remaining 1/2 cup milk toward the beginning as needed.  (Alternatively, you can knead the dough by hand:  Stir the mixture until it comes together in a stiff, sticky dough.  Then turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead steadily for about 10 minutes.)

The dough will be stiff, smooth, and elastic.

Remove the dough and form it into a ball.  Spray the bowl with oil and return the dough to the bowl.

Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel.  Let the dough sit in a warm place free of drafts for about 3-4 hours or until doubled in size.

Beautiful, beautiful dough!

Punch the dough down and let it rest for 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into four equal pieces.  On a lightly floured work surface, roll each piece to form a a round disk about 6 inches across and 1/4 inch thick.  Pull one side of the disk to form a tear shape.  Brush each piece with melted ghee or butter and sprinkle with your choice of sesame, nigella, and/or cumin seeds.

Set the oven to the “Grill” setting (about 500 degrees F) and preheat a baking sheet in the oven for about 2 minutes.  Carefully pull out the baking sheet and place the dough on the hot baking sheet.  Bake the dough for about 2-3 minutes then flip over and bake for another 2 minutes, until puffy and golden. Stack the baked naan bread on top of each other and cover with a clean, dry cloth until ready to serve to prevent the bread from drying out.  Best served immediately.

Indian food lovers, don’t forget to try this recipe for the BEST Mango Chutney!

Tandoor images courtesy of timtom.ch and Sérgio Savaman Savarese licensed under Creative Commons