finding time for cooking

for the time-starved or curious culinary adventurer

  • Recipes By Type
    • Appetizers, Dips, & Snacks
    • Bread Recipes
    • Breakfast Goodies
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Side Dishes & Veggies
    • Sauces, Spices, & Other Basics
    • Snacks
    • Full Recipe Index
  • Drinks: Cocktails & More
    • Best Cocktail Gifts: For the At-Home Bartender or Mixologist
  • Whatcha Need??
    • Foods I’m Obsessed With
    • 30 Minutes or Less…for the Time-Challenged Cook
    • What Bread To Make (Based on Your Time)
    • Gluten-Free Recipes
    • Pasta Recipes
    • Super Healthy
    • Cooking for One
    • Soup
    • Unleavened Bread Recipes
  • About Me & More
    • Get In Touch!
    • How-Tos
    • Kitchen Tools I’m Obsessed With
    • Food and Travel—Two of My Favorite Things
    • Bunion Surgery Recovery Tips
    • Tips for Liver Detox / Gut Health Protocol

Easy Homemade Naan Bread

January 29, 2017

Once upon a time, I made homemade naan bread, and it turned out terrible.

This is not that naan bread.  This is awesome.

This has become my go-to homemade naan bread recipe

I have no idea what went wrong with the first recipe I tried, probably a year or more ago.  But it did put me off trying it again for quite a while.  However, when I decided to try my hand for the first time at Indian cooking with this chicken tikka masala over winter break this year, I knew that naan had to be in the cards for me again.

My go-to homemade naan recipe

This recipe comes together super easily and doesn’t require any special handling.  It’s not finicky at all.  Just proof your yeast, add the ingredients all at once and knead in the machine for a couple minutes, let it rise, and then roll out and fry up.  Very hands-off.

Homemade naan bread recipe...easy and yummy

I tend to use half white whole wheat and half regular flour.  To me, when I use all whole wheat it tends to be a bit too dense and loses a bit of that chewiness that makes naan so satisfying.  But you can use all of one, or mix it up however you want.

The other important thing is that you use ghee, not just regular butter.  You can buy ghee fairly easily these days (Trader Joe’s, Amazon, or a well-stocked grocery store), but if you can’t get it for whatever reason I’d recommend making a batch of your own and storing it.  The water in regular butter will keep it from frying up right.

Phase 1:  should be 1-2 hours before you want to eat

Stir together the warm water and honey in your stand mixer bowl (with dough hook attachment) until the honey has dissolved, then sprinkle the yeast on top and give it a quick stir.  Let stand for 5-10 minutes, until the yeast is foamy.

Then add the flour, yogurt, salt, baking powder, and egg, and mix on low speed.  Once everything is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-low and mix (knead) the dough for 2-3 minutes, until the dough is smooth.  It should be slightly sticky, but pull away from the sides of the mixing bowl.

Homemade naan bread

Grease a medium bowl with olive oil, butter, or cooking spray.  Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, and (using a bit of flour) shape it into a ball with your hands.  Place it in the bowl and cover it with a damp towel, then leave it in a warm location and let it rise for 1 hour, until the dough has nearly doubled in size.

Phase 2:  note, once I’ve divided the dough, I roll the first piece out and start cooking it up, then keep rolling and buttering while it’s cooking…basically, doing it on a rolling basis so it shortens the time and things don’t dry out

When I’m halving the recipe, this whole process only takes like 10-15 minutes.

Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly floured surface and divide into 8 even pieces (or 4 if you’re halving the recipe).

Homemade naan bread recipe...easy, fast, great with Indian food

Roll each into a ball with your hands, then use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large circle (or oval, or whatever shape it takes…it’s not important) until the dough is a little less than 1/4-inch thick.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet or heavy saute pan over medium-high.  Brush the dough lightly with the ghee on both sides.

Homemade naan bread recipe

Add the first piece of rolled-out dough to the pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until the dough begins to bubble and the bottom turns lightly golden.  It will REALLY depend on your pan and stove.

Finally found a dependable homemade naan bread recipe

Using tongs, flip the dough and cook on the second side for 30-60 seconds, or until the bottom is golden as well (it generally needs less than the first side).

Transfer a warm plate and cover with a towel.  Repeat with remaining dough until all of the naan pieces are cooked.  Keep covered with the towel until ready to serve, so that it doesn’t dry out.

