This Simple Garlic Naan is so quick to make and this Indian bread takes no baking. You can make this in a skillet or griddle on the stove top. Whilst the dough does have yeast in it I promise this is super easy to make and even if you have never made a yeast dough before you can learn how to make delicious Indian style bread at home. What is better than serving your curries with a homemade bread recipe.
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Naan Bread using a yeast dough recipe.
This simple garlic naan bread uses a really easy yeast dough. Please don't worry if you haven't cooked with yeast before. It is fun stuff and really isn't as scary as people think.
The recipe uses just a handful of ingredients.
- AP flour (see notes below)
- Dried instant yeast or Dried active yeast
- Salt
- Sugar
- Oil
- Warm water
Once you have the ingredients measured out, the mixer creates the dough and then you let the yeast do its magic.
It really is fabulous to watch.
Unlike most yeast dough recipes, this one doesn't need to prove for hours. Just 20 minutes is enough to let the yeast start to work.
Once the dough is ready to use, you can use your hands or a rolling pin to shape it into naan breads. I like to create the traditional teardrop shape, but as long as your bread fits in your skillet or griddle then the shape doesn't matter.
Measuring the flour
The recipe calls for 1 ½ to 2 cups of flour. This is to account for the difference in the way we all use cups to measure flour. You want the dough to be very soft and almost sticky, this will give you the softest naan breads.
When you roll it out you will add extra flour to the board so don't worry if when you leave it to prove if it is still a little sticky.
I had a couple of comments that the dough was really very sticky, so I did some extra testing. I found that of the 4 sets of US measuring cups that I own each 1 cup measure gives me a different weight of flour!
I have a favorite cup set (they fit in my dishwasher without turning upside down during a wash!) and when using them I need 1 ½ cups. When using a set of ceramic measuring cups I needed almost 2 cups of flour!
So whilst I would love to give you an exact flour measurement in cups, I can't 🙁
Add 1 ½ cups of flour to the mixer, let the dough mix and if you need to add extra flour add up to ½ cup more to get a soft slightly sticky dough.
The dough should be slightly sticky, this is what will give you soft fluffy naan!
What is the difference between Dry instant yeast and dry active yeast
Dried instant yeast and dried active yeast can be used interchangeably in recipes, but if you have dry active yeast then it needs to be dissolved in the water, before you add the other ingredients.
I always use dry instant yeast as it is a little faster and gives me great results. The recipe in the card is written for instant yeast, but in the notes section there are directions for if you have dry active yeast.
Can you freeze yeast dough?
You sure can.
You can either freeze it as soon as you have mixed it or freeze a portion after it has risen.
The yeast will lay dormant in the freezer and as you defrost the dough it will start to come back to life and make you naan bread puff again.
How to cook naan bread in a skillet/griddle
The dough should be soft, so lightly flour your board or work surface to stop it sticking.
Roughly divide the dough into 3 pieces and then roll each piece out until it is a little thicker than ¼ inch thick. Don't be too worried about it, just roll it out so it will fit in the skillet or griddle, if some bits are thicker than others it won't matter, just try and get it anywhere between ¼" and a ½" thick. (6mm-9mm)
Once the dough has been rolled out, you want to get the skillet/griddle super hot, so the dough cooks instantly.
Place the dough on the skillet and let it cook for 1-2 minutes, then flip and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. It should puff in places and get some good color on the bubbles.
Remove the bread to a plate and drizzles with the garlic butter (or eat plain). Cover with foil whilst you cook the next naan bread.
What to serve with these Garlic Naan breads?
These simple garlic naan breads are perfect with curry, but don't just stop there, they are also great with stews and soups!
- Lamb Dopiaza
- Chicken Jalfrazi
- Red Lentil Dhal
- Spiced Coconut Potato Soup
- Chicken Sausage, White Bean and Kale Soup
- Quick and Easy Thai Fish
Enjoy x
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Simple Garlic Naan Recipe (Traditional Indian Bread)
Ingredients
For the naan breads
- 1 ½ - 2 cups all-purpose flour (plain flour) (see note 1)
- 1 tsp dried instant yeast (see note 2)
- ½ tsp table salt
- pinch sugar
- ¾ cup warm water
- 3 tbsp oil (see note 3)
For the Garlic Butter
- ½ cup salted butter
- 2 tsp dried garlic flakes
- 2 tsp dried cilantro
Instructions
To make the dough (STAND MIXER METHOD)
- Set your stand mixer up with a dough hook.
