A simple step-by-step recipe for soft and pillowy, authentic Indian Naan Bread made on the stovetop with all your favorite toppings. Video.  

Easy Naan Recipe- simple step by step instructions to making traditional, pillowy, crispy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite toppings - garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan To live in this world you must be able to do three things;  to love what is mortal, to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it, and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go. ~Mary Oliver 

I’ve been home from India for over a week now,  still a little jet-lagged yet buzzing from the incredible experience there.  The people! The food! The energy and the color,  all my senses are saturated!

One of my favorite things was learning how to make naan bread, the authentic, Indian way.  This traditional naan recipe is made with yogurt and instant yeast, and cooked in a dry skillet, giving the soft, pillowy naan a delicious crispy exterior which I fell in love with, while in India.

Today I’ve opted for whole wheat Garlic Naan, my favorite, but feel free to keep it plain and simple, or embellish with whole seeds – see the recipe for all the yummy variations, and find your favorite!

How to make Naan! | 40-second video

 

Quick EASY Homemade Naan Bread Recipe- a simple step by step guide to making Indian style- pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

 Ingredients in Naan Bread

  1. Flour: All-purpose white flour, bread flour , whole wheat flour , einkorn, or spelt flour – or a blend.
  2. Instant yeast: Using Instant yeast cuts the prep time in half while eliminating one whole step. (See recipe notes for regular active yeast.)
  3. SALT AND SUGAR 
  4. Yogurt (or vegan yogurt)
  5. Olive oil 
  6. Warm water 

How to make Naan Bread

Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together flour (here I’ve used part whole wheat flour and part white bread flour) the instant yeast, salt and sugar. You can also simply use all-purpose flour.

Step 2: In a smaller bowl, mix the warm water, yogurt and olive oil.

Quick EASY Homemade Naan Bread Recipe- a simple step by step guide to making Indian style- pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

Step 3:  Pour the wet into the dry and mix to combine.

Quick EASY Homemade Naan Bread Recipe- a simple step by step guide to making Indian style- pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

Step 4: Mix the dough with a fork until it comes together.

Quick EASY Homemade Naan Bread Recipe- a simple step by step guide to making Indian style- pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

With a floured hand,  knead the soft dough for a minute or so and form a ball, and place it back in the bowl.

Quick EASY Homemade Naan Bread Recipe- a simple step by step guide to making Indian style- pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

Step 5: Drizzle it with olive oil, rubbing the oil around the naan dough, coating it. Cover with plastic wrap or a wet kitchen towel.

Quick EASY Homemade Naan Bread Recipe- a simple step by step guide to making Indian style- pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

Step 6: Place the naan dough in a warm spot in the kitchen until it rises, about 45-60 minutes. It doesn’t need to quite double.

Tip: The warmer the spot, the faster the naan will rise. I often place rising dough on top of my stove, with the oven turned on to the lowest setting.

If using regular Active Dry Yeast, it will require 2-3 hours to rise.

Quick EASY Homemade Naan Bread Recipe- a simple step by step guide to making Indian style- pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

Step 7: Once the naan has rise, place it on a floured surface and roll into a 1o-inch log. Divide the naan dough into 10 equal pieces.

Quick EASY Homemade Naan Bread Recipe- a simple step by step guide to making Indian style- pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

Step 8: Roll into rounds or ovals, roughly  ⅛ – ¼  inch thick. If going for oval naan, they should measure, roughly 4 x 8 inches.

Naan really doesn’t have to be perfect and honestly can be any shape, as long as they are uniform in thickness ( or with the edges slightly thicker than the middle) and no more than ¼ inch thick.

Quick EASY Homemade Naan Bread Recipe- a simple step by step guide to making Indian style- pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

You can keep the naan plain and simple, or season it with seeds – nigella, fennel, anise, poppy, or sesame seeds ( adding to the flour bowl)  or add finely minced onion or garlic – my favorite! Nigella seeds add a delicious onion-y flavor.

