Traditional Naan Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Combine warm water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes until foamy.
• Add salt and flour. Mix thoroughly. Knead dough on a floured workspace about 20 times and form into a tight ball. Put dough in a well oiled bowl and cover with a damp towel.
• Put in a warm place to rise for 30-45 minutes. Dough won't rise much, but it doesn't need to.
• Turn dough out onto a floured workspace. Divide dough into 8 pieces and roll out with a rolling pin to about 1/8" thick.
• Grill naan pieces on a grill or electric griddle. In a pinch, a frying pan sprayed with some nonstick cooking spray will work. Grill for 1-2 minutes on each side.
• This recipe yields a very soft, chewey naan. Just the way I like it!

Steps:

• Put warm water in a small bowl, add sugar and yeast and stir until dissolved. Set aside for 5-10 minutes or until it foams.
• Blend in the warm milk, yogurt and melted margarine. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, baking powder and poppy seeds. Pour in the yeast/milk mixture all at once and work it into the flour, using your hands. Continue mixing, adding flour or water as needed, until the mixture leaves the sides of the bowl.
• Knead for 6 to 8 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place in a lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp cloth and let stand in a warm place to rise for about 4 hours or until doubled in volume.
• Preheat oven to 550 degrees F (285 degrees C) or your oven's highest setting and set a rack in the lower third of the oven. Place a large pizza pan or iron griddle on the rack and preheat. Also preheat the broiler.
• Punch the dough down and knead briefly. Divide into six pieces and shape them into balls. Place them on an oiled plate and cover with lightly oiled plastic wrap. Let balls rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Roll out and stretch each ball until it is about 10 inches long and 5 inches wide. Remove the pizza pan from the oven, brush with oil and place one of pieces of bread on it.
• Bake at 550 degrees F (285 degrees C) for about 4 to 5 minutes until bread is puffed and has brown spots, then transfer to a wire rack, returning pizza pan to oven to keep hot. Place bread under broiler until 'charcoal' dots appear on the surface. Wrap finished bread in a towel while baking the remaining loaves. (If your pizza pan is big enough, try baking two loaves at the time.)

Steps:

• Whisk warm milk/water with the yeast and sugar until the yeast is dissolved.
• Cover and let stand in a warm place for 10 minutes.
• Sift flour and salt three times into a large bowl add the yeast mixture, half of the ghee and the yogurt.
• Mix into a soft dough then knead on a floured surface for about 5 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.
• Place the dough in a large greased bowl, cover and let stand in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours or until the dough is doubled in size.
• Punch down dough then knead for 5 minutes.
• Divide dough into 6 pieces.
• Roll each piece out into 8 inch round nans.
• Cover an oven tray with foil and grease the foil.
• Brush the nan with a little of the remaining ghee and sprinkle with some of the kalonji.
• Cook Nan one at a time under a very hot grill for about 2 minutes on each side or until puffed and just browned.

Steps:

