Last week, we finally got snow cover in Madison.
While I’m not a fan of the dooming cold, I have to admit, I prefer to look at a snowy landscape rather than the bare, brown and grey we had going on for most of November and December.
While the snow was calmly falling on Thursday evening, I realized that we didn’t have any naan for the Indian dish I was planning on preparing that night. Driving in this weather for a single grocery item seemed a little extreme, so I decided to try my hand at making homemade naan, and it turns out, it’s incredibly simple. Better yet, you likely have all the ingredients at home, so there’s almost no preparation needed.
What sets naan dough apart from many other breads is that it has Greek yogurt in the mix. The yogurt gives the bread a doughy, dense texture that is perfect for sopping up curries and other Indian or North African sauces.
If you’re looking for a dish to make along with your freshly baked naan, my two current favorites are this beautiful butter chicken dish or this spiced chicken with tomatoes and cream. Both are excellent dishes that you can make a huge batch of and eat throughout the week. That’s how I tend to cook them. If you’re not feeling those, I’ve got a few other Indian dishes that may spark your interest.
And it’s not like naan has to be consumed with an Indian dish. I often use it to make grilled cheese or eat it with my eggs in the morning. So to summarize: make fresh leavened bread, eat it with everything.
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¼ cup hot (not boiling) water
- ¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ cup whole milk, warm
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 6-8 tablespoons butter, melted
- cumin, paprika, cilantro, garlic, or other spices and herbs for topping (optional)
- In a medium sized bowl, dissolve sugar in hot water. Add in yeast and stir until it is dissolved. Let yeast mixture sit for about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder.
- When yeast mixture is ready, add in warm milk and Greek yogurt. Whisk until fully combined.
- Pour wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a wooden spoon, mix well. Once dough starts to come together, use your hands to knead dough for 1-2 minutes. Dough should be sticky and soft.
- Cover dough with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let sit for 1 hour in a warm place.
- After dough has risen, divide it into 12 even pieces. On a lightly floured surface, roll each ball out to about ¼ inch thick.
- Warm a cast iron pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, generously brush both sides of your dough with butter and, if using, sprinkle with cumin, paprika and/or garlic.
- Place as many pieces of naan as fit single layer into the hot pan. Cover with lid and cook for 1 minute. Naan will bubble and start to toast. Flip to other side and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes until both sides are nicely toasted.
- Repeat with remaining naan. Top with cilantro or other herbs and serve immediately, or reheat in oven or toaster.
This looks so awesome… I love Naan bread!!! I may have to make this! It’s so much cheaper to make it at home!
writes mila furmanThis is fabulous!! I hate buying specialty items when I can just make them at home for a fraction of the cost. Pinning this and checking out the Indian recipes you linked to!
writes Melissa KlotzTotally agree. Especially when it’s this simple.
writes VickyI love Naan.. but never have made it from scratch before. Thanks for the recipe – I have to make it!
writes Thalia @ butter and briocheWith your baking skills I bet you could do it in your sleep :)
writes VickyI am a huge naan bread lover. Making it at least 2-3 times a month. Never thought of topping the naan bread with spices and salt.. lovely idea.. will try it next time :) thanks for sharing
writes Claudia @ HomeMade with loveI love this! I’ve never tried making my own naan, although we frequently cook Indian food at home. Have pinned and will definitely be trying this recipe the next time we do an Indian night. Thanks so much!
writes themuffinmythGosh this looks wonderful – will definitely be trying it, thank you!
writes Rosie @ Notes of BaconYogurt, yoghurt, or yoghourt (/ˈjoʊɡərt/ or /ˈjɒɡət/; from Turkish: yoğurt; other spellings listed below) is a food produced by bacterial fermentation of milk.
writes dragon talonAs you see “Turkish yogurt” not “greek”
Made this today but it had a bitter baking soda flavour
writes FazilaHi Vicky, can this be baked?
writes AngelinaI’ve never tried it, but I don’t think that would work – you need the high heat of the stovetop to get the bread to cook correctly. I think baking would be too slow of a heat and would result in a gummy, wet texture.
writes Vicky[…] Evolving Consumer Preferences As consumers continue to evolve, so too will their preferences, impacting the naan production landscape: […]
writes The Art of Mass Producing Naan: From Dough to Deliciousness – Kennedys Curry