Quick EASY Homemade Naan Bread Recipe- a simple step by step guide to making Indian style- pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

If making garlic (or onion naan), simply press the finely minced garlic into the naan with your fingers, or roll it in.

Quick EASY Homemade Naan Bread Recipe- a simple step by step guide to making Indian style- pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

Step 9: Cook the naan, and give it a nice crispy texture. Heat a DRY heavy bottom skillet, or cast iron skillet, over medium-high heat.

Cooking one naan at a time, placing the naan right in the hot skillet and toast, until large bubbles appear on the visible side. Take a peek underneath to see if the naan is deeply golden, adjusting the heat, either lowering or raising.

Quick EASY Homemade Naan Bread Recipe- a simple step by step guide to making Indian style- pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

When there are large air bubbles on top of the naan bread, and the bottom side is nicely golden, flip. This will take anywhere from 2-4 minutes. Then cook the other side for another 2-3 minutes, checking to see that the air bubbles are not deeply golden but not burning. After the first one, you will get the hang of it.

Quick EASY Homemade Naan Bread Recipe- a simple step by step guide to making Indian style- pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

TIP: To get the naan to puff up even more, after searing each side, place the naan directly on the gas flame (medium heat) using tongs. Naan should puff up beautifully. Stack the naan and cover with a towel to keep warm.

Quick EASY Naan Recipe - step by step instructions to making traditional Naan in a skillet - soft, pillowy and crispy- with all your favorite toppings- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

Once all the naan are seared in the skillet,  brush or spread with ghee and sprinkle with pinch of salt. Sprinkle with fresh herbs- parsley, cilantro or even scallions or chives – right before serving.

Quick EASY Naan Recipe - step by step instructions to making traditional Naan in a skillet - soft, pillowy and crispy- with all your favorite toppings- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

You can also keep the naan warm for a while, stacked, wrapped in foil in a warm oven- then right before serving, sprinkle with the herbs so they look nice and fresh. Quick EASY Naan Recipe - step by step instructions to making traditional Naan in a skillet - soft, pillowy and crispy- with all your favorite toppings- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

A delicious and fun addition to any Indian meal.

My husband absolutely loves it when I make these!

Naan can also be baked ahead and frozen – just make sure to wrap the naan individually and very well with plastic wrap.

Place them frozen in a toaster oven or in a hot oven, directly on the rack, until soft and warm.

What to serve with Naan Bread!

  1. Emerald Dal
  2. Tandoori Hummus
  3. Butternut Tikka Masala 
  4. Quick Vegan Cauliflower Masala 
  5. Indian Butter Chicken 
  6. Palak Paneer!
  7. Aloo Gobi! 
  8. Instant pot Tikka Masala 

Enjoy the naan, and please rate it in the comments below!

xoxo

Sylvia

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Quick EASY Homemade Naan Bread Recipe- a simple step by step guide to making Indian style- pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan! #feastingathome #naan #naanbread #indianfood #wholewheatnaan #garlicnaan #onionnaan #indianbread #indianrecipes

How to make Naan (like they do in India!)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 4.8 from 23 reviews
  • Author: Sylvia Fountaine
  • Prep Time: 65
  • Cook Time: 10
  • Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
  • Yield: 6 1x
  • Category: breads, Indian cuisine
  • Method: stove top
  • Cuisine: Indian
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

Quick EASY Naan Recipe- a simple step-by-step guide to making authentic Indian style, pillowy naan bread in a skillet with all your favorite variations- garlic naan, onion naan and seeded naan!


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 2 cups AP flour (see notes)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, more for sprinkling
  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast or rapid-rise yeast (see notes for Active Dry Yeast)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3/4 cup warm water
  • 1/4 cup plain yogurt (or sub vegan yogurt)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil

Garnish: 2 tablespoons  Ghee (or butter, or olive oil,  but really, ghee is best! ) 1-2 tablespoons fresh herbs – cilantro, parsley, scallions or chives.

