Garlic Naan

Soft, fluffy homemade garlic naan bread cooked on the stovetop — the perfect companion to any curry.

By Cressio Rinaldi

Homemade naan is one of the most rewarding breads you can make, and you don’t need a tandoor oven. A heavy cast-iron skillet gets hot enough to puff and char the dough in under two minutes per side, and the result is soft, chewy, blistered bread that is better than most takeout.

The dough is made with flour, yeast, yogurt and warm water. The yogurt is what makes it tender and slightly tangy. It needs an hour to rise, so plan ahead, but almost all of that time is waiting. The cooking itself is fast.

The finishing step is the one that makes it garlic naan: a brush of melted butter with minced garlic and cilantro, applied the moment each piece comes off the heat.

Read this first

1. Use warm water, not hot. Hot water kills the yeast.
2. Let the dough double in size. A full hour is worth it.
3. Get the pan very hot before the first naan goes in.

Prep time: 15 mins · Cook time: 20 mins · Serves 8

Ingredients

• 3 cups All-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Instant yeast
• 1 tsp Sugar
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 cup Plain yogurt
• 3/4 cup Warm water
• 3 tbsp Butter, melted
• 4 Garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tbsp Fresh cilantro, chopped

Instructions

1. Mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add yogurt and warm water, mixing until a soft dough forms. Look for: A soft, slightly sticky dough that comes together in the bowl.
2. Knead dough on a floured surface for 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic. Cover and let rise for 1 hour until doubled. Look for: A smooth, elastic dough that springs back when poked, and has doubled in size.
3. Combine melted butter, minced garlic, and cilantro in a small bowl. Set aside. Look for: A fragrant, glossy butter with flecks of garlic and green cilantro.
4. Divide dough into 8 equal balls. Roll each into an oval shape about 1/4 inch thick. Look for: Even balls, and ovals about 1/4 inch thick with no holes.
5. Heat a cast-iron skillet or heavy pan over high heat until very hot. Cook naan for 1-2 minutes per side until puffed and charred in spots. Look for: Big bubbles puff up on the surface, and the bottom has brown and charred spots.
6. Immediately brush each naan with garlic butter. Serve warm. Look for: Soft, blistered bread glistening with garlic butter.

Nutrition

Amount per serving. Nutritional values are estimates calculated from the ingredients above and can vary.

• Calories: 220
• Fat: 6g
• Saturated Fat: 3g
• Carbohydrates: 36g
• Fiber: 2g
• Sugar: 1g
• Protein: 6g
• Sodium: 200mg
• Cholesterol: 15mg

Notes

• Storage: Store cooled naan in an airtight bag at room temperature for up to 2 days.
• Freezing: Freeze cooked naan, stacked with parchment between pieces, for up to 2 months — reheat in a dry skillet or toaster oven.
• Very Hot Pan: A screaming-hot skillet is essential — it's what makes the naan puff up and char in spots the way it would in a tandoor.

Cook It With Me

Mix the dough

In a large bowl, mix the 3 cups of flour, 1 teaspoon of instant yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and the 3/4 cup of warm water. The water should feel comfortably warm, like a bath, not hot. Stir until a soft, shaggy dough forms.

Knead and rise

Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for 5 to 7 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic. Put it in a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until it has doubled in size.

Make the garlic butter

While the dough rises, mix the 3 tablespoons of melted butter, the 4 minced garlic cloves and the 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro in a small bowl. Set aside.

Shape

Divide the dough into 8 equal balls. Cover them and let them rest for a few minutes, which makes them easier to roll. Roll each ball into an oval about 1/4 inch thick, dusting with flour if it sticks.

Cook in a hot pan

Heat a cast-iron skillet or heavy pan over high heat until it is very hot. Place a naan in the dry pan and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, until it puffs and bubbles. Flip it and cook for another minute or two, until it is charred in spots.

Brush and serve

As soon as each naan comes out of the pan, brush it with the garlic butter. Keep the cooked naan wrapped in a clean towel to stay warm and soft, and serve right away.

The Ingredients, One by One

All-purpose flour

Three cups gives a soft, chewy naan. Bread flour makes it chewier.

Instant yeast

It can be mixed straight into the flour. If you only have active dry yeast, dissolve it in the warm water first.

Plain yogurt

It makes the dough soft and slightly tangy. Use full-fat for the best texture.

Warm water

About 105 to 110 F is warm to the touch. Too hot kills the yeast, and too cold slows it down.

Butter, garlic and cilantro

The finishing butter adds all the flavor. Use fresh garlic, and mince it very fine.

Sugar and salt

Sugar feeds the yeast, and salt gives flavor and controls the rise.

The Technique Behind It

Why you knead

Kneading builds gluten, the network that makes bread stretchy and chewy. Five to seven minutes gives a smooth, elastic dough.

Why a very hot dry pan

The fast, intense heat makes steam inside the dough, which puffs it up, and chars the surface for flavor. A cooler pan dries the naan out instead.

Why you brush with butter right away

The hot bread absorbs the butter and garlic better. It also softens the surface.

Mistakes That Cost You the Dish

• Water that is too hot It kills the yeast and the dough won’t rise.
• Not letting it rise The naan is dense.
• Rolling too thick It doesn’t puff and cooks unevenly.
• A pan that isn’t hot The naan turns dry and hard.
• Burnt garlic Brush the garlic butter on after cooking. Don’t cook the garlic in the pan.

Fix It: If This Happens, Do This

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Dough didn’t rise	Dead yeast or a cold room	Use fresh yeast and a warmer spot.
Naan is dense	Not enough rise or too thick	Let it double and roll to 1/4 inch.
Naan is dry and crisp	The pan was too cool or cooked too long	Use higher heat and cook less.
Naan doesn’t puff	The pan wasn’t hot enough	Heat it longer.
Dough is too sticky	Too much water	Knead in a little flour.

What Each Ingredient Does (and What You Can Swap)

Ingredient	Its job	Swap, and what changes
All-purpose flour	Soft, chewy bread	Bread flour is chewier. Whole wheat makes it denser.
Plain yogurt	Tenderness and tang	Greek yogurt works, but use less water.
Butter	Rich flavor	Ghee is traditional.
Cilantro	Fresh, herby note	Parsley works.
Instant yeast	The rise	Active dry yeast works after dissolving.

Plan Ahead

• Make ahead: The dough can rise slowly in the fridge overnight.
• Storage: Wrap in a towel for a few hours, or in an airtight bag for 2 days.
• Reheat: In a hot, dry skillet for 20 seconds per side.
• Freezer: Freezes well for up to 3 months.

What to Serve With It

Serve it with curries, dals and stews, or use it as a base for pizza and wraps. It is made for the red lentil dal and the chana masala on this site.

Questions People Ask

About the Author

Cressio Rinaldi

Cressio Rinaldi is the recipe developer behind Cressio Recipes. He cooks, tests, and writes every recipe on the site himself — refining each one until it's simple enough for a weeknight and good enough to make again. He's not a trained chef, just someone who cooks constantly and pays close attention to what actually makes a recipe work.