Last updated on April 28th, 2019
WHAT CAN YOU DO with flour, water, milk, yeast and salt? You can make Naan, just as I did this week. Naan is an ancient, Central-Asian flatbread with a wonderfully wheaty taste and a deliciously chewy texture. I like to form the dough into long “snowshoe” shapes, and then serve the loaves with dinner or as an appetizer at parties. The dough is remarkably easy to make, and forming it with wet fingers is fun-fun-fun!
The naan-making nomads of Central Asia did not add sugar to their bread. I don’t add it, either. Sugar, contrary to popular belief, is not necessary for yeast breads.
Good news! You won’t need any special equipment to mix and knead the naan dough. You can tackle the mixing and kneading steps entirely by hand.
Thanks for watching! As mentioned, tomorrow I shall turn some of this Naan into pizza. Stay tuned!
xKevin
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This easy bread dates back to the ancient nomads of Central Asia. For the very best texture, I always bake the "snowshoe"-shaped loaves on quarry tiles or a pizza stone.
Ingredients
- 2 cups warm water (110F degrees)
- 1 cup warm milk (110F degrees)
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 Tbsp salt (plus extra for sprinkling tops of loaves, if desired)
- 5-6 cups unbleached, all-purpose or “plain” flour
- A little olive oil or vegetable spray for greasing the mixing/proofing bowl
- Optional: Sesame Seeds or fresh or dried herbs, for topping the breads
- Optional: 4 Tbsp melted butter for brushing the just-baked loaves
Instructions
- Making the dough — Pour the water and milk into a large bowl; sprinkle on the yeast and salt. Then stir in 2 cups of flour. Stir in one direction to help the strands of gluten develop. Stir in more flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough becomes too stiff to stir. Dump the dough onto a floured board, sprinkle more flour on top, and knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic — about 10 minutes.
- The first (and only!) rise — Wash and dry the mixing bowl, and then grease it lightly with olive oil or vegetable spray. Then return the dough to the bowl. Flip the dough so that each side is coated with oil or spray. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise until double in volume – 2 to 3 hours. If you are impatient (like me), set the bowl on a common heating pad set to the lowest setting. The dough will be ready in approximately 1 hour.
- Preparing and heating the oven — One hour before you are ready to bake, set a pizza stone or unglazed quarry tiles on the middle oven rack. Heat the oven to 500°F.
- Forming the dough – Deflate the dough, and pour it onto a floured surface. Form the dough into a rough rectangle, and then cut the rectangle in half. Cover one half of the dough with plastic wrap. Cut the other half into 5 equal-size pieces. Place all but one piece under plastic. Roll out one segment into a rough rectangle, 5 inches wide and 8 inches long. Sprinkle with the optional salt and the sesame seeds or herbs. Then, with very wet fingers, make lots of indentations all over the dough. Then lift the dough onto your wrist, raise your arm, and let the dough elongate itself to about 12 inches.
- Baking the Naan — Open the oven door and quickly set the dough on the hot stone or tiles. Bake until its edges puff up, and its color turns from white to spotty brown — 6-8 minutes. Do not overbake. Form and bake the other snowshoes. If you are using a large baking stone, you can bake 2 or 3 snowshoes at a time.
- Serving — Brush the bread with melted butter, and serve at once. Naan — no matter how you make it or bake it — is always at its delicious best while still warm.
Katie says
I’m going to try this as my pizza dough today! Thank you Kevin!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Katie – Enjoy!
Ann says
I don’t have tiles or stone. Any substitutes that could work?
Marie Morgan-Roth says
I keep coming back to the recipe time and time again it is so very good! Thank you Kevin!!
Susan says
Kevin…I have bought naan (not proud, ) and have made small pizzas. Not a fan of pizza sauce, I use alfredo sauce, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and cheese…the texture of naan is really good, but I’m sure homemade is even better…I will be trying my hand at making my own. Thank you so much for this recipe.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Marie – I’m glad you like the recipe!
Hi Ann – A cast-iron skillet could work. Be sure to shape the loaves to fit the pan!
Hi Susan – If you make this naan, let me know how it turns out for you.
Linda says
Hi Kevin
I have been on bread baking kick lately as keeping the oven on help add warm the house while we have record breaking cold here in Minnesota. This looks like a winner for the next baking.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Linda – Same weather here. Bread-baking season!
Judy Hines says
Must try this!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Judy – If you give this naan a try, please let me know how it turns out for you!
Shawn Winsor says
Is there another flour that can be substituted if you have problems with gluten?
Su says
Wonderful demo on making naan!
Printed the recipe but so helpful to watch a short video
Had a laugh about the black cashmere sweater !!
Goes well with the boyish dishevilled look
I also appreciate that all or most of your recipes fit on one page
Cheers ,sue
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Shawn – No gluten-free flour subs for naan. Naan gets its wonderfully chewy texture from the gluten in wheat flour.
Hi Su – I’m so glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for watching it!
Debbie - MountainMama says
I just made a ton of naan last weekend, but I cook it on a med-hot pan on the stove. I’ll have to try your recipe next, when I run out of freezer naan!
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Debbie – Likewise, I’ll have to try your method of cooking Naan on the stovetop!
Lois says
I made these today, and love them! Thanks!
Patty says
Can you make this with whole wheat flour (white whole wheat)? Thank you.
Kevin Lee Jacobs says
Hi Patty – The bread should turn out perfectly well if you use 1/2 white whole wheat and 1/2 all-purpose flour. Enjoy!