Optional Additions:

  • 1/21 teaspoon whole seeds: nigella, cumin, fennel, caraway, anise, or sesame seeds- or a combo
  • finely chopped garlic ( 2 tablespoons) or finely chopped onion or shallot (2 tablespoons)

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, whisk flours, sugar, yeast and salt together. If adding whole spices, add them now.
  2. In a medium bowl, stir ¾ cup warm ( 100F) water with olive oil and yogurt.
  3. Pour the yogurt mixture into the flour mixture and combine with a fork, and with a floured hand, knead the dough for 1-2 minutes. The dough should feel soft, but not sticky. If sticky add a little more flour. Form a ball. Drizzle with a little olive oil to coat all sides of the ball and place it back in the same bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm spot in the kitchen (the warmer the spot, the faster it will rise) and let rise until it almost doubles in size 45-60 minutes.   (TIP: I’ll often place rising dough on the top of my stove with my oven set to the lowest setting.)
  4. When dough has risen, place it on a well-floured surface, and roll into a 10 inch log, then divide the log into 10 pieces.
  5. Roll each piece out into a ⅛-¼  inch thick  oval, about 4 by 7 inches long. They don’t have to be perfect and can be any shape, just make sure thickness is uniform and it is not more than ¼ inch thick. If adding garlic or onion, press some of the finely minced garlic into the dough on one side, just using your fingers and you can actually do this in the pan if you want. You can also roll the garlic into the dough, when it rolling out.
  6. Heat a DRY  cast iron skillet over medium to med-high heat. Cooking one naan at a time, place it in the hot skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface, and bottoms are golden ( check after a couple minutes) then flip. Cook for a few more minutes on the other side until the bubbles are deeply golden. If you have a gas stove, you could place these cooked naan, directly over the gas flame, to get them to puff up even more. Set each one aside and cover with a towel or foil to keep warm.
  7. Cook all the naan, then brush each one with ghee, and a light sprinkling of salt, stacking.  (You can keep them stacked, wrapped in foil in a warm oven until ready to serve.)
  8. Right before serving, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, parsley, or scallions.

Notes

Flour: feel free to use part whole wheat or rye, or experiment with other flours like einkorn, buckwheat, or spelt.

These can be made ahead and frozen, individually wrapped tightly in plastic wrap ( use a double layer). Place them frozen, directly on the rack in the oven or toaster oven until soft and warm.

If using regular, Active Dry Yeast- rising time will increase to 2-3 hours. You will also need to mix the yeast with the warm water and the sugar first, let it stand for 10 minutes until it activates and is frothy, before adding the yogurt and olive oil to it. Continue with recipe as stated.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1- Brushed with 1 teaspoon ghee
  • Calories: 220
  • Sugar: 2.5 g
  • Sodium: 392.6 mg
  • Fat: 6.9 g
  • Saturated Fat: 2.9 g
  • Carbohydrates: 34.5 g
  • Fiber: 1.3 g
  • Protein: 4.9 g
  • Cholesterol: 11.1 mg

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Comments

  1. Hi! I’m excited to try this recipe, wondering if I could use sourdough starter discard instead of the quick rise yeast? Thanks!

    1. Hi Sasha! I bet you could, yes, but I am not sure on specific measurements. I love the idea of this though. Please let us know if you try it and please share you recipe notes!

  2. there are no quantities for the ingredients in the naan recipe.
    I do want to add that I love your recipes.

    Thanks,
    Staryn.

    1. Hi Staryn, scroll down to the recipe card on the bottom of the post- do you see it now?

  3. I made these today, and, sadly, no puffing. I took a risk in using half stone ground, locally milled bread flour with 25% of the bran and germ left in, and half stone ground whole wheat pastry flour. I’m guessing I should have stuck with traditional grocery store flour. Do you know if there is a way to make make naan with stone ground flour?

