Naan (The Best Recipe!)
Soft, puffy, and blistered—this naan recipe is foolproof!
Equipment
- 1 Cast Iron frying pan a regular fring pan or crepe pan will also work
- 1 bowl medium size
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm water 115F for optimal yeast rise
- 7 grams active dry yeast 8g package will be okay too
- 300-350 grams All purpose flour 10.5-12.5 oz equivalent
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt no flavour yogurt is a must
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tbsp EVOO Extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp Ghee Ghee is better than butter
Instructions
- Activate Yeast. In a small bowl, add the sugar,warm water, and yeast together. Stir to combine well. The yeast should beactivated when it becomes foamy, about 10 minutes. Transfer the flour to a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
- Making Naan Dough. Add the yeastmixture, yogurt, salt, and oil, and knead the dough until the surface becomessmooth and shiny, about 10 minutes. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and letit rise in a warm place (for example: beside the stove top or warm oven). Thedough should double in size in about 1 hour.
- Rolling Naan. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Roll the dough to an 8” (20cm) circle using a rolling pin
- Cooking Naan. Heat up a skillet (cast-iron preferred but a crepe pan is okay too) over high heat and lightlygrease the surface with some oil to avoid the dough from sticking to theskillet. Keep an eye on the naans, if they're getting too brown, turn down the heat. Place the dough on the skillet. When it puffs up and bubbles, andburnt spots appear, flip it over and cook the other side. Repeat the same untilall the dough is done. Brush with melted Ghee or butter, and serve warm
Notes
- This recipe is revised from the one on YouTube, but there isn't a video for this recipe just yet.
- The dough is sensitive to climate and temperature variations. Start with 300 g (about 10.5 oz or 2 1/4 cups) of flour. If the dough still feels sticky, gradually add up to 350 g (around 12 oz or 2 1/3 cups) until it reaches the right consistency.
- Knead the dough with your hands until it becomes smooth and elastic, or use a stand mixer to speed up the process. Then, let it rest until it doubles in size. Please take note that in warmer climates, naan dough may rise faster due to more active yeast, while in cooler climates, it may take longer to rise.
- Make sure to use a very hot skillet to cook the flatbread. The high heat puffs up the bread for that iconic airy appearance. It’s done when burnt brown “blisters” or spots appear (see photo above). In hotter climates or kitchens, it may cook faster due to higher temperature, leading to quicker browning and potential charring.
- Brush the fresh-off-the-skillet bread with some melted salted butter or ghee, and top them with fresh cilantro.
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