- Place the flour, yeast, salt and sugar into the bowl of your stand mixer and mix on low to combine.
- Pour in the water and oil and mix on low for 10 minutes until you have an elastic dough.
- Cover the bowl with cling film and leave it to rise for 20 minutes.
To make dough (BY HAND METHOD)
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt.
- Add the water and oil, then use a fork or butter knife to combine all the ingredients, once you have a raggy looking dough, start using your hands to bring the dough together, until the sides of the bowl are clean.
- Empty the dough on a floured board and knead the dough for 15 minutes.
- Place in a bowl, cover with cling wrap and leave for 20 minutes.
To form and cook the dough
- Once the dough has sat for 20 minutes, punch it back down and then divide the dough into three roughly equal balls.
- Place one ball on a floured board and use your hands or a rolling pin to form the naan breads into oval/teardrop shapes (ensure they will fit in your skillet/griddle). (see note 4)
- Put a heavy skillet/griddle over a high heat and allow it to get searingly hot.
- Place the dough onto the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes, it should start to puff up and charr lightly.
- Flip the bread and cook for a further 1-2 minutes.
- Remove to a plate and drizzle with the garlic butter.
- Cover with foil and keep in a low oven whilst you prepare the other breads.
To make the Garlic Butter
- Place the butter in a small microwavable bowl and microwave for 45-60 seconds or until just melted.
- Stir in the garlic flakes and dried cilantro.
Notes
- Not all cup measures are created equal, I have found that my 4 different sets all give me a different amount of flour! And then depending on how you fill your cup, the quantity of flour will vary quite significantly as well!
I lightly pack my cups and then level them off. Start by adding 1 ½ cups of flour and mixing it, if you find the dough is too wet, add up to ½ cup more flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
If you have scales in the house, then this is the perfect time to use them. By weight you need 10.5oz/300g of flour. - The recipe calls for dry instant yeast, I use either, Red Star Quick-Rise, Fleischmann's RapidRise or Lowan Instant Dried Yeast.
If you have dry active yeast, then you can use that but you will need to adapt the recipe as follows:
Measure the water into the mixing bowl first and dissolve the yeast. To do this just sprinkle the yeast over the surface of the water and leave for 5 minutes. You can then add the remaining ingredients and proceed with the recipe. - 3 tbsp of oil = 45ml of oil. (The recipe uses US/UK 15ml tablespoons rather than the AU/NZ 20ml tablespoons)
- The dough should be soft, so lightly flour your board or work surface to stop it sticking. Roughly divide the dough into 3 pieces and then roll each piece out until it is a little thicker than ¼ inch thick. Don't be too worried about it, just roll it out so it will fit in the skillet or griddle, if some bits are thicker than others it won't matter, just try and get it anywhere between ¼" and a ½" thick. (6mm-9mm)
Nutrition
D.coburn says
March 2021. Making naan for the third time . Easy Peasy recipe makes six smaller naans .which works wonderful for me.. Also I have frozen the extras and they freeze great. Thanks for such a great recipe.
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased to hear that 🙂
Glad you enjoyed the recipe
Cx
Brant says
Made this today and have to say this was amazing. So easy to make, and cook. Light, fluffy and texture so tender. This will be on the table regularly.
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased Brant!
It is a family favourite and having curry for dinner would not be the same if there wasn't a side of naan bread!
Thank you for taking the time to come back and comment 🙂
Cx
Kate says
Fantastic!! I bake a LOT of bread and have tried several naan recipes and keep being disappointed. This one is a game changer! Thanks for sharing.
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so happy you enjoyed the naan. It is a family favourite in our house...I never seem to make enough 😉
Thank you for the lovely comment!
Cx
Berta says
The naan was fluffy and tasted delicious. The other bonus was that it was very East to make. Thanks for sharing.
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it Berta 🙂
Cx
Marlene says
I’m saving this to make next time I make curry or Channa. My only question is: who eats only 1/2 naan??? Haha...we love naan (my husband is Indian) and I eat at least one whole one - hubby eats at least 2-3! I will try recipe as is, but I’m thinking I might have to double it. Looks good!
Claire McEwen says
Haha, you both sound like people after my own heart! Carbs forever!!!
The recipe makes 3 large naan breads (at least 12"/30cm long), but I admit my family shares that between 4 of us!
