Such a lot of naan recipes are not anything extra than a simple flatbread recipe. but this one? Fluffy, bubbly and CHEWY, just like you get at Indian restaurants. It’s so remarkable, you’d swear it’s just been pulled from a tandoor!

Bonus: It’s mind-bogglingly easy. yes, absolutely!

Naan Recipe

Truly fluffy, chewy, bubbly naan has eluded me for years. every other recipe I attempted – and believe me, I’ve tried so many I’ve misplaced count number – are just basic flatbread recipes with out a actual crumb integrity and simply not one of the signature elasticity that actual eating place naan has.

As for the versions made without yeast? overlook it. They had been extra like pancakes.

Fact: you can’t make naan that bubbles up like THIS with out the use of yeast!!

It’s difficult to capture how chewy and fluffy this naan bread is in a photo – so allow me strive to expose you instead with a few stay action:

Yes. And the maximum wonderful issue? Naan dough is so smooth to make. there may be no kneading worried. honestly. there is nothing tricky approximately it at all!

No Tandoor Needed

Here’s what you need to make the puffiest, fluffiest, bubbliest naan of your life. No fiercely hot tandoor required (unless that’s how you roll

How to make Naan

Flour – Bread flour produces a barely fluffier, softer naan than the use of plain/all-reason flour. however the difference is surely quite marginal, so I’m not going to endorse it as strongly as I do in different recipes where using bread flour really makes a difference (eg. like in our favourite Crusty Artisan Bread).

So in short, use bread flour when you have it. however in case you don’t, I wouldn’t make a unique journey to the supermarket because this naan is super made with all-reason/simple flour too;

Yeast – immediately / speedy-upward push yeast is referred to as for right here. The recipe additionally works with preferred energetic / dry yeast, however we’ve found the naan is slightly fluffier and softer the use of immediately yeast.

strangely, we dissolve the instantaneous yeast in warm water then leave it to come to be foamy – a step normally bypassed with instantaneous yeast, that is typically blended instantly into dough. however, for this recipe, we found that the naan is fluffier if dissolved in warm water first. sure, we’ve made a lot of naan in recent weeks!!!

Ghee or butter – Ghee is basically the same element as clarified butter. this is simply ordinary butter but with milk solids and water removed, leaving behind pure butter fats. Ghee has a more intense butter flavour than normal butter, with the added bonus that in contrast to butter, it doesn’t burn even on high heat.

you can both make your personal Ghee (it’s inexpensive, virtually easy and maintains for months), buy it, or just use everyday butter;

Egg, milk, white sugar, salt – All fairly trendy bread inclusions. i take advantage of cow’s milk, but given the small quantity used in this recipe, I see no purpose why non-dairy alternatives wouldn’t paintings.

“No yoghurt?” i was an propose of yoghurt in naan bread, believing it to be the “secret ingredient” that made naan special from “simply some other flatbread”.

But honestly, yogurt weighs the naan down and makes it a chunk gummier interior. brought yoghurt isn’t any task for the nuclear-level 480°C heat of a tandoor … however in a home kitchen, the naan is higher without yogurt. It’s simply fluffier!

Bloom the Yeast

First step: Let’s get the yeast activated and ready to work its magic on our naan dough.

• Mix instant yeast with warm water and sugar – This is not a typical step you see in bread-making when using instant yeast. Usually the whole point of instant yeast is that you can add it straight into dough without mixing with warm water and letting it foam first.But, for naan, we found that blooming instant yeast in a warm water and sugar mixture (ie. letting it sit until it goes foamy) makes the naan fluffier and softer. It’s also an excellent safety test to ensure your yeast is still alive – nothing worse than discovering your yeast is dead once your bread is in the oven! ;;
• Leave until foamy – Leave the mixture for 10 minutes until it becomes foamy, which means the yeast is alive and kicking. The HOT water “wakes up” the yeast and the sugar helps too because yeast “eats” sugar to do its thing;

Make Naan Dough

• Mix dry and wet ingredients – In a large bowl, mix together the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, salt), then add the foamy yeast, butter / ghee, and the milk + eggs;
• Mix – Start by mixing with a firm rubber spatula or a wooden spoon to bring the dough together. We use spoons for no reason other than saving a sticky mess on your hands!

Bring Together Into Ball

• Bring together by hand – Once the mixture is too stiff to practically mix with a spatula, switch to hands. You don’t need to knead the dough, just mix it with your hands to bring it together into a cohesive dough;
• The dough – Once the dough comes together, it should be sticky and soft enough to easily come together into a ball. But it should not be so sticky that the dough sticks to your hands – see picture above for right texture. If the dough is too sticky, sprinkle over a little flour and work that in;

Rise Dough 1 to 1.5 Hours – Let It Double in Size

• Proof dough – Once the butter / ghee is incorporated, shape dough into a ball. Cover with cling-wrap then put the bowl somewhere warm to let it proof – about 1 – 1.5 hours, until it has doubled in volume;
• Doubled in volume – The dough pictured above is after proofing for 1 1/2 hours. It has actually more than doubled because it was a very (no really, a very!) hot day. It’s ok if it more than doubles – mine is probably closer to triple. But if the dough rises way too much (as in even more than triple), then the yeast can run out of oomph and not rise properly when cooked. Try to limit proofing to doubling in size!

