Homemade Naan Soft Flatbread Recipes

NAAN-LIKE EASY FLATBREAD

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.

HOMEMADE NAAN (SOFT FLATBREAD)

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk yeast, sugar and water until well combined. Let sit for about 10 minutes, or until yeast dissolves and begins foaming. Whisk in oil, yogurt and egg until evenly combined.
• In a separate large bowl, combine 1 cup flour, salt and garlic powder. Pour wet ingredients into the flour-salt mixture and stir until well combined. Continue adding flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until you can no longer stir it with a spoon (about 1 to 1.5 cups later).
• Place ball of dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for about 3 minutes, adding small amounts of flour to keep the dough from sticking. You'll end up using between 2.5 to 3 cups flour total. The dough should be smooth and soft, but not sticky. Avoid adding excessive amounts of flour as you knead, as this can make the dough too dry and stiff.
• Loosely cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in size (about 1-2 hours). After it rises, gently flatten the dough into a disc and cut it into 8 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a small ball. Working with one ball at a time, roll it out until it is about 1/4 inch thick or approximately 6 inches in diameter.
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place dough pieces onto the hot skillet. Cook until golden brown and large bubbles have formed on the surface, flipping once. Stack cooked flatbread on a plate and cover with a towel to keep warm.
• Serve plain, or brushed with melted butter and sprinkled with fresh herbs.

HOMEMADE NAAN

Steps:

• Briefly stir together the warm water and honey in the bowl of a stand mixer. (Or see notes below about how to make the dough by hand.) Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and give it a quick stir, then let the mixture rest for 5-10 minutes until the yeast is foamy.
• Add the flour, yogurt, salt, baking powder, and egg. Using the dough attachment, mix the dough on medium-low speed for 2-3 minutes until smooth. (The dough will still be slightly sticky, but should form into a ball that pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl. If it's too sticky, add a bit more flour.)
• Remove dough from the mixing bowl and use your hands to shape it into a ball. Grease the mixing bowl (or a separate bowl) lightly with cooking spray, then place the dough ball back in the bowl and cover it with a damp towel. Place the bowl in a warm location (I set mine by a sunny window) and let it rise for 1 hour until the dough has nearly doubled in size.
• During the last 10 minutes of the dough's rise time, heat the butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat until melted. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Remove the pan from heat and stir in some chopped herbs, if desired. (You can also strain out the garlic chunks if you prefer the garlic butter to be completely smooth.)
• Once the dough is ready to go, transfer it to a floured work surface and shape it into an even(ish) circle. Cut the dough into 8 equally-sized wedges and roll each wedge into a ball with your hands. Then use a rolling pin to roll out the dough ball until it forms an oval about 1/4-inch thick. (I recommend multi-tasking this process - rolling out the next dough ball while you cook one on the stove.)
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet or non-stick sauté pan over medium-high heat until it is nice and hot. Add a piece of the rolled-out dough to the pan and cook for 1 minute, or until the top of the dough begins to bubble and the bottom turns lightly golden. Flip the dough and cook on the second side for 30-60 seconds, or until the bottom is golden as well, then transfer the dough to a clean plate. (If you are making garlic naan, brush one or both side(s) of the dough with the garlic butter once the naan has cooked.) Sprinkle the naan with a pinch of flaky sea salt, if desired. Then lightly cover the naan with a clean towel so that it stays warm. Repeat with remaining dough until all of the naan pieces are cooked, adjusting the heat of the pan if needed to keep it hot (but not overly-hot so that it burns the bread).
• Serve warm and enjoy!

NAAN

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.