Easy Homemade Naan Bread (That YOU can make!)

Homemade soft Naan bread is easier to make than you may think and is simply irresistible when its warm and freshly made.  It is perfect to scoop hummus, open it up for a pita pocket or tear it off to make a little wrap with some chicken.

Growing up in New York, I never really experienced Indian food which sounds ridiculous even as I say it because where else in the country are you exposed to every type of food the world has to offer?

However, it’s true.  As a kid I didn’t put much thought into the little flat bread or its origination.  Even though we can find Naan in every American supermarket its history is traced back to Indian roots.  Naan meaning bread in Persian.

And even though we can find it readily available everywhere, there is no comparison between store bought Naan and homemade.

Our Chicken Tikka Masala recipe would not be complete with the addition of warm Naan bread to scoop up the chicken and it’s delicious sauce.

HOW TO MAKE HOMEMADE NAAN BREAD

Making bread is not hard especially if you have a Stand Mixer.  It does all the work for you, really.  You just keep slowly adding flour until the dough no longer sticks to the sides and forms a nice ball.

Take the soft dough out and put it in an oiled bowl, cover it with a towel and let it rise for about an hour.

And then the fun begins!  Roll the dough out into a large circle and cut it into 8 slices, like a pie.

And then roll out each of those to about 1/4″ thickness.

I’ve made both BIG and small Naan bread with this recipe.  This makes a large piece of bread, so I cut the dough in half again and made smaller ones too.

For a little flavor, try brushing them with a little garlic infused butter before cooking them.  They cook quite quickly, only a minute or so on each side until you see those lovely brown bubbles form.

I highly recommend using a cast iron skillet, as traditional Naan requires a scorching hot Tandoori oven which I am assuming you do not have.  So the next best thing would be cast iron as it too can get very hot.

And there you have it.

Easy Homemade Naan Bread (That YOU can make!)

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Homemade soft Naan bread is easier to make than you may think and is simply irresistible when its warm and freshly made. It is perfect to scoop hummus, open it up for a pita pocket or tear it off to make a little wrap with some chicken.

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Ingredients

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 Tablespoon Organic Cane Sugar
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 2 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
• 1 cup Unbleached All Purpose Flour (I use Red Mill)
• 1/4 cup Whole Milk Plain yogurt (or Greek Yogurt)
• 1 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 Organic Egg
• 1/4 cup Olive OIl

To brush on top while cooking:

• 2 Tablespoons Organic butter
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed

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Instructions

1. Add the yeast to the bowl of the Stand MIxer. Add the hot water to the bowl and give the yeast a quick stir to mix it in with the water. Then let it sit for 5-10 minute until the yeast is foamy.
2. Add the sugar
3. Turn the mixer onto low speed, and gradually add some of the flour, the yogurt, salt, baking powder, and egg and oil in increments alternating.  Increase the speed to medium-low, and continue mixing the dough for 2-3 minutes, adding more flour until the dough is smooth. (The dough will still be slightly sticky, but should form into a ball that pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl and this can take 5-10 minutes)
4. Meanwhile pour a little olive oil into a large bowl and spread it up the sides using a paper towel or brush
5. Remove dough from the mixing bowl and place it into the greased bowl in the shape of a ball. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm location (I set mine in the oven quickly turned onto 100 and then turned off) and let it rise for 1 hour until the dough has nearly doubled in size.
6. Meanwhile, heat the butter in a small saute pan over medium heat until melted. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Then remove butter from heat, strain out and discard the garlic, leaving the infused melted butter behind. Set aside but keep warm
7. Once the dough is ready, transfer it to a floured work surface. Cut the dough into 8 separate pieces
8. Roll each into a ball with your hands, then place on the floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll out the dough into a large circle until the dough is a little less than 1/4-inch thick
9. Brush the dough lightly with the garlic-infused butter on both sides and place on a hot cast-iron skillet or heavy saute pan over medium-high heat
10. Cook for 1 minute, or until the dough begins to bubble and the bottom turns lightly golden. Flip the dough and cook on the second side for 30-60 seconds
11. Transfer it to a plate and cover it with a towel so it doesn’t dry out
12. Continue until all the dough is cooked

Recipe Source:  HappilyUnprocessed.com
I used all organic ingredients when making this recipe and hope you do too! 🙂