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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Absolutely delicious!! I added cheese into it too, preparing ahead, hopefully it tastes the same during dinner! Thank you!!
I just got done making these and they were excellent!! And this is coming from someone who can NOT cook!!!! I am so proud of myself and impressed that every recipe of yours that I have tried, has come out exactly as it should. Thank you! And I’m sure my husband thanks you too!
I’m getting more and more confident and ready to try more complicated meals that I would never have tried in the past. Of course, only yours!
I forgot to rate it! Hoping the 5 star rating comes across now.
💕
I just tried this and never made naan before nor do I bake much bread. The recipe was super easy to follow, I especially appreciated the extra notes. I only had active dry yeast on hand, it did take much longer to proof but thankfully I have a proofing function on my oven which did the trick. I did have to add a little water but that may have been because I used an extra thick Greek yogurt. It is absolutely delicious!
Can I use this to make Peshwari naan? How would I add in the fruit and nuts?
Hi Kelli, Glad you enjoyed! I do think you could add the fruit and nuts directly to the dough. I’d love to know how it turns out if you try it.
Our whole large family loves this bread! Have been making it for a while now — we follow this recipe exactly, and have had good luck.
Thank you, Jen!
The naan was delicious! Three of us polished it all up with chicken Schwarma and veggies, with a lemon tahini sauce. More bread than we’ve eaten in a long time, but it was too good to resist. I’m trying it again today using honey instead of sugar.
So glad to have finally found a delicious naan recipe!
Don’t usually comment on recipes but this deserves 5 stars
Hi Jenn,
I’ll be making these for the first time. I would like to make them on Sunday and then reheat them in foil in a 350 degree oven on Monday fro dinner….then brush with garlic butter before serving.
On Sunday, once they cooled, I would wrap them in plastic wrap individually to keep till Monday (not freezing them), then wrap three at a time in foil to reheat. Will they be okay to serve this way?
Thanks so much for all the great recipes and responses!
Hi Rose, what you’re planning on is perfectly fine. Hope you enjoy!
The Naan came out great. Using the cast iron was so much easier and it came out perfect, soft and delicious.
I was very excited to try out this recipe and the naan turned out light and fluffy just as you described. They taste so much better than store bought, which I’ve relied on up until now. I know they will be great served with a homemade curry. I’m thrilled that I can freeze these for when my kids are home for Spring break. They are already impressed with the photos I sent them.
Hi Jenn! I’ve been making this recipe for years now except my recipe makes 8 naan. I like to make it with my instant pot chicken tikka masala. So delicious!!! You might appreciate knowing that you can use an electric griddle set on 375 deg (nice and hot) and no oiling necessary. This way you can cook 4 or in your case 3 at a time. They cook for 2 minutes per side and are soooooo soft and delicious. While they are still hot I butter both sides. If you want to email me and I’ll send you a pic of it, looks just like yours!
Must be me. I made recipe as written and did not care for it at all. I did use nigella instead of anise as it was what I had and an option you gave. One of very few recipes from this site I haven’t absolutely loved.
I would like to make these for my coworkers tomorrow. If I want to reheat the naans, do I need to wrap them individually in aluminium foil or can I wrap several of them at the same time?
Thank you:)
You can wrap/reheat several at the same time. I hope your coworkers enjoy!
Jenn
I’ve made your naan many times and its almost always turned out great except when i substituted sour cream instead of yogurt . When using yogurt i have always used full fat but wifey always has 0% fat in fridge .Question is does it matter .I am making a curry friday and want to do naan with it.
Hi Ron, are you wondering if 0% yogurt or sour cream will work in place of the naan? I wasn’t sure which you were referring to. Thanks for clarifying!
Jenn
Yes wondering if 0% yogurt will work
0% should be fine. 🙂
Jenn
Just an update
Used 0 % no fat .Can’t say if it was good luck or good management
but the naan were the best ever .I re re read several posts before i made them
and this time i think i kneaded the dough a little more
Also ,and this is impoetant , when i rolled out the naan ,i used wifey’s rolling pin.
She has a “sock with no toes” that you pull over the rolling pin .Its kinda like a cheese cloth.
But when you roll out the dough nothing sticks to the rolling pin and you get 6 nice naan .
Will use that from no on
ron
Vancouver BC
So glad these were your best ever — thanks for reporting back!
OMG, I love the “sock with no toes!” That’s what I put on my rolling pin too but “wifey’s” description will now always make me smile. 🙂
I made this so many times but I always forget to leave a review. Our entire extended family loves it. My nieces and nephews think I am a star chef 🙂
thank you so much.
