- Total time
- 170 min
- Servings / pieces
- 8
- Topic
- Bread & rolls
This home version of naan cooks in a hot frying pan. Yogurt softens the dough and adds mild tanginess. A few dark blisters are desirable; an evenly black underside means the pan has become too hot. The timing includes the stated rises, which can take longer in a cool kitchen. Watch volume and dough tension as well as the clock. Weigh flour and liquid, keeping extra dusting flour separate from the measured dough ingredients.
Method
Step by step
- 01
Mix
Mix flour, water, yogurt, yeast, salt, sugar and oil into a soft dough.
- 02
Develop the dough
Knead for about eight to ten minutes by hand or at low mixer speed. The dough should become cohesive and elastic. Brief pauses help if the mixture still tears readily while you are working it.
- 03
Let rise
Cover and rise for 60–90 minutes until visibly enlarged.
- 04
Shape
Divide into eight balls and rest for ten minutes. Roll into ovals about five millimetres thick. Keep remaining portions covered.
- 05
Bake
Preheat a dry heavy pan over medium-high heat. Cook each bread for 90–120 seconds per side until blistered and no longer doughy in the centre. Brush thinly with butter.
- 06
Cool
Let steam escape briefly on a rack. Wrap in a clean cloth to keep the breads soft, then serve while still warm.
Times are a guide. Your hob, oven and ingredients affect the result; use the cooking cues as well as the clock.
Ingredients and dough texture
This formula assumes ordinary plain yogurt. Very thick yogurt may need a little extra water. Avoid rolling every bread far in advance: exposed surfaces dry and become less pliable during cooking.
Serving and storing
Let steam escape briefly on a rack, then wrap in a cloth. Serve warm with curry or lentils, or freeze individual portions for later. An empty pan can become very hot between portions. If later breads blacken increasingly quickly, lift it off the heat briefly and reduce the setting. Avoid tightly pressing finished breads together while they are still releasing a large amount of steam.
Kitchen questions
One more question?
Do I need a tandoor?
Not for this skillet version.
Why is the middle raw?
Roll thinner or reduce the pan heat slightly and cook longer.