• In a large glass, dissolve the dry yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar with 3/4 cup warm water (about 100 degrees F). Let it sit on your counter until it's frothy, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, sift the flour, salt, remaining 1 teaspoon of sugar and baking powder into a large, deep bowl.
• Once the yeast is frothy, add the yogurt and the olive oil into the glass, and stir to combine. Pour the yogurt mixture into the dry ingredients and add the kalonji and fennel seeds, if using, and gently mix the ingredients together with a fork. When the dough is about to come together, use your hands to mix. It will feel like there isn't enough flour at first, but keep going until it transforms into a soft, slightly sticky and pliable dough. As soon as it comes together, stop kneading. Cover the dough with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel and let it sit in a warm, draft-free place for 2 to 4 hours.
• When you're ready to roll, make sure you have two bowls on your counter: one with extra flour in it, and one with water. The dough will be extremely soft and sticky-this is good! Separate the dough into 6 equal portions and lightly roll each one in the bowl of extra flour to keep them from sticking to each other.
• Shape the naan. Using a rolling pin, roll each piece of dough into a teardrop shape, narrower at the top than at the bottom. It should be 8 to 9-inches long, 4-inches wide at its widest point and about 1/4-inch thick. Once you've formed the general shape, you can also pick it up by one end and wiggle it; the dough's own weight will stretch it out a little. Repeat this method with the rest of the dough. (If you're making the gluten-free version, you'll have better luck pressing the dough out with your fingertips, than rolling.)
• Warm a large cast-iron skillet over high heat until it's nearly smoking. Make sure you have a lid large enough to fit the skillet and have a bowl of melted butter at the ready.
• Dampen your hands in the bowl of water and pick up one of your naans, flip-flopping it from one hand to the other to lightly dampen it. Gently lay it in the skillet and set your timer for 1 minute. The dough should start to bubble.
• After about 1 minute, flip the naan. It should be blistered and somewhat blackened, don't worry - that's typical of traditional naan! Cover the skillet with the lid and cook 30 seconds to 1 minute more.
• Remove the naan from the skillet, brush with a bit of butter and sprinkle with a little coarse sea salt. Place the naan in a tea towel-lined dish. Repeat with the rest of the naans and serve.

Steps:

• Put 125ml warm water into a bowl and sprinkle over the yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar. Leave for 10-15 mins or until frothy. In a larger bowl, put the flour, remaining sugar, ½ tsp salt and baking powder. Mix together then make a well in the centre in which to pour the melted butter, yogurt, nigella seeds and yeast mixture. Stir well, then start to bring the mixture together with your hands. If it's very wet add a spoonful of flour but if it's dry add a splash more warm water. It should be a very soft dough but not so wet that it won't come together into a ball.
• When you're happy with the consistency, start kneading, first in the bowl, then transfer the mixture onto a well-floured surface and continue to knead for 10 mins or until smooth and elastic but still soft. Butter a large bowl, then shape the dough into a ball and place in the prepared bowl. Cover and leave in a warm place for about 1 hr or until doubled in size.
• Divide the dough into six balls and put them on a baking tray dusted with flour, then cover the tray with a damp tea towel. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over a high heat. Take one of the balls of dough and roll it out to form a teardrop shape that's approximately 21cm long and around 13cm at the widest part. When the pan is very hot, carefully lay the naan bread into it. Let it dry fry and puff up for about 3 mins, then turn over and cook on the other side for another 3-4 mins or until cooked through and charred in patches.
• Heat the oven to its lowest setting and put the cooked naan bread on a baking sheet. Brush with a little melted butter and cover with foil. Keep warm in the oven and layer up the cooked naans one on top of each other as you make them, brushing each one with melted butter or ghee as you go. Serve warm with curry or dips.

Steps:

• Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cumin seeds, and sugar together in a large bowl.
• Combine milk and 1 tablespoon oil in a small saucepan; heat over medium heat until warm, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir into flour mixture until small clumps form. Knead dough, adding more flour by the tablespoon if needed, until it is soft and smooth. Let dough rest, about 3 minutes.
• Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Pressed into flat circles on a floured work surface.
• Brush a large skillet with remaining 1 tablespoon oil; heat over medium-high heat. Cook circles of dough one at a time until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side.

Steps:

• Sieve the flour.
• Add water, yogurt, egg yeast, nigella and salt to make a soft dough.
• If dough sticks too much then use little bit of oil on hand and then punch into dough.
• Top with oil.
• Let rest covered 15-20 minutes.
• Divide dough into 8-10 portion and form balls with little flour.
• Let rest 20 minutes.
• Now to make naan, set oven at broil.
• Roll oval shape out of dough: flat your balls and toss to make them bigger.
• Put 2 naans on the baking tray and place it into stove (make better naan on stove top) and flip it after about 2 min (you have to check!). On the other side they need now about 30-40 seconds (check!).
• Repeat with the other naans.
• Keep them covered with a towel and serve warm.
• Note: If you like, after taking it out apply some butter on them. And they are ready to eat.