LOVE that there’s no egg in this recipe! Just made a triple batch of these with fennel and cumin seeds, buttered after grilling and sprinkled with dried fenugreek leaves. They turned out beautifully! Will go great with Aarti Sequeira’s vindaloo recipe and some lightly seasoned basmati rice.
How can I make this garlic naan? We LOVE garlic.
Hi Nitza, I’d add some minced garlic or garlic powder to some melted butter and brush it on the bread after it’s baked. Hope that helps and that you enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
I’d like to make this naan for a Friendsgiving on Friday, but that means I need to make the dough today. Is it okay to let the dough sit overnight? Thank you!
Yep, that’s fine — hope everyone enjoys!
It turned out so well!! Everyone complimented it. Thank you for the great recipe!
Restaurant quality! I’ve made this and brushed it with avocado oil (instead of butter) with minced garlic + parsley. SO GOOD!
I love this! It’s really easy and super tasty. My family loves it! I’m actually only 10 years old and I can still make it all by myself! Thanks so much!
Hazel, Good for you for already being active in the kitchen! And so glad you liked the naan. 🙂
I am not a bread baker but I made this Naan recipe and it came out great! Easy and delicious! I used regular yeast so I had to make some adjustments, but it still came out just fine. I will definitely make again!
The best recipe I’ve tried for naan. The dough came together easily, was nice to work with and cooked up beautifully. I added crushed garlic and a little chopped cilantro to the melted butter to brush the cooked naan. My search for the perfect naan bread is over … this recipe is the best! Thank you
How would I adjust this to make whole wheat naan?
Hi Diane, I would start by replacing half of the AP flour with whole wheat flour. Alternatively, you can replace all of the AP flour with white whole wheat flour. Please LMK how it turns out. 🙂
Wow quite easy and very good.
Hello,
I had some trouble with this recipe, could you help me? I used 250g of flour as stated in your metric and mearuing spoons for all other ingredients so know I used the right quantities but it wouldn’t come together like a dough… was more like the consistency of should I just have kept mixing till it formed? Felt like I was mixing for ages and didn’t want to overwork it…. anyway, I ended up adding more and more flour till it looked like your pictures but then when it came to cooking them they didn’t puff up at all…. could this be because I used too much flour? Or overworked them? The pan was very hot when I put them in… tastes good though! Just wrong texture, a bit chewy
Hi Rosie, I’m sorry you had a problem with the dough! What brand of flour did you use? And while it initially sounds like maybe there wasn’t enough flour, you may have added too much. And you mentioned they were a bit chewy; that likely happened as a result of overworking the dough.
Can you use Greek yogurt instead of plain?
Sure, Michelle, that should be fine. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn,
Love your recipes. Is this one adaptable to pita bread, and can one use all whole wheat flour?
Thank You,
Susan
Hi Susan, Glad you like this! I don’t think I’d attempt pita bread with it though — I’ve tried to make pita a BUNCH of times using various techniques, and haven’t been successful yet, so it may be an exercise in futility. And regarding whole wheat flour, I’d suggest starting by using half whole wheat and half all-purpose to make sure you like the texture. If you do like it, the next time you make this, you can up the ratio of whole wheat to white a bit more. Also, you may want to consider white whole wheat as it’s lighter and milder tasting than regular whole wheat flour (yet just as nutritious). I’d love to hear how it turns out if you try it!
Hi,
Can I use fresh yeast for this recipe?
Thanks
Hi Siobhan, I’ve never worked with fresh yeast but read on the kitchn website that 2 1/4 teaspoons dry active, instant, or rapid-rise yeast granules (usually one 1/4-ounce packet) = 2/3 ounce fresh yeast, it will work, but will require a little math to determine the amount and the timing be a bit different. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
So simple to make and the taste is so much better than store bought.
This has been my go-to for naan/pita ever since I spotted this post a few years back. Easy, tasty and never-fail, I use the BBQ to grill all 6 pieces at once.
Hi Jenn! What a great recipe! I paired this with your butter chicken and this combo is easily in the top three favorites for my household. Like others have said, you are the first place I check when I want to try something yummy! Thank you!
