Naan Bread (Baked 3 Ways)

This naan bread recipe will show you how to cook naan on the stovetop, in a regular oven, or in a pizza oven for equally delicious results. It’s the perfect side dish for your favorite curry, stew or soup!

You can also enjoy it plain with some garlic butter sauce or herbed olive oil drizzled over the top. Since it is so soft and tender, it also makes a great sandwich bread or hamburger buns.

Use naan in place of the pita bread in our lamb pita or lamb kofta sandwiches, or use it to make a pulled pork sandwich or a breakfast burger. 

We especially love to serve naan bread with tabbouleh, garlicky hummus, and a drizzle of olive oil. 

Why This Recipe Works

• You can cook it in a traditional oven, pizza oven or on the stovetop
  
• More versatile than pizza crust or tortillas
  
• A combination of butter, yogurt, and milk gives the bread a soft, tender texture. 

The Ingredients:

• Flour. You can use either all-purpose flour or bread flour. Bread flour will give the naan a slightly softer texture since it is higher in protein and gluten. 
  
• Yeast. We used instant yeast, which does not need to be dissolved in water. If you use active dry yeast, dissolve it in water first, then proceed with the recipe as usual. 
  
• Sugar. The sugar isn’t necessary for the yeast to work. However, adding a small amount of sugar will enhance the flavor of the dough. 
  
• Salt. If you skip the sugar, please don’t skip the salt. Salt makes a tremendous difference in the flavor. 
  
• Milk. Milk enhances the flavor and tenderizes the dough. 
  
• Yogurt. Yogurt also acts as a tenderizer and flavor enhancer. 
  
• Egg. The egg gives the naan bread a tender, rich texture and strengthens the structure of the dough. 
  
• Butter.  You can use salted or unsalted butter. If you want a slightly richer flavor, use ghee or brown butter.  

How to Make Naan Bread Three Ways

Here is a quick overview of the recipe so you can get an idea of the process. Scroll down to the printable recipe card for all the details. 

1. Combine the dry ingredients, then mix in the rest of the ingredients. Mix until the dough forms a shaggy ball. 
2. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes to give the flour time to absorb all the liquid. 
3. Knead the dough until it is soft and smooth. Let it rise until almost doubled in size. 
4. Divide the dough into several small balls and let them rest for 20 minutes. Roll the dough out to about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. 

Cooking Naan on the Stovetop

1. To cook the bread in a skillet, heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium high heat. Don’t use a non-stick pan. See the tips below.
2. Place the bread in the hot skillet and cook for about 90 seconds on each side. 

Cooking Naan in the Oven

1. To cook the bread in the oven, preheat the oven with a pizza stone or baking steel.
2. When the stone or steel gets hot, place the bread directly on the surface and cook until puffed and golden brown.

Baking Naan in a Pizza Oven

1. Preheat the pizza oven until the baking stone reaches 700°F to 720°F.
2. Place the bread on the hot stone and bake for 70 to 90 seconds. Rotate the naan every 15 to 20 seconds.

Try serving this bread with our Moroccan lamb meatballs or a simple butternut squash curry soup and a tossed green salad.

More Artisan Bread Recipes

• Cracked Wheat Bread
• Sticky Gooey Cinnamon Rolls
• Whole Wheat Einkorn Bread
• Ooni Pizza Dough Recipe
• 21 Artisan Bread Recipes

Tips For Success

• Cooking the naan in the oven? Turn the oven on to preheat when the dough is almost finished rising. 
  
• A pizza stone or baking steel will work best for baking the naan in the oven, and they are large enough to bake more than one naan at a time. If you don’t have a pizza stone or baking steel, a cast-iron skillet will also work.
  
• If you’re cooking the naan on the stove, use a heavy-bottomed pan that retains heat well. I recommend a  cast-iron skillet or a stainless steel pan. The high heat needed for the naan bread will ruin a non-stick pan.
  
• Use an oil that has a high smoke point if you cook the bread on the stove.
  
• Wait until the skillet or the oven is hot before you start cooking the bread. 
  