Divide Into Six Balls

• Cut into six pieces – Lift the dough out of the bowl on to a lightly floured surface. Cut into 6 equal pieces. This makes ~15 – 16 cm / 6 – 6.5″ diameter naans which are a nice individual serving size and comfortably cooked in a skillet;
• Shape into balls – Make the top surface smooth by tucking the dough surface to the base;

Rise 15 Minutes – Let Increase in Size 50%

• Rise 15 minutes, 50% increase in size – Place the balls on a lightly floured tray, and cover loosely with a a lightweight tea towel (ie just place it on top, don’t tuck it tightly under the tray). Leave to rise in a warm place for 15 minutes until they increase in size by about 50%. It doesn’t take long;
• After rising – Photo #12 is what they look like after 15 minutes. Ready to roll out and cook!

Roll Out

• Flatten on lightly floured surface – Pick up a piece and flat it down lightly on a lightly floured surface;
• Roll out into  3 – 4mm / 0.12 – 0.16″ thick rounds (about 16cm / 6.5″ wide). The thickness really affects the outcome. Too thin = crispier and not fluffy enough. Too thick and you won’t get the bubbles. We want the best of both worlds, ie. it should bubble up when cooked, be soft and fluffy inside and the naan itself should be floppy, not stiff.  3 – 4mm / 0.12 – 0.16″ thick is the perfect thickness – so pull out that ruler! 

Cook Naan

• Hot skillet – Heat a well-seasoned* cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until it is just starting to smoke. Then place the naan in and leave to cook without touching. If you’re like me, you’ll get a kick out of watching the surface blister up and go all bubbly – it’s an extremely satisfying moment!* Well-seasoned skillets: If you maintain your cast iron skillets properly, they should be naturally non-stick and lightly greased!  That’s all you need to make naan. But if it’s not, just pour 1/2 tsp vegetable oil on a paper towel then rub it over the base. Don’t pour the oil in, naan is not meant to be pan fried in oil, it’s “dry”-cooked.I use a Lodge brand cast iron skillet – more on it here (excellent value, and indestructible!).If using another type of skillet, do the same light oil rub. But you should not really be making naan in non-stick coated skillets – the high heat required destroys the non-stick coating!
• 60 to 90 seconds cooking, then flip – It should only take 60 – 90 seconds for the underside to cook until it’s nicely browned. Then use tongs to turn;

Brush With Ghee

• After flip, 45 – 60 seconds more – the blistered aspect (photograph #17) will simplest take round 45 seconds to cook. You’re simply looking for a bit charring on the blisters and for the floor of the second side to be cooked.
  purpose for immediate cooking (additionally as not to burn the ghee). The faster it cooks, the closer you get to real naan like that cooked inside the fierce warmness of a tandoor, and the fluffier your naan might be!
  The slower it chefs, then again, the less fluffy the naan could be. 2 to two half minutes general is right. beyond this, the naan will start to dry out interior and you’ll lose the signature texture; and sooner or later
• Brush with ghee or butter (optionally additionally garlic – however yes you truly ought to!) –- put off naan from the stove, then brush with melted ghee or butter at the same time as it’s nonetheless warm. Garlic is an non-compulsory greater, however it’s so suitable!
  For an actual of completion, add a sprinkle of nigella seeds for a

Cheese Naan recipe!

I’m going to be sincere, I’ve no idea whether or not you can even discover Cheese Naan in India (please chime in, within the feedback!). but it’s a firm favored around my neck of the wooden. certainly this Cheese-loving Carb Monster considers Cheese Naan one of the excellent achievements of cutting-edge mankind.

Authentic or no longer, it’s exceptional! (And surely, what is it but the equal of an Indian-style grilled cheese sandwich – yum!?)

How to Make Cheese Naan

In restaurants, cheese naan is commonly made by cooking simple naan first, then reducing a slit and stuffing inside the naan with cheese to melt.

1. That’s quite tedious and involves burnt fingertip ache I’m but to fall in love with, so I’ve opted for a miles easier method Brush naan first with garlic butter, if desired (because like mentioned, well, why not? Now you have Indian-style cheesy garlic bread! )
2. Pile cheese in the middle, then bundle it up like a money bag;
3. Twist the top to seal;
4. Flip over then roll out;
5. Cook in a hot skillet just like normal naan;
6. When you flip, it will puff up dramatically! Don’t get too excited, because it then deflates.  But it looks impressive – even if nobody else saw it!

Here’s what the internal of the cheese naan seems like – if you’re questioning if I used enough cheese Be nonetheless my beating heart … ( pleasure or cholesterol sirens? i will’t pretty distinguish

What to serve with naan

I experience like I’m declaring the plain right here by way of announcing that the most natural, maximum obvious manner to apply naan is to scoop and slop up with Qeema Curried Beef, Palak Paneer, Beef Kofta with Saag Aloo or Madras Curry.

additionally assume uses as a wrap: Stuff them, say, with Grilled Tandoori Chicken or Chicken Tikka Masala (use the chicken Tikka a part of Tikka Marsala), along with a few fresh Tomato Salad with Mint Sauce for an entire meal in a wrap.

but then I realised: I’ve been devouring an inordinate amount of naan just as it’s miles. immediately out of the skillet, with and with out butter, cold, heat, reheated – and loving it like it’s miles.

The lesson? Naan this right you could have it each which manner. It’s 100% first-rate. Make it once and that i assure you’ll be addicted for existence!