Steps:

• Combine water, yeast, and sugar in a large bowl. Let stand until bubbly and frothy, about 10 minutes.
• Stir in milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface until smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. Place dough into a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise until the dough has doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
• Punch down dough and knead well. For garlic naan, knead in garlic at this point.
• Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of golf balls. Roll into balls, cover with a clean cloth, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Roll out 2 balls of dough into elongated ovals. Place on an ungreased baking sheet and cook under the broiler until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Brush butter on both sides and flip. Continue broiling until the second side is firm and golden, 2 minutes more. Repeat with remaining dough.

Steps:

• Grease a large bowl lightly with ghee.
• In a small bowl, stir the yeast and a pinch of the sugar into the water. Set aside for 3 to 5 minutes, at which point the mixture should look foamy. If it isn't, wait for another minute, and if it is still without activity, start again with fresh yeast.
• In a bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, and remaining sugar. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, as if making a small volcano. Whisk the yogurt into the yeast mixture, then pour the yeast-water mixture into the middle of the dry ingredients (or crater, to continue the metaphor). With a fork, slowly bring the walls of the well into the liquid a little at a time, until all the liquid is incorporated but some loose flour remains. Turn the whole bowl out onto a clean work surface. Knead the dough until it is a satiny lump, 5 to 8 minutes. If the dough is too sticky to handle at any point, dust with flour.
• Place the dough in the ghee-slicked bowl and cover with a damp, lint-free kitchen towel to rest at room temperature until doubled in bulk, 3 to 4 hours. (At this point, the dough can be covered in plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Take chilled dough out of the fridge 30 minutes before using.)
• Preheat an oven to 200°F (95°C) with an ovenproof serving dish on the rack set in the middle.
• Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal portions. Shape each piece into a tight ball by rolling between your cupped hand and a work surface. Re-cover with your towel and leave the dough to relax, at least 5 and up to 10 minutes.
• Preheat a large cast-iron skillet or nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Take one piece of dough and place in the center of a lightly floured work surface, keeping the rest of the balls covered. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a round approximately 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. If desired, pull on one side of the circle to form the traditional teardrop shape. If ever the dough resists rolling and springs back, move on and shape another ball of dough, then return to the first when finished. Once shaped, brush the dough with water and, if using, press any desired seasonings into the surface. Set the dough into the hot pan, wet side down, and brush the now-exposed dry side of the dough with a little water. Cover and cook, undisturbed, until bubbles form on the top of the dough, and the underside is speckled and brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the naan and press with a folded kitchen towel to flatten any large bubbles. Replace the lid and cook until the underside is as browned as the top, 1 to 2 minutes more, then flip back over and brush with melted ghee.
• Keep the naan warm in the oven as the remaining dough is shaped and cooked. The naan are best eaten right away but can be stored at room temperature for 1 day. Rewarm in a low oven, wrapped in foil. Garnish with the cilantro.
• Omit the yeast. Stir 3/4 cup (175 ml) milk with the yogurt instead of using water. Whisk together the flours, salt, and sugar as above, adding 1 teaspoon baking powder and a generous 3/4 teaspoon baking soda to the mix. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients to form a dough. Knead, cover with a damp kitchen towel, and let rest at room temperature for 1 hour before shaping and cooking as above.

Steps:

