How To Make Naan Bread At Home?

N aan bread is a staple in the Indian Subcontinent. Without naan bread, an Indian meal isn't complete. Naan bread has the most delectable buttery flavors in a flatbread one has ever tasted. It is so popular that everyone wants to learn how to make naan bread at home so they can enjoy it whenever they want. Naan is cooked with yeast and flour in a skillet or an oven. It's popular in Indian dishes, Myanmar, the Caribbean, and Indonesia.

Although the roots of naan bread are debated, most culinary experts agree naan bread has Central Asian beginnings and was brought via conquest and trade to South Asia. During their reign, the Mughal emperors of the subcontinent popularized naan. Naan with grilled or minced meat was a favorite meal in Delhi's royal household. Follow the recipes below to learn how to make naan bread at home.

Tips For Homemade Naan

It's recommended to spread the dough batter into circular, rectangular, or crescent forms with your hands when creating naan. Using a wooden rolling pin, like pizza dough, press all the air out, leaving you with a flattened, thick, and rough bread. The flour with a higher protein level produces a dense dough that is simpler to mold without breaking.

When to turn bread while it's cooking: Turn the bread over when a little, airy bubbling emerges on the top. Cook till the bubbles have browned on either side. Then turn the naan over and keep cooking until no doughy parts are seen. If possible, cook with ghee instead of butter/oil, as refined butter provides a distinct nuttiness to naan bread.

Naan Bread Recipes

Easy Naan Bread

Ingredients

• Dry yeast, active - one teaspoon of active dry yeast
• Lukewarm water - one cup
• Salt - one teaspoon
• Sugar - two tablespoons
• Flour - two and a half cups

Instructions

Combine salt, sugar, and yeast in a mixing dish with lukewarm water and set aside for 5 minutes, or till yeast is incorporated. To get a soft dough, add flour.

On a lightly floured surface, mix the dough for a few minutes. Make a ball out of it.

Use an oiled dish for the dough, cover, and set aside in a warm environment for approximately an hour, or till it has grown exponentially.

Make eight balls out of the dough after punching it smooth. Wrap and let it rise for another half an hour or until it rises.

Preheat a nonstick skillet or pan over medium heat, or gently grease a cast-iron skillet, pan, or griddle.

While the skillet heats, stretch out a dough ball into a flat oval and set it on the skillet. On either side of the naan, cook for 3 minutes until browned and bubbling. The batter must be quite thin for the naan to cook completely. To flip the bread, use cooking tongs. 

Scrape the bread dough from the skillet and repeat with the leftover dough. If desired, spray each naan bread with softened butter sauce.

Make sure the naan is warm when serving.

Garlic Naan

Ingredients

• Dry yeast, active - one teaspoon
• Sugar two tablespoons of sugar
• Lukewarm water - quarter cup
• Flour - four cups
• Baking soda - one teaspoon
• Baking powder - one teaspoon
• Room temperature, milk–three-fourth cup
• Plain yogurt - half cup
• Minced garlic - three tablespoons
• Cooking oil
• Softened unsalted butter–one stick
• Kosher salt

Instructions

Let the sugar, water, and yeast rest for ten minutes in a clean glass container. In a big mixing basin, whisk together the baking powder and soda, along with the flour.

Combine the milk, yogurt, and yeast in a mixing bowl and mix into the flour dough. Gently knead for approximately two minutes until it resembles a smooth ball. Wrap the mixture with cling film once it has been placed in an oiled dish. Set aside and allow to rise for two hours.

Spread the mixture out onto a lightly floured area. Mash quickly before dividing it into 12 parts. Shape it out into ovals about six inches broad and a quarter-inch thick.

Use a cast-iron pan, and place it on a high flame. Mince the garlic and sprinkle over each slice and rub it onto the dough. Set the dough after brushing it with softened butter on the pan. Cook the bread for a minute, or till the dough swells up. Give it another minute and then flip the bread to the other side for cooking. Coat each side with butter and season with salt. After removing, serve in a bowl covered with paper towels until ready.

Now that you know how to make naan bread at home, try it out. These recipes are super easy to follow, even for a beginner. Don’t feel intimidated and keep experimenting with the dough until it's right for you. Happy cooking!