Cast Iron
Homemade Naan
Popular on Food52
71 Reviews
brushjl
February 12, 2024
Hubby LOVED the Naan
Yes, it was time-consuming. Next time will find a bigger pan.
Yes, it was time-consuming. Next time will find a bigger pan.
June D.
June 7, 2023
Is it possible to give measurements by weight also? I have gotten very used to using my scales when baking.
Robin J.
February 17, 2022
Fabulous! So light and airy! I love the way they puff and bubble up. The trickiest part is trying to roll the dough into an oval/circle. It's such a loose dough; after dividing the dough ball into 8 pieces, the individual pieces weren't round, so my shapes were somewhat goofy, but cooked up fine and tasted great! I wonder if dividing the dough into individual balls right after kneading (before resting) would make it easier to achieve a more consistent round/oval shape when rolling? Has anyone tried that?
Renee R.
September 20, 2021
I also want to know the temperature and cooking time if baked on a pizza stone. I noticed other requests for the same information, but have not seen a response.
Curry L.
February 27, 2021
This is a great (and for the naan-inept like me - forgiving) recipe.
One note - SALT. I added one teaspoon, but I think I could have added more.
One note - SALT. I added one teaspoon, but I think I could have added more.
Darian
January 1, 2021
I made half of the recipe for 3 of us, thinking 8 would be more than enough - WRONG! They were devoured quickly and left us wanting more. I read the reviews in advance and had every intention of adding salt, but forgot - until I was eating them and thought, these could use a little salt. Next time - and there will definitely be a next time - I will add the recommended teaspoon of salt.
juicyrebound1
May 28, 2020
I did everything wrong in making this dough. Was I even reading the directions? Mixed all the dry ingredients together, including the yeast, skipping the proofing entirely, used Greek yogurt and a mix of 2% milk with a dash of heavy cream, and the Naan was wonderful in spite of me. Rolls out easily and the cooking is foolproof in a cast iron pan. Half the recipe for tonight's North African Stew, and the other eight loaves frozen for those "we don't have any bread!" nights. Thanks, Carey.
Alamobecky
April 18, 2020
Holy criminy, this was delicious! Served with homemade hummus. I added 1 t. salt as was suggested. Only had 2% milk and nonfat Greek yogurt and they worked out fine. You've unleashed a monster with this one!
highfiberhabit
April 15, 2020
Such a great recipe!!!
I wasn't sure how much to knead so I worked the dough just until everything came together nicely. I didn't add much flour while kneading and the dough after resting was fluffy without being overly sticky and rolled out beautifully. I found I preferred the bread when I rolled it quite thin, and cooked it in a very hot pan for only about 30 seconds per side. I will most definitely make these again (I only made a half batch this time, next time I'll make the full recipe and freeze half).
I wasn't sure how much to knead so I worked the dough just until everything came together nicely. I didn't add much flour while kneading and the dough after resting was fluffy without being overly sticky and rolled out beautifully. I found I preferred the bread when I rolled it quite thin, and cooked it in a very hot pan for only about 30 seconds per side. I will most definitely make these again (I only made a half batch this time, next time I'll make the full recipe and freeze half).
highfiberhabit
April 15, 2020
Oh, and I used greek yogurt because that's all I had on hand and it seemed to work fine?
Cynthia G.
February 19, 2019
This is an incredible recipe. I added salt as per the comments that were submitted. I’ve tried various recipes but this one is by far the best. This will be a staple in our home.
MF S.
March 13, 2016
I made this yesterday - the hubs is a naan junkie and raved about it! Only thing I did was add 1 tsp. salt. Definitely going to be making this regularly. I love that it makes a big batch - I'm going to wrap them individually and freeze them - we'll have fresh naan for a couple weeks.
Macy P.
February 17, 2016
If baking on a pizza stone in the oven, what temp should the oven be set to and how long should I bake? Thanks!
Benny
March 6, 2015
Thanks for the recipe, just turned out my first batch (of many more to come). They are really good... its taking all of my will power not to eat the entire batch myself right now.
susan
August 16, 2014
I just made up this recipe and noticed it didn't have salt as an ingredient so i added some. I only made 1/2 a recipe so I added 1/2 tsp salt. If there is anything I don't like about the results i will post.