See how you go with the recipe, with rice it might enough? But then can we ever have enough bread??? 😉
Cx
Helen McDermott says
I've just leaned to make naan bread using this recipe during lockdown and I love it! It's super easy and gives perfect results every time. The only amendment I make is to put a tiny pinch of garlic powder in the dough and then use fresh garlic and corriander in the butter (we like a LOT of garlic).
Claire McEwen says
Extra garlic always sounds like a good idea 🙂
So happy that you find the recipe easy to follow!
Cx
Christina says
QQ - do you put butter in the skillet before cookie? or just do it ungreased? Thanks!
Claire McEwen says
Hi Christina, sorry for the delayed reply, I have been without a laptop for a few days.
You put the naan into a really hot dry (ungreased) skillet, this way you can recreate the tandoori oven and dry bake the naan.
Hope that helps 🙂
Cx
Tabitha says
I’ve made this a few times now and we love it! Thank you!
How long past the 20 minutes could I let it rise? I am wanting to prep before we begin dinner and cook it right before eating.
Claire McEwen says
Hi Tabitha,
So pleased you love it 😀
I have made it 3 hours before and the dough has been fine. If I want to make it in the morning, I tend to prove it in the refrigerator to slow the rise. (I then take it out of the fridge for an hour before I shape it)
Hope that helps 🙂
Cx
Lena Epperson says
This recipe is THE BEST NAAN BREAD recipe I've made so far. Great directions ! Delicious and easy. So flavorful! Thanks!
Claire McEwen says
Lena, thank you so much! So pleased you found the directions easy to follow.
I am so pleased you enjoyed it. It is a family favorite and I make it whenever we have curry! (or soup!)
Cx
Char says
I tried the recipe and it worked really good for me. But I was wondering could I use wheat flour in place of the white flour? Thank you
Claire McEwen says
Hi Char,
So pleased you liked the recipe. I haven't tried it with whole wheat flour, but I don't see why it wouldn't work. You may find you need to add a little more water, as whole-wheat flour tends to absorb more liquid.
Do let me know if you give it a try 🙂
Cx
Denise says
I am disappointed in this recipe. I followed your exact recipe. The yeast was still in its it original form once it was proofed.
Nice little balls of yeast.
I would like to know what type of yeast you are using it, to have it blend in without blooming it first.
I have made different naan recipes and have never experienced this before.
Claire McEwen says
Hi Denise,
Sorry the recipe didn't work out for you.
The recipe calls for dry instant yeast, I am wondering if perhaps you used dry active yeast instead. That would need dissolving in the water first.
I will add a note to the recipe to make sure people realise there is a difference and how to treat both of them for the recipe. 🙂
Cx
Jenn says
You should always bloom yeast (even if the recipe doesn’t specifically call for it) 😉
GR says
I’m disappointed in this recipe as well. I used instant dry yeast and the naan didn’t puff up at all, came out really hard like pita.
Claire McEwen says
It sounds like either your yeast was old or perhaps you cooked the naan for too long. It should be a softish bread once cooked.
Hope that helps
Cx
Kaitlyn williams says
Hello how long should I let the dough sit out to defrost until it is done rising ?
I am making it ahead of time and freezing it . So when I take it out how long will it take for it to rise to the appropriate size ?
Also any other notes of freezing and defrostingjt ?
Claire McEwen says
Hi Kaitlyn,
If you are making the dough and freezing all of it straight away, I would make it to the end of step 3 (both the stand mixer or by hand method) and then place it in an oiled ziplock bag or container and freeze immediately. I prefer a bag as once it is in the bag I will flatten it down so it stores flat in the freezer and also so it defrosts quicker.
When defrosting, if you can remove it from the bag straight away then do this and place in a bowl. Sometimes the bag will get stuck inside folds of dough, so if the bag doesn't pull away easily, don't force it (I have ended up with a bit of torn bag in my dough before now) If it is stuck in the bag, let it defrost for an hour to make it easier to remove. Then transfer it to a bowl.
In total it will need 3 hours at room temperature. By this time it should have softened and risen. It should look puffier and collapse slightly when you push it. It doesn't need to double in size, just be at room temperature and have increased in size a little.
Make sure to cover the bowl whilst it is defrosting so that it doesn't dry out. (we remove it from the bag/container as it will start to rise as the yeast warms up and it can burst the bag)
When you come to roll out the naan breads I find that the frozen dough will need more flour on the board as it tends to be a bit stickier.
Hope that all helps.
