Naan Bread Recipe with Yogurt

3 garlic naan bread served on a white plate.

5 from 1 vote

This homemade naan bread is made with simple ingredients like flour, yogurt and a few pantry staples. Learn how to make this fluffy Indian flatbread (no yeast recipe) with our easy-to-follow garlic naan recipe, perfect for cooking on a tawa or stovetop.

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Total Time1 5

Course: Main

Cuisine: Asian, Indian

Servings: Naan

Calories: 130kcal

Author: Preeti Nayak

Equipment

1 large mixing bowl
1 cast iron skillet or non-stick pan

Ingredients

For the Naan dough

½ cup full fat yogurt or greek yogurt (do not used flavored yogurt)
¼ cup milk luke warm
1 tablespoon oil any cooking oil with neutral flavor
2 teaspoon sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour (Maida)
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda

Other ingredients

(Kalonji) Nigella seeds (optional)
coriander leaves, finely chopped, as needed
4-6 finely chopped garlic cloves
Melted butter, for brushing

Instructions

Prepare your naan dough: In a large mixing bowl, combine yogurt, lukewarm milk, oil, and sugar. To this mixture, add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
Combine all the ingredients. Initially, it will not bind together. Now gradually add 1-2 teaspoons of lukewarm milk to the dough and knead until it comes together like a big ball. Avoid adding too much milk at once to prevent a sticky mess. Once the dough ball is formed, add 1 teaspoon of oil all over the dough.
Knead the dough: Knead for 10 minutes or until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. Initially, the dough will be sticky and will not stretch. However, as you continue kneading, it will gradually become smoother, less sticky, and stretchier. At this point, stop kneading (don’t overdo it otherwise, the dough will be hard). It's only a 10-minute workout, and believe me, the result is fabulous. Cover and let it rest for at least 45 minutes to maximum 2 hours. Not kneading the dough will result in dense or heavy Naan bread.
Roll the naan dough. After two hours, knead the dough once and divide it into six equal-sized balls. Smooth the top surface of the ball by tucking the edges of the dough into the center. Watch the video for more clarity. On a lightly floured surface, roll out each ball into a thin oval or circle, about ¼ inch thick. Sprinkle with kalonji or nigella seeds (optional), coriander leaves, and garlic. Roll the dough lightly once more to stick the toppings.
Apply water. Lightly brush or sprinkle water on the bottom side of the naan. This helps the naan stick to the tawa (griddle).
Heat the tawa. Preheat a cast-iron tawa over medium-high heat. To check if it is hot enough, sprinkle a few drops of water on the surface. They should sizzle and evaporate quickly.
Cook the naan. Carefully place the naan on the hot tawa, wet side down. Cook until the surface starts to brown and the naan puffs up with air pockets.
For traditional tandoori-style char marks: Once the naan starts puffing, carefully hold the cast-iron tawa upside down over a low gas flame. Move the tawa around so the naan cooks evenly and develops light char marks. Use the tawa handle and keep a safe distance from the flame. Watch the recipe video for this step.
If using a non-stick pan: Do not place the pan over an open flame. Flip the naan on the pan and cook the other side for a few seconds, until lightly browned and charred. Transfer to a plate and immediately brush with melted butter. This helps keep the naan soft for longer.
Enjoy your freshly cooked garlic naan immediately. Pair it with curries, dips, or simply savor it on its own.

Video

Notes

You can easily double or triple the recipe.
Addition of milk - Add lukewarm milk to activate the baking powder and baking soda, resulting in softer naan bread. Incorporate the milk gradually (1-2 teaspoons at a time) into the combined dough ingredients, kneading until a cohesive dough forms.
Avoid adding excessive milk (I made this mistake many times), as this can create a sticky mess. If the dough becomes too sticky, incorporate additional flour, one tablespoon at a time. Don’t add too much flour it will result in tough Naan.
Kneading the dough - It helps to develop the gluten in the flour resulting in smooth, pliable dough that is easy to shape and gives the naan its elastic texture. It incorporates air into the dough which leads to a lighter and fluffier naan. I've tried making naan without kneading, and the difference in texture and rise is quite noticeable.
Resting the Dough - While yogurt offers a faster rise than yeast, a 1-2 hour rest can still be beneficial for optimal results in naan dough. Resting allows the gluten to relax after kneading, making it easier to handle and shape. The resting period gives time to meld the flavors in the dough. A longer rest of 2 hours can lead to a slightly chewier naan compared to a shorter rest of 45 minutes to 1 hour.
Cooking on high heat - Cooking Naan bread requires high heat for desirable crunch on the outside while the inside remains soft and airy due to the bread's structure and the short cooking time.
For the toppings, if you don’t have kalonji or nigella seeds simply skip it. But coriander leaves are a must. You can skip garlic to make butter Naan or plain Naan bread.
Don't overcook the naan. Once the naan begins to puff up (usually within 60 seconds on a heated tawa), it's time to flip it over. Cook the other side for about 60 seconds more. Look for golden brown spots or char marks as a sign of doneness.
Flour choice - I have made Naan with all-purpose flour, wheat flour, and a combination of both. I found that all-purpose flour produced the best Naan bread. When wheat flour is added, the Naan becomes slightly harder compared to using only all-purpose flour. However, for a more nutritious option, a combination of both flours in a ratio of 1:1 works well. I wouldn't recommend making Naan solely with wheat flour.

Nutrition