Homemade Indian Naan bread on a wooden serving board

Fresh naan bread out of the pan – you simply can’t beat it!

You may think making naan bread is difficult, you may even think it’s not worth the time, we beg to differ.

Fresh naan bread made by you is so, so much better than shop bought – trust us!

Why do you sprinkle water on naan bread?

You sprinkle water to keep the naan bread soft.

Naan bread will naturally stiffen when not eaten straight from the pan, so eat it as soon as you possibly can.

Just gently flick water from your fingers onto the bread and then put them in the oven for a couple of minutes and you’ll find that they become lovely and soft once again.

Is making homemade naan easy?

We think so. As long as you follow the recipe, you’ll soon be wondering why on earth you haven’t tried making them before.

There’s also something incredibly satisfying about making your own bread, Naan breads have never tasted so good.

Is making naan bread just like making a loaf of bread?

No, not quite. Naan bread uses some of the ingredients of a traditional loaf but not all.

Yoghurt is an important ingredient, as is butter and nigella seeds.

When you knead naan bread, you’ll find that the dough is super soft, it’s really lovely to work with.

The smell of a naan bread cooking is unmistakable and there’s nothing better.

When you put the naan dough in the pan it’s really important to keep your nerve.

Don’t panic and be inclined to flip or remove the bread too quickly or the dough won’t cook properly.

Our top tip is to cook one, then taste it, this will ensure that you have the pan at the right heat and that you have cooked it for long enough.

Homemade chicken madras, tarka dhal and naan bread

What dishes go well with naan bread?

We love eating naan bread with any Indian meal, it’s a really flexible addition to your plate.

Dishes like paneer jalfrezi, vegetable bhuna, aubergine and chickpea curry are all great dishes for naan bread.

But to be honest you can eat it with most dishes.

Print Pin Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Fresh Naan Bread Recipe

Naan bread never taste as good as when they are homemade. They are surprisingly easy to make as well. Once you make them, you'll never buy them again.

Prep Time15

Cook Time7

Servings

Calories235

Course: Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine: Indian

Author: Mandy Applegate | Splash of Taste

Utensils

Large bowl

Dough scraper – not essential but very useful

Large frying pan

Kitchen scales

Ingredients

½ tbsp Yeast
½ cup Warm water
½ tsp Salt
10½ oz Strong white bread flour
2 tsp Golden castor sugar
½ tsp Baking powder
2 tbsp Butter
⅔ cup Natural yoghurt
2 tbsp Nigella seeds

US Customary – Metric

Instructions

Pour the warm water into a cup or measuring jug and sprinkle 1 tsp of the sugar and the yeast and put it aside for approximately 15 minutes, by then it should be nice and frothy
In a large bowl put the flour, the remaining sugar, the baking powder and salt and give it a good mix so it's well combined
Now melt the butter
In the bowl with the ingredients make a well in the centre and then pour in the melted butter, the yeast mixture and the nigella seeds
Stir everything in and then when it's starting to come together it's time to get your hands in
You'll need to combine the mixture with your hands and you should notice that it's lovely and soft
If there's lots of mixture that is still dry then add a little water but only do a little at a time, you don't want a wet mixture
When it feels right then you need to place it onto a well floured work surface and knead it for 10 minutes
The dough should still be lovely and soft but with elasticity
Lightly coat your bowl with vegetable oil
Then pat it into a ball shape and place it back into your bowl with a very light coating of oil on the top of the dough
Place it somewhere warm and leave for at least an hour, you want to see the dough has doubled in size
When it's risen, divide into six equal parts – we weigh our dough
Then you need to roll the dough into tear drop shapes roughly 12-14cm wide and 20 – 22cms long – they really don't need to be perfect!
Place each piece on a lightly floured backing tray and cover with a damp tea towel – you don't want them to dry out
Now heat up your pan – don't put any oil in the pan – turn on the heat and you want the pan as hot as possible
Place your first piece of dough and cook for 2 – 3 minutes, the sight of them bubbling on the top is great
Then flip it over and cook for another 3 minutes – keep your nerve here!
Remove and place on a plate to serve immediately or on a cooling rack if you are not eating straight away
If you are warming them later, place them on a baking tray, splash a little water on each one and place in the oven at around 160° for 2 – 3 minutes
Serve and enjoy!

Nutrition

Disclaimer

Please note that nutrient values are estimates only. Variations can occur due to product availability and manner of food preparation. Nutrition may vary based on methods of origin, preparation, freshness of ingredients, and other factors.