Is there anything better than fresh, warm homemade naan straight off the skillet? I think not. This homemade naan recipe is a total game-changer—soft, fluffy, and perfect for soaking up every last drop of your favorite curry or hummus.
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Why I Love This Recipe
Have you ever made homemade naan? It's quite possibly the easiest of all homemade breads—soft, buttery, and endlessly versatile. Whether you’re scooping up creamy hummus, wrapping up grilled chicken, or just devouring it fresh off the skillet with a brush of garlic butter, naan is a total game-changer.
Let me issue a quick warning, though: making homemade naan is dangerous. Very dangerous. The kind of dangerous where you’ll tell yourself, “I’ll just have one piece,” but suddenly, you’ve polished off the entire batch. Been there, done that, no regrets.
If you’ve been hanging around WGC for a while, you know I don’t make homemade bread often. Between the rise times and the kneading, it’s usually more than I want to tackle on a busy weeknight. But naan? Naan is different. It’s quick, foolproof, and you won’t find anything this fresh at your local bakery (believe me, I’ve tried!).
And the payoff is supreme. There’s nothing quite like tearing into a warm piece of homemade naan, slathered in garlic butter, with those perfectly charred, bubbly edges. It’s a little bit of heaven, whether you’re using it as a side, a base for pizza, or a wrap for tzatziki-drenched chicken or Greek lamb meatballs. Trust me—you need this in your life. You're welcome.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Active dry yeast
- Water
- Sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt
- Baking powder
- Plain Greek yogurt
- Olive oil
- Butter
- Garlic
How to Make
Activate the Yeast:
In a large glass, dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in ¾ cup of warm water (about 100 degrees F). Let it sit on your counter until frothy, about 10 minutes.
Mix Dry Ingredients:
Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar, and baking powder into a large, deep bowl.
Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients:
Once the yeast is frothy, add the yogurt and olive oil to the glass and stir to combine. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and gently mix with a fork. When the dough is about to come together, use your hands to mix. Stop kneading as soon as it comes together—the dough should feel a bit sticky.
Let the Dough Rise:
Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm, draft-free place for 3 hours.
Prepare for Shaping:
After 3 hours, prepare 2 bowls: one with extra flour and one with water. The dough will still be sticky. Separate it into 6 equal portions and lightly roll each one in the flour to keep them from sticking to each other.
Shape the Naan:
Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a circle about ¼ inch thick. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.
Cook the Naan:
Warm a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it's nearly smoking. Make sure you have a lid large enough to fit the skillet and a bowl of melted butter ready.
Dampen and Cook:
Dampen your hands in the bowl of water and pick up a piece of naan, flip-flopping it from one hand to the other to lightly dampen it. Gently lay it in the skillet and set a timer for 1 minute. The dough should start to bubble.
Flip and Cover:
After about 1 minute, flip the naan. It should be blistered and somewhat blackened. Cover the skillet with the lid and cook for about 1 minute more.
Finish and Serve:
Remove the naan from the skillet, brush generously with the garlic butter, and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Place the homemade naan in a tea towel-lined dish to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining naan and serve immediately.
Tips & Tricks
- Temperature Check: Make sure your water is around 100 degrees F when activating the yeast. Too hot, and you’ll kill the yeast; too cold, and it won’t activate.
- Sticky Dough is Good Dough: The dough should be a little sticky when you first mix it—don’t over-knead! This helps keep the naan soft and pillowy.
- High Heat for Blistering: Get your cast-iron skillet really hot before adding the dough. This is how you get those beautiful charred bubbles.
- Butter It Up: Don’t hold back on the garlic butter! Brushing the homemade naan with melted butter right off the skillet keeps it extra soft and adds a ton of flavor.
- Keep It Warm: Store cooked naan in a towel-lined dish to keep it warm and soft until you’re ready to serve.
FAQ's
Yes! You can let the dough rise in the fridge overnight. Just bring it to room temperature before cooking.
