Naan bread is a traditional Indian and south Asian crispy bread and is often used as a dip or wrap. Most often enjoyed with many dips, sauces and stews.
The effort it takes to make Naan bread is well worth it after you taste it. I first made this bread while I was teaching Hospitality. My students and I were making Butter Chicken to sell to staff and thought Naan bread would complement the Butter Chicken nicely. So we thought, why not give it try, it can’t be that hard. Well, it turned out to be a hit!
Once you have mixed the ingredients and kneaded the dough, and place it in a bowl coated with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Set the dough in a warm area. Trust me it helps to speed things up. Allow it to double in size, about 1 hour.
Divide the dough in 8 sections and roll the dough about the size of a golf ball. Place on baking sheet and allow to rise about double in size. Again, important to cover the dough, to avoid any drafts when rising.
Flatten each ball of the dough into a thin circle with a rolling pin. To note, the smaller the circles, the more bread you will have. Place each circle in a lightly oiled cast iron pan. It only takes 2-3 minutes on each side.
Naan Bread
Ingredients
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 1/2 cups flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
Instructions
- In a large bowl, dissolve yeast with salt and sugar in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy.
- Stir in enough flour to make soft dough, about 2 ½ cups. Knead for about 5 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in an oiled bowl, cover with a plastic wrap, and set aside to rise. Let it rise for 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
- Flatten dough with your hands and pinch off 8 small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a plastic wrap, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil a cast iron pan. Place dough on pan, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Turn over and brush cooked side with butter. Continue cooking until browned, another 2 minutes.
- Remove from pan, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared. Keep warm.
Nutrition
Enjoy this delicious Naan bread with any type of dish that requires you to dip into, such as stews, sauces, and dips. This bread freezes well, so make a lot and enjoy it! 🙂
