Homemade Naan
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Learn to make irresistibly soft and pillowy naan in your own kitchen with this simple recipe – it far outshines any store-bought version.
Naan is a soft, pillowy flatbread traditionally baked in a tandoor. This cylindrical clay or metal oven, prevalent in restaurant kitchens across the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, and Central Asia, reaches scorching temperatures, imparting a distinct smoky flavor to foods. Naan dough, enriched with yogurt and olive oil and flavored with anise seeds, is rolled out and slapped against the tandoor’s inner walls, where it adheres and bakes swiftly over open flames. Once done, it’s brushed with melted butter.
In this recipe, I’ve replicated the tandoor’s high heat and charred flavor using a very hot cast iron skillet or nonstick pan. Making naan at home is so worth the effort—aside from the rising time, it’s quick to prepare, and the taste is leagues above store-bought versions! Paired with saucy dishes like chicken curry, butter chicken, or chicken tikka masala, homemade naan truly shines.
“The dough came together easily, was nice to work with and cooked up beautifully… My search for the perfect naan bread is over—this recipe is the best!”
What You’ll Need To Make Naan
As you can see, the ingredients are very basic. The yogurt and olive oil add a bit of tang and richness. The anise seeds add just a hint of licorice flavor; feel free to leave them out, or replace them with nigella seeds (which have a subtle onion flavor), poppy seeds, or sesame seeds.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by combining the flour, yeast, sugar, anise seeds and salt in a large bowl, then whisk to combine.
Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, and warm water.
Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients.
And stir with a fork until the dough comes together.
Dust your hands with flour and knead into a soft, sticky ball.
Cover with plastic wrap.
Let rise in a warm spot until about doubled in size, 1 to 1-1/2 hours. Hint: the warmer the spot, the faster it will rise.
Fill a small bowl with flour. Dust some of the flour onto a work surface. Dump the dough on top and sprinkle the dough with more flour.
Shape the dough into a rectangle, adding more flour as necessary so it doesn’t stick.
Then, divide into six equal portions.
Heat a cast iron or heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until very hot. While it heats, roll one of the dough balls into an oval about 1/8-inch thick.
Place the dough in the hot, dry skillet and cook until the surface is full of air bubbles and the bottom is browned and blistered in spots.
Flip the naan and cook a few minutes more.
Brush the cooked naan with melted butter, and repeat with remaining dough balls.
Sprinkle with parsley, if using, then serve warm.
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Frequently Asked Questions
A: Depending on how far ahead you want to make the naan, you have a few options. If serving within one day, store the naan in resealable plastic bag at room temperature. For longer storage, wrap each piece of cooled naan securely in plastic wrap and put all the rounds in a sealable plastic bag, then freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, wrap the naan in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F oven until hot.
A: Instant yeast and active dry yeast are both types of yeast used in baking, but they have distinct differences. Active dry yeast has larger granules surrounded by a protective shell, which often requires it to be dissolved in warm water (a process known as proofing) before mixing with other ingredients. In contrast, instant yeast features finer granules without this protective layer, allowing it to dissolve and activate more rapidly. This means that instant yeast can typically be mixed directly into dry ingredients without the need for proofing.
A: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant/rapid-rise yeast in this recipe, however, the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a “head start” and speed things up, you can dissolve it in the lukewarm water and let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. After that, add it to the flour, sugar, salt, and anise seeds, and proceed with the recipe.
A: Sure! I’d add some minced garlic to some melted butter and brush it on the bread after it’s cooked.
Video Tutorial
Homemade Naan
Learn to make irresistibly soft and pillowy naan in your own kitchen with this simple recipe – it far outshines any store-bought version.