    1. I have used stone ground flour- with good results. but I would suggest making it with mostly organic white AP flour, the first time, just so you get a feel for it. It may have been the thickness?

  4. Thank you, Sylvia for your great naan recipe and for all of your delicious inspirations! I am making this for a dinner party tonight and just tried one to make sure I could feed it to my guests! Soooo good!

  5. Hi Sylvia, I’m excited to make the Naan. Going to make them for a gathering…how far ahead do you think I can make the dough? Do you think it will keep in the fridge once I go through the rise and cut it? Thanks in advance, Lynn

  6. Love this! Thanks Sylvia for this easy and tasty recipe! I used half whole wheat and added marjoram, chia and flax to the mix for fun. Topped with black seed. Yuuum!!! My 40’s stove has a griddle built in, which worked well to be able to cook a bunch at once. Can’t wait to try these with the different flours you recommend.






  7. The measurement calculator is broken because it does not adjust the amount of flour (that stays 2 cups for 2x and 3x amounts as well).

  8. This was great! I used spelt, which is a whole grain flour but tastes much lighter than whole wheat flour, and pressed the garlic on as I cooked it.






  9. Would you recommend regular whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour? (One cookbook I have suggested w/w pastry flour.) Thanks!

  10. This recipe is so easy and good! I am very happy that this is something that I can make regularly with little effort.






  11. Your naan bread is so delicious & easy to make that I prepare it every other day. I am French and I stopped bying and eating baguettes, because they don’t keep and it’s a waste. I used to give the left overs to a friend who has chickens. But now, thanks to you, every morning, I eat my naan bread just like they do in Marocco, dipped in olive oil on one plate & jam on another. Be blessed for your wonderful, healthy blog. I never missed a recipe coming from you. Liliane from France.






  12. Best Naan I’ve ever made… I have used this recipe 3 times now. I added caroway seeds and corriander.. Also reduced the amount of salt…






  13. Wow! I just made this and it is absolutely delicious! I want to jump in the pan 👌☺️ Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. I’ll be making it for my family often and can’t wait to make it for my vegetarian Mama as well. If you’re thinking about making this recipe, you won’t be disappointed, it’s scrumptious!






      1. Hello! I just realized I posted my review on the wrong recipe. The naan was good, but I meant this review for your emerald dahl. It’s wonderful!

  14. 5 stars!

    For some reason, ours came up super watery so we needed 1/2 cup more flour- we did only use a bread flour. They tasted amazing and were so easy to make. You did say ‘add more flour as needed’ so as always you’re recipes are spot on.

    We love you!
    Skye & James






  15. I think I’m in trouble. I used regular yeast, added the 3/4 c. warm water, sugar and let it sit for 10 minutes. It did froth. I added the flours and it looked very dry.
    In a separate bowl, I added the 3/4 c. warm water, olive oil and yogurt. It looks very runny. Was I wrong to add the second 3/4 c. of water?

    Any way to fix this?

    1. Oh shoot Marge! It sounds like you doubled the water? You may want to either start over,(I know, heartbreaking!) or try to double the recipe at the is point. Do you have a stand mixer with a dough hook? Might make doubling easier at this point.

  16. This is the first kneaded dough recipe I’ve ever successfully made (pastries are my talent). Thank you.






  17. Loving it! Luckily found this recipe after trying out a different one that used WAY too much sugar as well as eggs (naan tasted like donuts, urgh).

    Flour can be subbed with gluten free (bread) flour 1:1 — I always use Schär Bread Mix.






    1. I am glad I read the comments! I so miss naan bread now that I must be GF. I will try and find the GF bread flour that you recommended. Thank You!

  18. Trying this today with a version we had at a great restaurant in Savannah. Added in chopped pistachios, coconut, anise seeds, and chopped raisins. Sounds very easy! Many thanks.

  19. Can’t thank you enough for the recipe! Made several times already, just love it! Using active dry yeast every time with success. Thanks again! Love your blog and your recipes very much.






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