• STIR one (1/4 ounce) package active dry yeast into warm water; LET sit for 10 minutes.
• MEASURE 2 cups all-purpose flour into a medium bowl; ADD 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon sugar and 1/8 teaspoon baking soda; MIX well; ADD 2 tablespoons oil and 2 1/2 tablespoons plain yogurt; MIX until crumbly.
• POUR the water and yeast mixture over flour; and make into soft dough; KNEAD the dough until smooth.
• COVER dough with a kitchen towel; KEEP in a warm place until dough doubles in volume, between 3 - 4 hours.
• SET oven rack in center position; PLACE a pizza stone in center of rack (NOTE: IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A PIZZA STONE, A CAST-IRON DUTCH OVEN OR GRIDDLE MAY BE USED); PREHEAT the oven to BAKE at 500°F , for at least twenty minutes until pizza stone is properly tempered; SET the BROILER to HIGH.
• LUBRICATE hands lightly with canola oil; KNEAD dough 2-3 minutes; DIVIDE dough into 6 equal portions.
• FLOUR a rolling board; ROLL each piece of dough on floured board with a rolling pin, into rounded shapes about 1/4-inch thick and no wider than 8 inches (they don't have to look perfect); RE-DUST board with flour as needed; REPEAT with remaining dough portions.
• WET hands lightly; TAKE Naan discs and flip them between your palms before placing them CAREFULLY onto hot pizza stone in oven without touching the stone (do not set more than two Naan at a time over stone); CLOSE oven door.
• BROIL-BAKE Naan on pizza stone in closed oven for 2-3 minutes (keep a close watch on timing); REMOVE baked Naan from stone with a spatula and/or tongs, wearing oven mitts; BASTE with suggested additions if desired (RE-TEMPER pizza stone for 3 minutes before continuing with your next batch).
• BASTE baked Naan with suggested BASTE; KEEP warm in lined bread basket until serving; SERVE with dipping sauce if desired and ENJOY!

Steps:

• Put the flour in a large bowl, then add the sugar, baking powder and 1½ tsp salt. Add the seeds, if you like. Lightly whisk to disperse the ingredients evenly throughout the flour.
• Add 1 tbsp of the melted butter, followed by the natural yogurt. Mix together with your hands. Once the yogurt and butter have been absorbed, gradually add 180-200ml water, 50ml at a time. Mix between additions, until it begins to come together into a dough. The water amount will depend on the consistency of the yogurt and butter - stop adding when you have a ball of dough.
• Tip the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead thoroughly for 5 mins until smooth and elastic. Put in an oiled mixing bowl, cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for at least 1 hr. The dough will not rise but it is important to let it rest as this helps to make the naans less chewy and more fluffy.
• If making the garlic butter, mix the garlic with the remaining 1 tbsp melted butter and the coriander. Set aside.
• Divide the dough into eight, 10 or 12 even-sized pieces, depending on how big you want the naans. Roll into round balls, then return to the bowl, covered with a tea towel.
• Roll one of the dough balls out on a lightly floured surface into a round, oval or teardrop shape - roll with a diagonal motion to get an oval. Flip the dough over and repeat on the other side.
• Heat a frying pan. Dry fry the dough over a medium high heat until it begins to puff up and the underside browns in places. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove the cooked naan from the pan. Spoon a little of the garlic butter over the naan, if using. Sprinkle over some coriander, if you like. Cover with a tea towel while you repeat the process with the remaining balls of dough.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
• Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
• During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
• At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.

Steps:

• Sift the flour, salt, baking powder, yeast and sugar in a bowl and pour in the hand-hot milk, oil, yoghurt and the beaten egg and mix it all together to form a ball of dough.
• Place the dough on to a clean surface and knead it for 10 minutes or more, until it is smooth and satiny.
• Pour about 1/4 tsp oil into a large bowl and roll the ball of dough in it.
• Cover the bowl with a piece of cling film and set aside in a warm, draught-free place for an hour or until the dough has doubled in size.
• Pre-heat your oven to the highest temperature. Put the heaviest baking tray to heat in the oven.
• Punch down the dough and knead it again and divide into 9 equal balls.
• While working on 1 ball, keep the remaining balls covered. Flatten the ball using your hands (or rolling pin) into a tear-shaped naan, about 15 cm in length and about 12 cm at its widest. Brush the top with melted butter.
• Remove the hot baking tray from the oven, grease it well with butter or oil and place the naan on to it (I cook 4 naans in one batch).
• Put it into the oven on the top rack for 2-3 minutes. It should puff up and brown slightly (do keep an eye on it after 2 mins).
• Once puffed up and browned on one side, flip the naan and back into the oven again for another 1-2 minutes till the top of naan goes golden brown (keep an eye after 1 minute).
• Wrap the naans in a clean tea towel and serve hot.