Laurie
August 14, 2014
Wonderful recipe/technique. They turned out beautifully but definitely needed salt. I would add a 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon in the future.
ori
July 18, 2014
made this for the first time today with DAL - amazing!!
the only thing i would change is to add salt to the dry mix...
the only thing i would change is to add salt to the dry mix...
Mary
March 26, 2014
Hi! I was a science major in college and I have used various brands of baking powder from both the US and Europe. Baking soda is indeed sodium bicarbonate, sold by the brand name Arm and Hammer in the US and as Natron in Germany. Sodium bicarbonate reacts with an acid to produce carbon dioxide gas as one product. The gas leavens the baked good. If your recipe does not include an acid like buttermilk or vinegar, you need to generate one with a powder that produces an acid on contact with water. You can use tartaric acid (sold in the spice section of US supermarkets as cream of tartar) combined with sodium bicarbonate as a homemade baking powder. Baking with Julia has a recipe. Other baking powders use sodium acid pyrophosphate (Dr Oetker) or monocalcium phosphate (Rumford). All of the above are single acting powders, meaning that they react once on contact with water. You need to put your batter into the oven immediately. Brands containing sodium aluminum sulfate are popular in the US because they react a second time in the oven when heated. They are thus more idiot proof, as the user does not have to rush to get them into the oven or on to the griddle. However, aluminum containing powders can impart a metallic taste to your batter. It has never been proven that aluminum containing baking powders cause Alzheimer's. But since they don't taste as good as the single acting powders, why bother with them. If you read this site, you are probably a good enough baker to manage to bake or griddle your food in an efficient manner.
Donna C.
March 26, 2014
I make naan on my gas BBQ, it is best to have everything you need close at hand, including a clean dish to remove the naan on to after being cooked and set of tongs to flip with and a can of PAM to spray the grill with after each naan has been removed. Pre-heat the grill to about 375 to 400 degrees, be sure that the grill is brushed clean and wiped off with paper towel, then spray the grill with PAM, quickly place the naan on the grill then lower the lid DO NOT WALK AWAY!! You have maybe 45 seconds or a little more, peek into the grill so as not to let the hot air out, if it has puffed up and appears to be brown on the bottom it is then time to flip. Once it has been flipped watch very carefully. Remove from heat and place on a sheet of aluminium foil brushing each naan lightly with melted butter (ghee) or butter with finely grated fresh garlic. Any unbuttered naan can be reheated in the toaster, but if it has been buttered the naan can cause a flare up, safest way to reheat is wrapped in foil and warmed in the oven. This is a very quick way to make naan, but you have got to be attentive and constantly be checking. Guaranteed this method will produce a few burnt offerings, but you will get the hang of it very quickly, and your neighbours will be drooling when they get a whiff of hot naan fresh off the BBQ!! Will try this recipe next time.
steve
March 26, 2014
Hi. Great recipe, thanks. But we've had to guess a little.
We've never worked out the 'American' English terms:
baking soda
and
baking powder
There are many conflicting translations on the 'net. We believe baking soda to be sodium bicarbonate and baking powder to be sodium bicarbonate which has been neutralised to form sodium tartrate. The latter we believe in 'English' English to be cream of tartar. Any advance on that?!
We've never worked out the 'American' English terms:
baking soda
and
baking powder
There are many conflicting translations on the 'net. We believe baking soda to be sodium bicarbonate and baking powder to be sodium bicarbonate which has been neutralised to form sodium tartrate. The latter we believe in 'English' English to be cream of tartar. Any advance on that?!
Sissy A.
July 22, 2014
Cream or Tartar and Baking Powder are different. Baking Powder is cornstarch, monocalcium phosphate, and sodium bicarbonate. Baking Soda is indeed simply sodium bicarbonate. Cream of Tartar is Potassium Bitartrate.
Green R.
February 5, 2014
I have been looking for a good naan recipe for a long time. None were as good as this one! It is just perfect. I used Greek yogurt but thinned it as recommended. I made them twice, once in the oven and once on a cast iron skillet. For a large crowd the oven is more efficient but for a smaller dinner group I prefer the skillet. Thanks for sharing it.
knitnbead
February 5, 2014
I have and electric stove with electric burners and cannot use a cast-iron pan. Do you have any alternatives. Would love to try this.