Absolutely! Let it cool completely, then store it in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. Reheat in a skillet or oven until warm.
You can use any heavy-bottomed skillet, but cast iron gives the best blistering and flavor.
Store naan in an airtight container with a paper towel to absorb moisture. Reheat in a skillet with a bit of butter or wrap in foil and warm in the oven.
Similar Recipes
Homemade Naan
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
- ¾ cup water
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for dusting
- 1 ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ⅛ teaspoon baking powder
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ⅓ cup melted butter mixed with 3 cloves minced garlic
- Kosher salt
Instructions
- In a large glass, dissolve the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar in ¾ cup of warm water (about 100 degrees F). Let it sit on your counter until frothy, about 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar, and baking powder into a large, deep bowl.
- Once the yeast is frothy, add the yogurt and olive oil to the glass and stir to combine. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and gently mix with a fork. When the dough is about to come together, use your hands to mix. Stop kneading as soon as it comes together—the dough should feel a bit sticky.
- Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm, draft-free place for 3 hours.
- After 3 hours, prepare 2 bowls: one with extra flour and one with water. The dough will still be sticky. Separate it into 6 equal portions and lightly roll each one in the flour to keep them from sticking to each other.
- Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a circle about ¼ inch thick. Repeat this process with the remaining dough.
- Warm a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it's nearly smoking. Make sure you have a lid large enough to fit the skillet and a bowl of melted butter ready.
- Dampen your hands in the bowl of water and pick up a piece of naan, flip-flopping it from one hand to the other to lightly dampen it. Gently lay it in the skillet and set a timer for 1 minute. The dough should start to bubble.
- After about 1 minute, flip the naan. It should be blistered and somewhat blackened. Cover the skillet with the lid and cook for about 1 minute more.
- Remove the naan from the skillet, brush generously with the garlic butter, and sprinkle with a little kosher salt. Place the naan in a tea towel-lined dish to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining naan and serve immediately.
Oh my gosh. This is my version of heaven... I absolutely love naan bread AND harissa, so you've just combined two of my absolute favourite things! I will definitely heed your advice and restrain from making this whilst I'm home alone. Otherwise, I'd likely turn into an absolute Michelin man. Thanks for the gorgeous recipe though. Cannot wait to make this. Seriously!
Love naan and this looks so delish, Gaby! Need to make some soon 🙂
This naan looks perfect, Gaby! I'd love to try making it for myself one day. Love the cool, refreshing yogurt sauce, too. Have the time of your life in Alaska!
Oh my word, this looks amazing Gaby! Seriously makes me want to give naan a go!
Yum! I LOVE naan!! Thank you for this recipe!
(Also, I don't know if it bugs other people, but when I read your blog on my iPhone, which is how I usually read it, the format is so frustrating! The header is so big that I can never see any of your beautiful photos in their entirety. Maybe I'm the only one who cares, but I just thought I'd let you know, in case you didn't.) 🙂
I'm just going to ignore your warning and make this when no one is around so I don't have to share and no one will ever know! 🙂
Middle Eastern and Mediterranean flavors are my favorite!
I can't wait to make this. Yum!
Looks amazing! I made naan a few weeks ago and it was so fun and delicious. I have to try this harissa sauce!
I've always always always wanted to make homemade naan! And harissa yogurt sauce? Spoon me.
Gorgeous bread and photos!
Homemade bread IS so dangerous. I can never be trusted around it, and definitely not with this - it looks so good!! Need to try soon - when I'm having people over to share, of course 🙂
Naan is seriously the best! And that sauce looks amazing to go along with it!
Naan has been on my to-make list for awhile and I keep getting sidetracked with other breads and now I just HAVE to make it. This is gorgeous! Pinned!
I love fresh naan; It's so delicious! Coming from an Indian background, I should know how to make this but I've haven't even tried yet; def pinning this for later when I do!