Naan traditionally is plain flat bread made using bread flour, Yeast, salt and water. Its cooked in tandoor. Salt could be optional if you are having naan with a curry. (Cause curry usually has salt and the bread might not need it).
Two ways to make Dough
Each one of us have a different acquired taste for naans and would love them with a particular texture and flavor. Choose the one that suits your taste:
1. Without Yeast – Most often I make naans following this method for 2 reasons. First one – no wait time. Make the dough, then straight away roll and toast them. They are done under 30 mins.
Second reason is to avoid yeast. This method uses baking powder and baking soda (optional) as a substitute to yeast.
2. With yeast – If you love yeast breads, their flavor & the fluffy chewy texture then this will be the one you will love. But it does take time to make naan with yeast as the dough needs to rise.
I have a little kid who loves the soft & chewy texture of the yeast naan so sometimes I make this way. This dough is great to make naanizza with some curry & cheese toppings.
Chapati, Paratha, Poori, Bhatura, roti, naan, parotta, Tandoori Roti, kulcha are some of the most commonly made flatbreads from Indian cuisine.
Trouble Shooting Tips
- Naan doesn’t get bubbles – Pan not hot enough, dough not moist enough or improper leavening.
- Naan turns hard – Toasting for too long, not enough moisture in the dough, toasting on low heat or not kneading the dough enough.
Related Recipes
For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Homemade Naan Recipe
FAQ
What is the ingredient in naan?
How is naan bread different from regular bread?
What is special about naan bread?
What is the difference between Afghan naan and Indian naan?
What is naan made out of?
It is made primarily from white flour or wheat flour and a leavening agent (usually yeast ), which results in the formation of air pockets in the dough that impart fluffiness and softness. Other ingredients used to make naan include warm water, salt, ghee (clarified butter), and yogurt.
What is naan bread made of?
The Naan dough is composed of flour, water, yogurt, and yeast, then traditionally cooked in the tandoor oven. As I said, Naan is world-famous, but it is just one among plenty of delicious Asian bread. Some examples are: Chapati: this Indian flatbread is made combining the same flour for Naan with water and salt, but without yeast.
How do you make Naan?
To make naan traditionally, a wheat flour dough is prepared and allowed to rise either using yeast, or by the addition of yogurt to the dough. For this recipe, I use both. Mixing flour with water and kneading the dough activates the gluten in the wheat flour, making the dough stretchy and the finished bread chewy.
Where did Naan come from?
The first documented traces of naan are found in the 1300 AD notes of Amir Kushrau, an Indo-Persian poet. Its name comes from the Persian word for bread. Naan was originally made in two versions at the Imperial Court in Delhi – naan-e-tunuk (light bread) and naan-e-tanuri (baked on the stone walls of a tandoor oven).