Ashley C.
April 24, 2014
If your stove top burners are the coil kind, you have no problems at all with a cast iron skillet. If they are instead the sealed-in-glass variety, you have to be a little more careful, but it still works. [This is what I have, for now. It came with the kitchen.]
Just place the skillet straight down on the burner, and if you need to adjust the placement, raise it straight up (i.e. don't slide it around, or pull it off its burner horizontally, or the fussy glass surface with be scratched). Same deal with the glass topped convection burners.
Just place the skillet straight down on the burner, and if you need to adjust the placement, raise it straight up (i.e. don't slide it around, or pull it off its burner horizontally, or the fussy glass surface with be scratched). Same deal with the glass topped convection burners.
Ashley C.
April 24, 2014
If your stove top burners are the coil kind, you have no problems at all with a cast iron skillet. If they are instead the sealed-in-glass variety, you have to be a little more careful, but it still works. [This is what I have, for now. It came with the kitchen.]
Just place the skillet straight down on the burner, and if you need to adjust the placement, raise it straight up (i.e. don't slide it around, or pull it off its burner horizontally, or the fussy glass surface with be scratched). Same deal with the glass topped convection burners.
Just place the skillet straight down on the burner, and if you need to adjust the placement, raise it straight up (i.e. don't slide it around, or pull it off its burner horizontally, or the fussy glass surface with be scratched). Same deal with the glass topped convection burners.
JanetRoss
February 5, 2014
How long can any leftover dough be kept in the refrigerator? Does it freeze well?
Pam
January 26, 2014
Could someone tell me if this can be mixed and kneaded in a bread machine? Arthritis makes kneading dough very painful. Thank you for your help, the recipe sounds wonderful
EatsMeetsWest
January 19, 2014
As an Indian, I wholeheartedly approve of this recipe. It brings me back to my childhood, when naans were a treat and we got to eat them straight off the hot 'ta-waa' (slightly curved roti/naan/chapati griddle). It was then brushed lovingly with ghee, some chopped garlic and coriander leaves (I think), and was simply served along with the meal for the night. Definitely makes you realize how blessed you are.
rmullins
October 24, 2013
Baking soda, Baking powder AND yeast? Are all three really necessary?
Carey N.
October 25, 2013
The primary function of the baking soda here is to neutralize the acid in the yogurt, which can inhibit the yeast. I have, on the other hand, seen a number of naan recipes that do not utilize yeast, but I personally prefer it in this one.
rmullins
October 25, 2013
That doesn't make any sense. Baking soda when mixed with an acid (yogurt) will produce bubbles effectively leavening the dough, and causing a 'rise' on baking. However, Baking Powder contains tartaric acid and baking soda both, so you have a leavening agent all in one product instead of relying on the 'acid-base' reaction in using JUST baking soda. So the two would seem to be redundant.
Additionally here the author uses yet a THIRD leavening with the 'yeast', this I assume is because the previous two leavening agents don't do a good enough job to get real lift for the finished naan?
Additionally here the author uses yet a THIRD leavening with the 'yeast', this I assume is because the previous two leavening agents don't do a good enough job to get real lift for the finished naan?
Carey N.
October 25, 2013
I understand what you mean re: the redundancy of baking soda and baking powder, but I don't think that's the case. The basic properties of baking soda are stronger than that of baking powder, and it's usually suggested that one substitute three times the amount of baking powder for baking soda. This isn't ideal in many cases (including this one), however, as that much baking powder can create an unpleasant bitter taste.
When I first began making and tinkering with this recipe, I did a bit of research online about why all three leaveners would be used, as I didn't quite understand it myself. From what I gleaned from various posts and message boards, I came to understand it as follows: (1) The yeast ensures a somewhat fluffy bread (and also imparts a pleasant yeasty taste). (2) The baking soda functions to neutralize the acid in the yogurt and allows the yeast to develop as it should during the rise time. (3) The double-acting properties of the baking powder (one occurring at room temp and the other when the dough is heated) give the bread an extra chemical leavener boost as it cooks, which is very helpful due to the short amount of time it spends on the stove top.
Again, as I said, this is just what I've inferred from things I've read — I'm certainly not a food science expert.