Ingredients
- 2 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off with a knife, plus more for rolling (see note)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon instant dry yeast/rapid-rise yeast (see note)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Heaping ½ teaspoon anise seeds (optional)
- 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup warm water (about 100°F)
- 2 tablespoons melted salted butter, for brushing on finished naans
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley (optional), for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, salt and anise seeds (if using). Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together, the yogurt, olive oil, and ¾ cup warm water (about 100°F). Add the yogurt mixture to the dry ingredients and mix with a fork. When the dough is about to come together, dust your hands with flour and knead gently into a soft, slightly sticky dough (sprinkle more flour, little by little, if the dough is too wet to work with). As soon as it comes together, stop kneading.
- Lightly oil or spray a clean bowl with nonstick cooking spray (the bowl should be large enough to allow the dough to double in size). Transfer the dough to the prepared bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let sit in a warm place for 1 to 1½ hours, or until about doubled in size (hint: the warmer the spot, the faster the dough will rise).
- Fill a small bowl with about ½ cup flour. Dust a work surface with some of the flour and dump the dough on top. Sprinkle some of the flour on top of the dough and on your hands. Shape the dough into a long rectangle and cut into 6 equal portions, dusting with more flour as necessary so the dough doesn't stick. Roll each portion of dough in the bowl of flour to keep them from sticking.
- Warm a large cast iron or heavy nonstick pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Using a rolling pin, roll one of the dough balls into an oval shape about ⅛-inch thick (it should be about 9 x 4 inches). Pick up the dough and flip-flop it back and forth between your hands to release any excess flour; then gently lay the dough in the dry skillet and cook until the top is bursting with air bubbles and the bottom is golden and blackened in spots, a few minutes. Flip the naan and cook about 1-2 minutes more until the the bottom is lightly browned and blistered in spots. Remove the naan from the skillet and brush with melted butter. Place the naan in a tea towel-lined dish to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining naans, adjusting the heat lower if necessary as you go (I usually find it necessary to lower the heat to medium after the first naan). Sprinkle with parsley, if using, and serve warm.
- To keep the cooked naan warm, place them in a 200°F oven. Store leftovers in a Ziplock bag and reheat in a 350°F oven wrapped in foil.
- Note: I use King Arthur flour, which is higher in protein than some other all-purpose flours. If using a flour with a lower protein content, such as Gold Medal, you will likely need to add a few more tablespoons of flour.
- Note: Active dry yeast may be used instead of instant/rapid-rise yeast, however, the dough will take longer to rise. To give active dry yeast a boost, you can dissolve it in the lukewarm water and let it sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. After that, add it to the flour, sugar, salt, and anise seeds, and proceed with the recipe.
- Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The naan can be frozen for up to 3 months. Once it’s completely cooled, wrap each piece securely in plastic wrap and put all the rounds in a sealable plastic bag prior to putting in the freezer. To reheat, wrap the naan in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F oven until hot.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 naan
- Calories: 241
- Fat: 9 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Sugar: 3 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 323 mg
- Cholesterol: 11 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Beautiful naan – light, fluffy, delicious. Excellent recipe and very clear set of directions. Easy to follow, turned out beautifully. Stuck to the recipe (for once!), used an old iron skillet on the stove. Will definitely do again.
Forgot to add my rating…
This is a great recipe. Even my carb-avoiding spouse loves it. Thanks!
I wanted to try some baking and found this recipe. I’m glad I did! It was soft and delicious. I will definitely make this again!
This has been my go to naan recipe for a while now, my family loves it and I always find myself making 3 batches at a time for family dinners as well as dinner get togethers with the extended family. It is always the first dish to be demolished. I follow the recipe as it is and it is the best. Thanks Jenn for for the wonderful recipe 😊
I made this naan exactly as the recipe says, and it was perfect! light and pillowy, with just the right amount of chew. I did cut the dough into 12 pieces instead of 6 and rolled the naan super thin. After they were cooked, I brushed them with melted ghee with garlic. Our family of 3 gobbled up every one.
Made this today and it turned out so delicious! I thought I messed it up because I added quite a bit of extra flour which made me do a lot of kneading. It still came out so soft and pillowy! Thanks for another great recipe!