• Adjust your cooking method. If you find it hard to regulate the heat on your stovetop, try cooking the naan in the oven. My gas stove is much easier to use with this recipe than my induction stove. 
  
• I can get a darker char on the bread if I use the stove, but I get more consistent results when I use the oven. 
  
• If you use a pizza oven, preheat the oven until the stone heats up to between 700°F and 720°F. Use an infrared thermometer to measure the temperature of the stone.
  
• We baked the naan in an Ooni pizza oven.

Some Other Recipes We Are Sure You Will Love:

Our sriracha carrot hummus is a such a delicious dip that makes a great start to a party. Serve the hummus with fresh, warm naan on the side.

Use the naan bread as a wrap for our beef shawarma sandwiches and serve some red beet labneh on the side.

You can use this flatbread as a pizza crust. Slather the bread with white garlic sauce and top with your favorite toppings.

Naan Bread

This soft, thick and airy flat bread that is served at Indian restaurants is easy to bake at home and is incredibly delicious. It can be used as a scoop for sauces or other foods, slathered with hummus or made into a sandwich.

4.92 from 12 votes

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Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 3 minutes minutes

Additional Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 13 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 servings

Calories: 279kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

• 4 cups 480 g all-purpose flour or bread flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup warm milk 170 grams
• ½ cup plain yogurt 113 grams
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter melted

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Instructions

• Place the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Whisk to distribute the ingredients.
• Add the milk, yogurt, egg, and butter. Stir until the dough forms a lumpy ball. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough sit for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cover and knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and satiny. You can use a stand mixer or knead it by hand.
• Place the dough in a greased bowl. Oil the top of the dough ball and cover with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit in a warm draft-free area for 1 -2 hours until doubled in size.
• Divide the dough into 8 to 10 pieces. Cover and let rest 20 to 30 minutes. Roll each piece of dough into an oval about 1/8 inch thick.

To cook on the stove-top:

• Heat some oil in a skillet over high heat (do not use a non-stick skillet or the high heat will ruin the non-stick coating).
• Wait until the skillet is hot and the oil just barely starts to smoke then place the naan dough in the skillet.
• Cook for 60 to 90 seconds or until the bottom turns golden brown and the top has bubbles on the surface. Flip the naan and cook for 60 to 90 seconds on the other side.
• Set the naan on a wire rack and brush with melted butter while still warm. Repeat with the remaining pieces of naan dough.

To cook naan in the oven

• Place a pizza stone in the oven and pre-heat the oven to 500°F. Let the oven heat up for at least 30 minutes to ensure the stone has time to get hot.
• Place two pieces of naan dough on the hot pizza stone and bake for 60 to 90 seconds then turn and bake for another 60 to 90 seconds on the other side.
• Cool on a wire rack and brush with melted butter while still warm. Repeat with the remaining pieces of naan dough.

To cook naan in a pizza oven

• Preheat the pizza oven. Get the baking stone to a temperature between 700°F and 720°F.
• Place the naan bread directly on the hot stone in the oven.
• Bake for 70 to 90 seconds, turning the naan every 15 to 20 seconds to get an even cook all around.
• If excessively large bubbles pop up, push them down with your pizza peel or turner.
• Place on a cooling rack and brush with melted butter while still warm.

Notes

• Bread flour will give the naan a slightly better texture but all-purpose flour works almost as well.
• If you cook the naan on a stove-top, use a heavy-bottomed skillet that retains heat. A cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottomed stainless steel pan works well for this recipe. Avoid using a non-stick skillet since this recipe requires high heat that will ruin the non-stick surface.
• Oil for the skillet: Use an oil that has a high smoke point like avocado oil or canola oil.
• Adjust the heat of the stove-top if the skillet gets too hot. It should take 60 to 90 seconds to brown the naan bread. If it gets brown faster than that, turn the heat down.
• If you bake the naan in the oven, a pizza stone or baking steel will work the best and they are large enough to bake more than one naan at a time. If you don't have a pizza stone or baking steel, you can heat up a cast-iron skillet.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 | Calories: 279kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 38mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 1.5g

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