You might also like: 

  • Flaky, Buttery No-Yeast Flatbreads
  • Easy Turkish Bazlama Flatbread

Easy Homemade Naan Bread

Prep is 15 minutes, needs to rise for an hour, then takes around 15 minutes to cook them up

I always halve this recipe for 1-2 people, and it does make good leftovers

  • 1 cup of warm water
  • 2 tablespoons of honey
  • 1 package of active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
  • 3 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour (or 2 cups white whole wheat flour + 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour)
  • 1/4 cup of plain yogurt
  • 2 teaspoons of salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of ghee (clarified butter)
  1. Stir together warm water and honey in your stand mixer bowl until the honey has dissolved, then sprinkle the yeast on top and give it a quick stir.  Let stand for 5-10 minutes, until the yeast is foamy.
  2. Add the flour, yogurt, salt, baking powder, and egg, and mix on low speed.  Once it’s incorporated, increase speed to medium-low and mix the dough for 2-3 minutes, until the dough is smooth.  It should be slightly sticky, but should form into a ball that pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
  3. Grease a medium bowl with olive oil, butter, or cooking spray.  Remove the dough from the mixing bowl, and shape it into a ball with your hands.  Place it in the bowl and cover it with a damp towel, then leave it in a warm location and let it rise for 1 hour, until the dough has nearly doubled in size.
  4. Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a lightly floured surface.  Divide the dough into 8 even pieces.
  5. Note, I do the next steps on a rolling basis while I start to cook them up, so the dough doesn’t dry out.  When I’m halving the recipe, this whole process only takes like 10-15 minutes.
  6. Roll each into a ball with your hands, then use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large circle (or oval, or whatever shape it takes…it’s not important) until the dough is a little less than 1/4-inch thick.
  7. Heat a large cast-iron skillet or heavy saute pan over medium-high.  Brush the dough lightly with the ghee on both sides.
  8. Add the first piece of rolled-out dough to the pan and cook for about 1-2 minutes, or until the dough begins to bubble and the bottom turns lightly golden.  It will REALLY depend on your pan and stove.
  9. Using tongs, flip the dough and cook on the second side for 30-60 seconds, or until the bottom is golden as well (it generally needs less than the first side).
  10. Transfer a warm plate and cover with a towel.  Repeat with remaining dough until all of the naan pieces are cooked.  Keep covered with the towel until ready to serve, so that it doesn’t dry out.

Easy homemade naan bread...fast, yummy, adaptable | FindingTimeForCooking

Recipe adapted slightly from Gimme Some Oven

1 Comment CATEGORIES // Bread Recipes, Cooking for One, Go-To Recipes

« Almond Magic Cake
Snickerdoodle Zucchini Bread »

Trackbacks

  1. Chicken Tikka Masala – finding time for cooking says:
    March 4, 2017 at 7:56 pm

    […] rotation, because the lunch leftovers are unbeatable.  Pair it with some of my delish and easy homemade naan, and you’ve got an exotic and yet comforting winner.  Don’t be scared by the […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

About Me

Welcome to my little corner of the internet! I created this blog for people who love cooking & baking but are challenged to find the time and energy to do it. Recipes run the gamut from super healthy to indulgent, but the focus is on using REAL food no matter what.

Follow Along!

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest

Recent IG Adventures!

As someone who's never been the biggest fan of sto As someone who's never been the biggest fan of storebought hummus, I was stoked to find what I believe is the BEST homemade hummus recipe...with an easy extra step that's a great hack for getting it extra creamy! 

Tap the link in my IG bio & click on this photo to get the recipe! --> @findingtimeforcooking
#hummus #hummusrecipe #kitchenhacks
While I eagerly await warmer weather, I snuck in o While I eagerly await warmer weather, I snuck in one last winter cocktail...here's some Sage Advice! It's a winter-y version of a whiskey sour bringing both cinnamon and sage, and then skirting the line of daiquiri with the substitution of lime juice for the traditional lemon. 

Tap the link in my IG bio & pick this photo to get the recipe! --> @findingtimeforcooking
#cocktailrecipe #bourbon #bourboncocktails #whiskeysour
Forget your run-of-the-mill double chocolate cooki Forget your run-of-the-mill double chocolate cookies 🍫 These TRIPLE dark chocolate cookies (with a hint of whiskey & balance with a sprinkle of flaky sea salt) are rich indulgence without being sickly sweet. They're also soooo easy...no special tools, no dough chilling. Delish cookies in under 30 minutes! 