I made this recipe last night and it was a winner! I made it as a side for curried coconut lentils. I wasn’t sure about the anise seed so only put half, but next time I will put the whole amount! Thank you
Just a suggestion, if you wanna have the authentic naan marks, cook one side of the naan on the pan, and the other side over open flame. It will turn out much better and taste even amazing.
Made these once and they were amazing! And it was my first time making any kind of bread
I just have a question regarding prepping the day before. Would I be able to make the dough and let it rise until the next day then go on with the rest of the steps?
Also if I wanted to add garlic either to the dough or on top with some melted butter, which way do you suggest and how much garlic and butter?
Thank you so much!
Glad you like these! Yes, you can let the dough sit overnight in the fridge. And regarding adding garlic, after cooking the naan, I’d add some minced garlic or garlic powder to some melted butter and brush it on the bread. Hope that helps!
Just finished making it and it is to die for! Followed the recipe to a T, added granulated garlic instead of the seeds. I was worried because my dough didn’t seem to rise that much, but it came out great! A little fluffier than I wanted (but that would might be because I didn’t rollout the sections enough).
It’s a cloudy, cool day here so wondering if I could let the dough rise in the oven on a low temperature? Can you recommend what degrees and for how long?
Hi Rachel, I wouldn’t turn on the oven, but does your oven have a “proof” setting? You could also set the dough near a heating vent.
I heat a big mug of water in the microwave on the beverage setting. Then when it is done, put it in a back corner of the microwave and put the dough in its container on the turntable. Works like a charm no matter what room temperature you have.
Dear Jenn,
Just finished eating dinner with my husband and these naans were our sauce scoopers. Main course was your chicken Marsala recipe, which also fabulous! But back to the naans: They remind me so much of my grandmas stove baked little breads (Turtite in Romanian), although hers were plain (no seeds or parsley in sight). Delicious!
Thank you,
Ana-Maria
Third time using this recipe. Perfect everytime. Thank you!
Made this to eat with homemade butter chicken and it was LOVELY. The texture and taste are so amazing.
This is a delicious recipe with very clear, well laid out instructions. I have used the recipe a few times now and will continue to use it when making naan bread in the future.
It’s not you it’s me! On an earlier review i gave this recipe three stars but thought it must be my problem as so many gave naan a 5 star review. Well i made it again and this time put my cheaters (reading glasses) on. On my first try i dusted each naan in flour just before i put them in the skillet and of coarse got extra burnt flour as a result. This time i used a large non stick pan instead of my somewhat narly cast iron pan followed instructions exactly. The naan were very tasty and far superior to store bought. Next time I will roll them out on a baking cloth instead of granite counter to reduce sticking to counter.
So glad you had better luck this time around — thanks for reporting back! 🙂
Making these for dinner tonight and would like to add rosemary. Do you think I should knead some rosemary into the dough or sprinkle on top after cooking? Thanks so much. Just love your recipes!
You can either add a bit of it into the dough or brush the finished nann with a little melted butter and then sprinkle some rosemary on. Hope you enjoy!
Wonderful recipe! I have made it 6 times in the last 2 weeks. And everyone who has tasted it has asked for the recipe because it’s that good!
My tweaks are that I mix it with a fork and don’t use my hands at all because it is sticky dough. I also start with only 1/2 a cup of water and add more by tablespoons until the dough forms a ball. I substitute fennel seeds or rosemary leaves (our favorite) for the anise – I use a heaping teaspoon. I also add a heaping teaspoon of ground garlic.
After it rises, I scrape it onto my clean counter sprinkled with flour and knead it until it forms a large circle which I cut into 8 equal pieces and form into smaller balls which I roll into very thin circles (using just as much extra flour as needed so it doesn’t stick). Most times I roll the balls twice, letting the dough relax in between forming a very thin circle of dough.
