Easy Indian Naan Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What flour is naan bread made from? ›

So in short, use bread flour if you have it. But if you don't, I wouldn't make a special trip to the supermarket because this naan is excellent made with all-purpose/plain flour too; Yeast – Instant / rapid-rise yeast is called for here.

Naan bread is soft, fluffy, and chewy, whereas pita bread is denser with a slightly crispy texture on the outside. Naan bread also has a buttery flavor due to the ghee and buttermilk in the dough, which adds an extra dimension of flavor compared to pita bread's more neutral taste.

About Naan

So most restaurants either use yeast or another leavening agent like baking powder & baking soda. If you order naan in Indian restaurants you may not find the texture & flavor to be the same in every place. Each place may have their own recipe to make these. So they taste and smell so different.

Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt holds the naan dough together and ensures a tender texture. Make sure you get authentic Greek yogurt and not Greek-style yogurt.

Plain Naan Bread

The Big Plain Naan is a flatbread made from wheat flour and is thick on the outside with a fluffy inner texture and when it comes to different types of naan breads, plain naan is one of the most popular.

Naan is a leavened bread (meaning it uses yeast), while roti is an unleavened bread (meaning it doesn't). The different ingredients give a far different texture: naan is soft and chewy, while roti is dense and thin.

Other variations do exist which may utilise self raising flour or baking powder/baking soda. However I strongly stand by yeast when it comes to making a good quality naan. It's the best raising agent for flavour development, especially when cold proving is involved.

In many traditional recipes, naan bread does not contain eggs. However, there are variations of naan where eggs might be added to the dough. Whether eggs are added to naan largely depends on the specific recipe used by the restaurant and regional preferences.

Traditionally, Naan was made in a tandoor oven with flour, fermentation, sugar, salt, clarified butter, water, and sour cream. Its invention is disputed: some say it was the outcome of a test after the advent of fermentation from Egypt.

you put it on naans to keep them soft.

Why is my naan not fluffy? ›

If you don't see the dough puffing up, you should turn up the heat under the griddle. Take the naan with thongs and turn on an adjacent gas burner. Flip the naan on top of this gas burner and leave until it's nicely charred.

2% milk works well, but I do not recommend using fat-free or skim milk. Full-fat Greek yogurt. The full-fat dairy in this naan recipe gives it a soft texture and rich taste. You can use a 2% or fat-free Greek yogurt, your bread may just not be as pillowy soft.

Naan is found in the cuisines mainly of Iran, Afghanistan, Central Asia, the Indian subcontinent, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and the Caribbean. Primarily composed of white or wheat flour combined with a leavening agent, typically yeast, naan dough develops air pockets that contribute to its fluffy and soft texture.

While it may contain more carbs and sugars, it earns its reputation as a healthy alternative with its relatively generous amounts of protein and fiber. Despite its high carb content, naan can be considered a more nutrient-dense alternative to white bread and pita.

These naan and Keema curry are both made with rice flour. The naan has potato starch and yogurt, making it fluffy and moist. Tips: The potato starch added to rice flour gelatinizes when processed with heat, making it an ideal binding element for the dough.

Naan is traditionally made with all-purpose (wheat) flour, which is not gluten-free. But the gluten provides a stretchy element that can be tricky to replicate with gluten-free alternatives.