When I first began making and tinkering with this recipe, I did a bit of research online about why all three leaveners would be used, as I didn't quite understand it myself. From what I gleaned from various posts and message boards, I came to understand it as follows: (1) The yeast ensures a somewhat fluffy bread (and also imparts a pleasant yeasty taste). (2) The baking soda functions to neutralize the acid in the yogurt and allows the yeast to develop as it should during the rise time. (3) The double-acting properties of the baking powder (one occurring at room temp and the other when the dough is heated) give the bread an extra chemical leavener boost as it cooks, which is very helpful due to the short amount of time it spends on the stove top.
Again, as I said, this is just what I've inferred from things I've read — I'm certainly not a food science expert.
rmullins
October 25, 2013
Ahhhh! I see now. Thanks for humoring me on this. I am just now really starting to learn stuff after several years of 'following' recipes. Your reply is very valuable. Thanks a ton!
beejay45
September 17, 2015
None of my Indian acquaintances use any leavening agent. Their naan is quite similar to pita. This may be a regional thing (in India), but I was surprised to see the three things, too. Curious.
Sami
March 14, 2016
I know your comment was posted 6 months ago, but just wanted to say I think that the "naan" you are thinking of is actually Indian roti, which does not use leavening
Cheryl W.
October 20, 2013
Hurray for your recipe, Carey! Having lived in Kosovo for 3+ years, and living just down the street from the bakery where the naan was made, I have been fondly reminiscing about this wonderful bread, wishing that I could re-create it back home. Thanks to you, this is now possible!
Peggy M.
October 19, 2013
I want to do this on my stone in the oven...please tell me a temperature and length of tome to bake; thanks.
abunnybabe
October 13, 2013
I used greek yogurt, just added about 3 extra tablespoons of milk. I found that somewhere on the web.
Cathleen
October 12, 2013
What will happen if we use greek yoghurt? Would it be ok to just thin it with water?
Sena
October 9, 2013
I've made this twice already since last Sunday. I'm vegan, so I used coconut "yogurt" and almond milk rather than their dairy counterparts, and they came out perfect! I appreciate that they were so easy and fast to make in a cast iron skillet. I used one to like pita bread and made my hubby a turkey and cheese sandwich....all of his coworkers were jealous! I made tonight's batch with butter flavored olive oil instead of melted butter, and it was fantastic! Thank you for such a great recipe!
Carey N.
October 10, 2013
I'm glad you enjoyed it! And I'm so happy to hear it works out well with vegan substitutions. :)
abunnybabe
October 9, 2013
Made this last night with butternutsquash with miso and coconut soup, that was one awesom dinner! The naan bread was fantastic! You could be a little more clear in your instructions as stated below, whole milk? yes. and the yogurt, not greek yogurt, and the temperature of the milk, for people like me who don't bake bread. :) I almost threw the whole thing out because it was so sticky and I didn't know what to do. Thank goodness for Google! Just add more flour! Anyway, they came out SUPER DELICIOUS for a first timer!
Carey N.
October 10, 2013
Duly noted re: the clarity — recipe amended. :) I'm so happy they turned out well in the end!
Lauren K.
October 7, 2013
Just made these tonight and they turned out great! Only problem is, they were just for me and I have so many leftover! What is the best way to store them and how long will they keep? Thanks!
Carey N.
October 10, 2013
Wrapping them in plastic wrap and sticking them in the freezer should definitely do the trick if you'd like to keep them for more than a few days.
Lori L.
October 6, 2013
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I love naan. Will the recipe still be ok if I substitute the milk and yogurt for a nut milk and soy yogurt? I would like to make it a vegan recipe.
Carey N.
October 6, 2013
I think that would probably work out just fine, especially since the flatbread isn't as delicate a science as some other baking ventures. If you give it a try, let me know how it turns out!
ChefThyme S.
October 7, 2013
Hey Lori, Let me know how it turns out. I was planning on using almond or coconut milk, but I wasn't sure about the consistency factor. Thanks.
Sena
October 9, 2013
I just saw your post after I posted about how I veganized the recipe. I used almond milk and coconut "yogurt," and the naan came out perfect!
GavinAvery
October 5, 2013
This needs to be edited! Missing amounts of water and sugar!
Carey N.
October 5, 2013
Yup! Sorry, I just realized both those things were missing. Recipe amended.
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