Cx
Brenda Maurer says
Can the cooked naan be stored on the shelf? If so, in what and for how long?
Claire McEwen says
Hi Brenda,
Unfortunately because there are no preservatives in the naan, they don't keep well.
I have kept leftovers, wrapped in glad wrap, overnight and reheated them for lunch and they are okay, but not as good as when first made.
Sorry about that
Cx
Brenda Maurer says
I did make the 3, wrapped them in aluminum foil and put in a ziplock bag. They kept well 3 days. Took one out, warmed up slowly on the stove and they tasted fresh. Thank you.
Claire McEwen says
Oh that is fabulous to know Brenda! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and comment!
I have never stored them for that long, so it is great that they still tasted fresh!
Thank you 🙂
Cx
Merinda Crothers says
Hi, just wondering, does this recipe only make 3?
Are they really big? I'm cooking for 7 people and would usually serve 2 naan per person. If I multiply out the recipe will the method and times be accurate?
Claire McEwen says
Hi Merinda,
The naan breads are quite large, larger than the packet ones you can buy in woollies/coles, around 30cm long. The 3 breads in the recipe serves 4 people easily, and really should serve 6, but my boys love naan (probably more than curry!).
I would say if you usually serve a lot of bread then for 7 people you would probably want to double the recipe - and more bread is always better than not enough 😉
The mixture can still be made in a stand mixer (if you have a kitchen aid - I wouldn't make more than a double batch in there as it will start to fill the bowl) I make a double batch quite a lot as I often freeze the extra dough. So I am confident in the recipe working just as well.
The cook time won't change as each naan is cooked separately. Just wrap them up in foil and place in a low oven while the others cook.
So to double:
For the naan breads
3 cups/600g plain flour
2 tsp dried yeast
1 tsp table salt
pinch sugar
1 1/2 cups/375ml warm water
6 tbsp oil
For the Garlic Butter
1 cup salted butter
4 tsp dried garlic flakes
4 tsp dried cilantro
Hope that helps 🙂
Cx
Ana H says
Great recipe - really simple and worked well but my dough was v wet - maybe flour in NZ is different ?
Claire McEwen says
Hi Ana,
I am not sure about NZ flour, but I think the issue could be the oil. How big are NZ tablespoons? Are they 20ml like Australia or 15ml like America? I will update the notes on the recipe, as a largest percentage of my readership is US based I tested the recipe with US tablespoons, so you need 3 x 15ml (so 45ml) of oil.
Hope that helps 🙂
So pleased the recipe still worked well for you.
Cx
Emily says
I had the same issue. I doubled the recipe and ended up needing to add an extra cup and a half of flour to get a consistency that was dough-like.
Claire McEwen says
I think the issue is how we all measure flour using cups.
You want 10.5oz/300g of flour, for me this is 1 1/2 cups of flour (although I do always weigh flour), but as per note 1, I think this will vary for many people.
If you have scales baking is a great time to use them 🙂
Cx
Kelly Keruzore says
I think that is where the problem is. I used a flour converted 1 1/2 cups all purpose = 6.61 oz but you are using 10.5 oz . The converter says 10.5 oz is over 2 cups.
https://www.traditionaloven.com/conversions_of_measures/flour_volume_weight.html
I'm going to make a batch weighing the flour, thanks!
Claire McEwen says
Hi Kelly,
Interesting that they have 1 1/2 as only 6.6oz!!! I find cups a bit infuriating at times as they don't always give reliable measures.
I have several sets and they all give me a different mass of flour!
I am changing the measurements to 2 cups as that seems to be the more consistent amount.
Thanks for your insight
Cx
Tammi says
This was my first time making naan. This was so easy and tasted so great!! This is a keeper.
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am pleased you found it easy and that you enjoyed it! And I agree definitely a keeper, these make an almost weekly occurrence in our house.
Thank you for coming back and commenting
Cx
J Bohan says
I've rarely made any yeast breads, so maybe I did something wrong. But I had to ad almost double the flour by weight to get the dough to finally come together, and it was still a bit stickier than I think it should have been. The bread tasted good once cooked, but was much softer than you get at Indian restaurants (possibly a result of being a 30 minute recipe instead of the 2-4 hour recipes I've seen).
Imelda Jackson says
Recipe is delicious and very easy to follow.
Thank You for Sharing.
Claire McEwen says
Oh I am so pleased you enjoyed it!
We love home-made Naan Bread 😀
Cx