Homemade Naan

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

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Naan is a soft and pillowy Indian-style flatbread traditionally made in a tandoor, or cylindrical clay oven. It’s made from a yeast dough enriched with yogurt and olive oil and delicately flavored with anise seeds. After rising, the dough is rolled out and slapped against the walls of the tandoor, where it adheres and bakes quickly over a burning fire. While the bread is still warm, it is brushed with melted butter. In this recipe, I replicate the high heat and charred flavor of a clay oven by using a very hot cast iron skillet or nonstick pan. Homemade naan is quick to make, save for the rising time, and so much more delicious than store-bought. Pair it with tandoori chicken, butter chicken, or smoky chickpea, lentil, and vegetable soup.

What You’ll Need To Make Naan

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

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

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

Begin by combining the flour, yeast, sugar, anise seeds and salt in a large bowl, then whisk to combine.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

Whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, and warm water.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients.

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(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

And stir with a fork until the dough comes together.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

Dust your hands with flour and knead into a soft, sticky ball.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

Cover with plastic wrap.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

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.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

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.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

Shape the dough into a rectangle, adding more flour as necessary so it doesn’t stick.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

Then, divide into six equal portions.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

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.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

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.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

Flip the naan and cook a few minutes more.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

Brush the cooked naan with melted butter, and repeat with remaining dough balls.

(Courtesy of Jennifer Segal)

Sprinkle with parsley, if using, then serve warm.

Homemade Naan

Servings: 6 naans Prep Time: 30 Minutes Cook Time: 20 Minutes Total Time: 50 Minutes, plus 1 to 1.5 hours rising time

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 degrees 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

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 article was originally published on OnceUponaChef.com. Follow on Instagram