Tap the link in my IG bio & click on this photo to get the full recipe! --> @findingtimeforcooking 
#chocoholic #chocolatecookies #darkchocolate #cookierecipe
A recipe that gets me to eat broccoli every day?? A recipe that gets me to eat broccoli every day?? SOLD. And it is so fast & easy that it can barely be called a "recipe"...these cumin roasted broccoli bits in the air fryer (though you can use an oven instead) are crazy fast, healthy, & delicious!

Tap the link in my IG bio & pick this photo to see the recipe! --> @findingtimeforcooking 
#airfryer #broccoli #easysidedish #airfryerrecipes
I've been making these healthy 5-ingredient browni I've been making these healthy 5-ingredient brownies on REPEAT for a couple months now. And knowing that they only take a few minutes to make has been a bit dangerous on random Tuesday nights when my sweet tooth strikes! 

Oh, and I forgot to mention that they're naturally gluten- & grain-free, dairy-free, egg-free, vegan, and (optionally) no sweetener added? 

Tap the link in my IG bio & choose this photo to get the recipe! --> @findingtimeforcooking 

#healthydessert #healthybrownies #glutenfreerecipes #vegandessert
This cranberry snack cake is seriously my platonic This cranberry snack cake is seriously my platonic ideal for a cake. I DREAM of this cake. A soft, moist, dense buttery vanilla cake batter is studded with tart fresh cranberries, with a tiny crunch of raw sugar on top. A perfect dessert or snack for pretty much any occasion...including with a cup of tea on a random Tuesday afternoon...

Tap the link in my IG bio & choose this photo to get the recipe! 
--> @findingtimeforcooking 
#cranberrycake #cranberries #cranberryrecipe #bestdessert
These super easy marinated white beans are packed These super easy marinated white beans are packed with flavor & only take a few minutes to make! Even better?? They're best when made ahead of time (in 5 minutes!) and left for a day or two in the fridge for the flavors to really meld & intensify. 

This has become a go-to plant-based recipe, but I often throw some grilled salmon or chicken on top for a full meal. 

Tap the link in my IG bio & choose this pic to get the recipe!
#veganrecipes #vegetarianrecipes #whitebeans #plantbasedrecipes
A lot of people don't realize how easy & cheap it A lot of people don't realize how easy & cheap it is to make your own kombucha at home...you can have an entire gallon for less than the cost of one bottle at the store! 

I can't even keep a bamboo plant alive, yet have managed to keep the same "scoby" starter healthy & active for well over a decade. 

Here are easy step-by-step instructions for making your own kombucha at home, & the tools you'll need to do so! Tap the link in my IG bio (@findingtimeforcooking) & click on this photo to see the whole post.
#homemadekombucha #kombuchabrewing #healthyguthappylife #scoby
I'm not generally a soup person, though I'm trying I'm not generally a soup person, though I'm trying to be more 🍜 But this Turkish corba (a spiced red lentil soup) has always been one of my exceptions.  It's CRAZY easy to make, full of veggies and the protein from the lentils, and just feels like a warm hug in a bowl!  A great vegetarian dinner idea, perfect on any detox protocol, and just a great cozy recipe for the winter months.

Tap the link in my IG bio & choose this photo to get the recipe!
#corba #redlentils #souprecipe #drcabraldetox
Load More... Follow on Instagram

Popular Posts

A Different Take on Poinsettia Punch (Berry, Lemon, & Spice Gin Cocktail)

Eating My Way Through Istanbul: Exploration

Tips & Tools For (Regular or Tailor’s) Bunion Surgery Recovery

A Classic “Army and Navy” Gin Cocktail

Feta & Sweet Potato Hash With Greens

Recent Posts

  • The Best, Creamiest Homemade Hummus (+ A Secret Ha…
  • Sage Advice: A Winter Bourbon Cocktail
  • Weekday Indulgence: Easy Triple Dark Chocolate Coo…

Categories

  • Appetizers, Dips, & Snacks
  • Bread Recipes
  • Breakfast Goodies
  • Cooking for One
  • Desserts
  • Drinks: Cocktails & More
  • Eating Out
  • Family Secret Recipes
  • Food-Related Miscellany
  • Foods I'm Obsessed With
  • Gluten-Free Recipes
  • Go-To Recipes
  • How-Tos
  • Kitchen Gear
  • Main Dishes
  • Pasta Recipes
  • Recipe Experimentation
  • Sauces, Spices, & Other Basics
  • Side Dishes & Veggies
  • Snacks
  • Soup
  • Super Healthy
  • Travel and Food
  • Uncategorized

Privacy Policy & Disclosures

Copyright & Terms of Use

Copyright 2023 Finding Time For Cooking

2 shares