Try to shake off any extra flour before baking in the hot pan. You will find the excess flour just burns In the pan. They cook up beautifully!
I use olive oil to finish them instead of butter because, if you’re lucky, you might have one or two left for the next day and they don’t stick together with olive oil.
Thanks Jen for another GREAT recipe. My family begs me to make these! Super easy to do. Just plan ahead for the rise time.
This recipe was my first time using yeast or making any kind of bread, have made it twice now and it’s AMAZING! Thank you for sharing.
The first time round I added 3 x cloves of crushed garlic to the yoghurt/oil/water mixture for some garlic flavour. Second time round, I added 1 x clove of crushed garlic to the yoghurt/oil/water mixture and then rolled the naan out, added some tasty/cheddar cheese in the middle, pinched the sides together to close it up and then turned it upside down and rolled it out again before cooking, once cooked brushed with garlic butter to make cheesy garlic naan just like our favourite takeaway place! 🙂
Made these with my butter chicken tonight. Did have to add quite a bit of flour to combine completely. After though these were delicious! My family also loved them and I can’t wait to make again
I love this recipe! I make it about once a month along with her Tikka Masala recipe, and my family loves it. It reminds of of fresh, authentic Indian food found in London. The naan bread is probably my favorite part. Fresh and fluffy and great to dip in the sauce. I make 1.5X the recipe for 5 people and have a couple leftover. Also, you have to experiment with the iron skillet temp. Hotter is better than cold though, because a slow cook gets tough. Try a couple small pieces first. They should bubble in a couple minutes if it’s hot enough.
Thanks for the recipe. A couple of tips for first timers like me!
– Make sure the temperature of the skillet is hot or the dough may not bubble. Mine didn’t bubble until I rolled the dough thinner than recommended and then put it on the hot skillet.
– the dough can be quite sticky so I used extra flour when rolling it out to avoid it sticking to the rolling pin which it did a few times = broken dough!
– I found the flavour came from the melted butter and salt after cooking otherwise the naan was quite plain.
Made this last night. Super easy and delicious, also fast. Just as good if not better than from the Indian restaurant. Cooked perfectly in my new cast iron skillet. Yes the dough is sticky but just add small amounts of flour until you can work with it. I added about 4 extra tablespoons of flour ( one at a time).
Should I use less instant yeast than active-dry?? Most recipes call for less. Thanks!
Hi Stephen, You should use the same amount. Hope you enjoy!
Made my first batch last week and although it was not the perfect ratio – I LOVE IT! It tasted better than what I expected, especially since I’ve never made any bread before! I’ve been wanting to eat more bread and I’m so glad there’s this recipe since I don’t have an oven yet. Thank you Jenn!
Oh em gee! I was worried that my clumsy hands would not get this right, but the naan came out perfectly! My entire family gobbled up the whole batch! You have to be pretty patient for the dough to rise but it was worth the wait. Can I double the recipe and get the same results? Or would I have to make 2 separate batches? I can’t wait to try another recipe of yours!
Hi Karen, So glad you enjoyed it! I haven’t doubled this myself but a number of readers have done so successfully.
It didn’t work, the dough is very wet and sticky and doesn’t look like the pictures.
Hi Palmilla, Sorry you had a problem with the naan! Did you use a standard liquid measuring cup for the water and a dry ingredient measuring cup for the flour?
Same with me here, it was so wet that i have to put extra almost 1 cup in the batter to get the texture like in the photo.
tasty, making this again in the near future, thanks! if i wanted to freeze the dough, do i roll out into individual naans first, or freeze the whole ball?
Hi Lainey, Glad you liked the naan! Yes, you could get away with freezing the dough (I’d freeze it in one big ball). Here’s some helpful guidance.