My naan was a delicious disaster but I think that’s because I didn’t knead it enough. It was incredibly sticky and thus, hard to form either with my rolling pin or my hands. I also had the cast iron pan way too hot and the naans too thick. But now that I have done it once, I know what I did wrong and how I could try to improve it. No improvement needed on the flavour, we snarfed it up in one sitting. I added habanero chilis to the garlic butter I made for brushing the naan and it was perfection. Even though they were thick and ugly, I still can’t believe I made such delicious naan.
This was SO good and shockingly easy!! I served with the sheet pan chicken shawarma from the second cookbook. Next time I will try incorporating some whole wheat flour.
Jenn
The other day i made a shrimp curry and once again your naan recipe as i had company for dinner. i made the naan ahead of time so i could clean the island of flour and rolling pin.
Just wondering if you can roll the naan and put them in a pile separated by sheets of wax paper and then cook them one after the other when the guests are at the table so they are fresh and hot. If you roll the dough and pile them up this way would they lose the benefit of the yeast and go flat?
Sure, that should work. Depending on how far ahead you plan to make the dough, you may find this info helpful.
Hi, could I use bread flour instead of all purpose flour? Thank you!
Hi Valentina, I haven’t made these with bread flour, but another reader commented that she did and was happy with the results, so I think you could get away with it. Please LMK how they turn out if you try it!
This recipe is a staple in our household. We eat it at least bi-weekly, always substituting sour cream for the yogurt.
Thank you so much for sharing this!
I’m planning on making this for my dad, just wondering if baking is an option as well or is it better with a skillet?
Hi Lisa, I definitely recommend sticking with the skillet. Hope your dad enjoys!
I made these before and they were amazing! Thank you for this recipe! I was wondering though, we have a family trip coming up and there are many vegans in our group, can I just opt out the yogurt all together? Do you think it will turn out similarly? (I know they make vegan yogurt substitutions but the area were vacationing probably won’t have those options)
Hi Kelly, Coconut cream would be a good vegan alternative here. Hope your family vacation is great!
Where do you have your list of measured ingredients??
Hi Carrie, It sounds like you are just looking at the portion of the page that has the pictures with some instructions underneath. If you scroll down a bit to under the pictures, you’ll find the full recipe. Alternatively, at the very top of the page, to the right of the recipe name, you’ll see an orange/red button that says Jump to Recipe – if you click on that, it will take you directly to the recipe. Hope that clarifies!
I made naan with this recipe on Monday and the result was delicious!
I still can’t get over it! Thank you!
ps: I didn’t use anise seeds as I didn’t have any and used garlic butter to brush on top in the end.
Delicious and easy naan! I used the recipe to make keema naan and it was perfect! I have several naan recipes, but this will be my go-to recipe for naan now, thanks!
Hi,
Just curious—the recipe indicates to knead just until the dough comes together. Is there a reason why the dough isn’t kneaded more (like most bread recipes, until dough is smooth or passes the “windowpane test”)?
Thanks!
Hi Jeff, Not all bread dough not all bread dough needs to be kneaded. Even my crusty artisan bread is no-knead. 🙂
Great recipe. Perfectly fluffy and chewy.
These turned out great. Very simple to make but absolutely delicious.
We loved this naan. I’ve made it twice in the last week. The recipe worked perfectly and made the most excellent naan I’ve ever had. I subbed greek yogurt because that is what I had and it turned out great. Another amazing recipe from OUAC.
Could I make this in the morning and put the dough in the refrigerator to rise? BTW, have never tried a recipe of yours I didn’t love!
Hi Cynthia, Happy to hear you like the recipes! You can definitely refrigerate the dough. Here’s a link with some guidance.
Hi Jenn, I have made this recipe many times and never fails. It is a favourite. My only change is, 3:1 white to stone-ground whole wheat flour. I enjoy your recipes, they work, and are easy to follow.
The best recipe of naan bread. First try and we almost can’t stop eating.
I made these today with a few alternations for dietary preferences: I used cashew yogurt instead of reg yogurt. I used half sprouted wheat and half reg flour, and xylitol instead of sugar. I didn’t have anise seeds. They came out super yummy. I brushed them with butter, minced garlic and parsley. I Good easy recipe.
Can this be done with a kitchen machine for the kneading?
Hi Heiko, I’m assuming you’re referring to a mixer? If so, I haven’t made this using a mixer, but I think you could; it won’t take long. You just want to get it to come together into a soft, slightly sticky dough. Hope you enjoy!
Excellent. I’d caution that the dough is very soft and sticky but that’s ok. I used nigella seeds and it was perfect. I also didn’t need a nonstick pan, just used a regular frying pan.