I weighed the flour (instead of using a measuring cup) for my second batch and it was definitely stickier than the first time (which did look like the photo), but after it rises, as long as you roll the cut ball of dough in flour before rolling, it is workable and that’s what keeps it so nice and fluffy inside once cooked! 🙂
Same with me here, it was like glue. Put in at least 3/4 cup more flour. Used Greek yogurt so not too wet either.
This recipe was amazing! I was honestly shocked by how well the texture came out. Just like if you ordered it from a restaurant. Thank you for this!
I did find that the recipe made 6 small naans, so for a family of four, I would do 1.5 times everything.
As others have said, the liquid to solid ratio doesn’t work with the amounts specified. The dough is far too wet to work with, needed to add another 50 grams to make it more cohesive. Would also suggest author uses a numeric measurement amounts such as grams or oz, cups is such a imprecise unit of measurement. Otherwise, the results are great.
Hi Deirdre, sorry you had a problem with the texture/dry to wet ratios, but glad to hear they turned out nicely nevertheless. The recipe actually has weight measurements as well — to view them, scroll down to the recipe, and immediately under the recipe title on the right side, you’ll see a little toggle. If you move it from “cup measures” to metric, you’ll see measurements that will work for you.
Hi Jen, I too have had problems with the ratios, I wasn’t even close and tried everything by weight which is included for everything except water which is still in cups. Do you happen to know the weight in grams for the water as I can tell by the number of top rated reviews that this must be a good recipe if I can get the ratios right.
Hi Ed, Sorry you had a problem with this. You’ll need 180 ml of water. I hope you have better luck the next time around!
Ran out of yeast, but have some sourdough starter. Wondering if you have any experience and/or suggestions on how to use starter to make these naan.
I don’t have any experience with it — I’m sorry!
Your recipes are all good so it must be me. I followed instructions as written. After the first naan was flipped over the cast iron pan got
more and more burned flour in it much like in your photo only all over pan so each naan that followed had a burned all over look.
Also when i dumped dough on counter (after rising) the underside was a little hard and dry. Perhaps i had dough too close to fireplace where i put it to rise. I did not get a fluffy naan all over but some of the edges were as you would expect ,light and fluffy. Wifey loved the taste which we had with a chicken curry. Will try again. I may try a non stick pan or cast iron bbq. I can put all naan on bbq at once so no residual flour that would attach to each naan as they are cooked. I give three stars but again think it was me as so many said it worked for them. ron Vancouver BC
I’ve never made naan in my life and I was quite intimidated to make it, but your recipe was so easy to follow and they turned out delicious! I used to buy Trader Joe’s frozen naan but taking some time out of my day to make fresh naan is 10000% better. My family couldn’t get enough and wanted more. Will definitely be making this on a regular basis!
Followed this to the letter and they came out perfect…. thank you. Yes the dough was a bit wobbly but I just kept adding flour to rollout etc and they were the best nan ever. Leftovers in plastic in the fridge to use in the next couple of days
Make homemade bread but this I must say is easier. Instead of anise seeds I used 1/4 teaspoon of anise abstract, and it gave it a hint of anise which balanced the tartness of the yogurt. Easy to make and cook and follow. My wife loved it.
The proportions of liquid to dry ingredients didn’t work for me so I just kept adding a bit more flour at a time until I could handle the dough with floured hands, but was still slightly sticky. After it doubled in size I used more flour on the counter and rolling pin to get them rolled out so they could be handled. At the end of the day, the naan came out perfect, tender and fluffy. I thought they were fabulous. As others have said, the proportions as written do not give you the dough that is pictured.
I made this last night for our husband and I and it was delicious. I sped up the rising time by putting the bowl in the oven, with the pilot light on, and with a pot of just-boiled water next to it. We also divided it into 8, instead of 6 balls. Very tasty, I will be brushing up on some of my Indian Cooking just so I have an excuse to make these!
Awesome!!!.. they came out sooooo nice not far off from an Indian takeaway naan!.. and this coming from an Asian myself. The family devoured them, making my 2nd batch today.
Hi Jenn,
I just made the naan (half a recipe) but ran into a few problems. You mention that this recipe includes instructions for both instant dry or rapid rise yeast AND for active dry yeast, but I did not find reference to active dry yeast, so I winged it. Probably that accounted for the fact that the dough did not rise. On a positive note, I fried the dough in a cast iron frying pan and it was delicious.
Hi Linda, sorry you had a problem finding the instructions for the active dry yeast. They are under the main recipe. Glad they were tasty nevertheless! 🙂
Terrific! My market was out of naan, so I decided to attempt this recipe. I’m so glad I did. It tasted like our favorite Indian restaurant. The dough is sticky, as others mentioned, but I used plenty of flour to roll it out. I heated both a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet and a non-stick skillet to hot over a med-high flame. After the first experiment, I made the rest in the cast-iron skillet. It produced perfect naan. I served with the Grilled Thai Curry Chicken (amazing!) with Coconut-peanut sauce and a salad with the Creamy Feta dressing. The entire meal was a huge hit with my family!
Made these today. Turned out very soft and fluffy. Will use this recipe again and again. Thank you.
Hi Jenn,
Is it possible to freeze the dough before frying them? Any suggestions for that?
Thanks!
Jeanette
Hi Jeanette, Yes, you could get away with freezing the dough. Here’s some helpful guidance. 🙂
Something is not right … and when I look at the flour water ratio it explains why. I weigh my flour to be exact. I cup
Flour equal 120 grams. But 240 grams with 3/4 (US liquid measuring cup) does not make a soft dough… it’s more liquidy and sticky. I ended up adjust with more flour and one more tsp of yeast. Interesting enough I found another recipe later that called for 2tsp yeast, 2.5-3 cups flour and 1/2 water .. so pretty much what I ended up with (expect the 3/4 cup water vs 1/2).. so it turned out ok. But there was no way I could have rolled out a naan with the recipe as described.
I made this naan yesterday and it was just delicious!! Was easy to make and the cast iron skillet part was like making pancakes but far less likely to burn. It was fun to make. Thank you Jen for another fabulous, easy recipe!!!
I only have non fat Greek yogurt- is get there a way to make this comparable to regular yogurt required in the recipe? I have whole milk? Cooking tomorrow, hopefully and can’t wait! Currently have your tandoori chicken legs marinating – had to use the non fat Greek yogurt for those but can see that being less of an issue. Thanks!
Hi Laura, the nonfat Greek yogurt should be fine to use here. Hope you enjoy!
It was a fluffiest naan. I thought I can save some for tomorrow’s lunch but my husband ate them all! Thank you for this easy and tasty naan recipe!
Best Naan Recipe I have tried and so easy to make. Really tasty and was very fluffy
So delicious! Thanks for another great family recipe. I have little ones so left out the spice. It was devoured!
Best I’ve ever had–recipe clear and worked well. Have printed it and put it in the family cookbook. Thanks!
Diane Briner
2 cups of flour was NOT enough to make the kind of dough pictured – came out more like a batter. Had to add another cup and a half of flour to make it serviceable. Added onion and garlic and hopes and prayers – thank god we did or it would have been very plain.
Hi Bill, Sorry you had a problem with this! Did you use a standard liquid measuring cup for the water and a dry ingredient measuring cup for the flour?
Thank you so much for this Naan bread recipe! It was a easy to make and delicious! I served it warm with olive oil and everyone LOVED it! It’s such a good feeling to watch the people you love enjoy the food you make! Thank you for all your recipes!
Easy and delicious!! Thank you for sharing.
AMAZING. I was really intimidated to make naan but this recipe goes step by step to make it really easy and understandable! We make smaller/thinner pieces and are able to yield about 10 with this recipe.
I made this bread tonight for myself and my family and it was met with rave reviews. We have an excellent local Indian restaurant in the neighbourhood and this bread was the closest to matching theirs that I have found.