This quick and easy Homemade Garlic Naan is brushed with garlic butter and perfectly fluffy! It is such a treat that you will never buy from the store again.
What goes better with a steaming bowl of curry than a warm garlic naan? Everyone loves this fried Indian flatbread: soft, supple, warm and flavored with garlic. Nothing better to soak up a salty broth! There are all sorts of creative ways to turn naan into dinner: like naan pizza! It’s easy to find this famous bread in stores, but the best way to eat it: homemade, straight from the pan. Here’s our best naan recipe: it’s soft, full of flavor, And faster than most recipes. Here are all our secrets!
Do you want it vegan? Go to Vegan Naan.
To do what The garlic naan?
With so many naan bread recipes, why make this special garlic naan? Here’s what sets it apart from the rest:
- This is a quick naan recipe. Homemade bread takes a long time to rise Proof. The fermentation time for most naan recipes is 1-2 hours. The proof time for this recipe? Only 30 minutes!
- The taste and texture are amazing. This naan bread is perfectly soft and chewy, has just the right amount of salt, and has the best garlic flavor. Really! You have to try it yourself.
The fastest way to make naan: without yeast!
There are two basic ways to make naan dough: with yeast and with baking powder. Most traditional Indian naan recipes use yeast as a leavener: it makes the bread rise. Sourdough breads require longer proofing times. What is proofing? Leavening consists of letting the bread dough rest after adding yeast to make it rise. A yeast naan recipe requires 1-2 hours of fermentation time, depending on the recipe.
Some more modern versions of naan bread use baking powder as a leavener instead of yeast (e.g. the naan recipe from Indian chef Vivek Singh’s book curry). Baking soda reduces the rise time to just 30 minutes. The consistency is a bit more cookie-like than breadcrumbs, but for us, it was definitely worth the compromise!
Use a cast iron skillet (if you have one!)
The best way to cook a garlic naan? Use a cast iron skillet if you have one! Why? A cast iron skillet gets hot. Just like pizza, when cooking naans you want to use the highest heat possible. This creates the classic black spots on the dough. If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, don’t worry! You can use any large skillet or plancha: the blackened spots will only become more subtle.
Point: Whatever pan you use, heat it until it is very hot before adding the first piece of dough. If you add the batter before it’s hot, it won’t cook properly.
Making naan is easier with a buddy!
Alex and I have honed our know-how when it comes to homemade bread recipes over the past few years. Our sourdough bread is the most popular and has been made by people all over the world. (See below for more of our favorite breads.) Here are some tips we recommend for making this easy homemade naan bread:
- Make sure you have time. This garlic naan recipe takes about 1 hour from start to finish. The practical part lasts about 20 to 30 minutes. We recommend this for entertainment or dinner or for activities on a weekend afternoon or day off.
- Find a buddy! You can prepare this recipe yourself. BUT, it’s even more fun with a spouse, partner, or friend. It’s nice when one person rolls out the naan and another cooks it. Plus, cooking together is always better!
Information on storing and warming up!
After you’ve made this garlic naan, what’s the best way to store it? Here are a few tips:
- Storage at room temperature: Place completely cooled naan in an airtight plastic bag and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. The cooled naan will be a bit chewy, so you’ll want to reheat it (see below).
- Storage in the freezer: Wrap in aluminum foil, place in a bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Reheat in the oven: Reheat chilled or frozen naan by wrapping in foil and baking in a 350F oven for 15 minutes.
- Warm up in the toaster: For a quick fix, reheat the chilled naan in the toaster (you may have to cut it in half to fit).
Recipes for eating with garlic naans
There are so many ways to eat this Garlic Naan Bread! It’s more natural with curry, but we also have several naan pizza recipes. Here are our favorites in both categories:
This garlic naan recipe is…
Vegetarian. For vegan, plant-based, and dairy-free products, see the substitutes listed in the recipe.
The description
This quick and easy Homemade Garlic Naan is brushed with garlic butter and perfectly fluffy! It is such a treat that you will never go back to the store bought one. (Vegan substitutes listed, or go to Vegan Naan.)
- 2 1/2 cups (312 grams) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ¼ teaspoon kosher salt (1½ teaspoonsfor vegans)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ cup 2% milk (water, for vegans)
- 3 tablespoons Greek yogurt (coconut cream, for vegans)
- 2 tablespoons salted butter (coconut oil, for vegans)
- 1 clove of garlic
- Chopped fresh cilantro for serving
- In a large bowl, combine all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking soda, and kosher salt. Add the olive oil, milk, and Greek yogurt and stir until the batter comes together. If it’s dry, add a little more milk; If it’s very sticky, add a pinch of flour. Knead until all of the flour is incorporated and a ball of dough forms, about 30 seconds to a minute.
- Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Once the dough has rested, flatten it into a disc. Then cut into 6 equal pieces. On a clean, lightly floured work surface, roll out each dough into a thin teardrop shape, about ⅛ inch thick.
- In the meantime grate the garlic. In a small saucepan, heat the butter and garlic over medium-low heat. Cook until garlic flavor is just turning yellow (but not brown), 1 to 2 minutes, then immediately remove from heat.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet*, griddle or large skillet over very high heat until piping hot (make sure it’s as hot as possible or the first piece won’t cook properly). Add one of the batter pieces and cook until the top is bubbling and the bottom is golden brown and very dark brown in spots (about 1 minute), then flip and cook apart an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute. Spread some garlic butter on both sides of the naan. Wrap it with a clean towel. Repeat with the remaining 5 naans and then add them to the towel (this will cushion them and keep them warm and soft).
- Serve immediately with chopped cilantro. To store, completely cooled naan, place in an airtight plastic bag and store at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrap in foil, place in a plastic bag or container and freeze for up to 2 months. Reheat chilled or frozen naan by wrapping in foil and baking in a 350F oven for 15 minutes. For a quick fix, you can reheat the naan in the toaster (you may have to cut it in half to fit).
Remarks
*A cast iron skillet is the best option as it gives the characteristic black spots. A pan will also work, but won’t blacken as much.
- Category: Bread
- Method: Cook
- Kitchen: Indian
Keywords: Garlic Naan, Naan Recipe, Homemade Naan, Naan Bread
More homemade bread recipes
If you love baking bread, we have plenty of resources for you! Here are our favorite bread recipes:
- The Best Sourdough Bread Easy-to-follow instructions, printable checklist, and step-by-step video help you master the flavorful flavor, chewy crust, and perfect texture. (Or try the vegan bread version.)
- Easy Homemade Bread This homemade bread is easy to make and very versatile: it is suitable for sandwiches, toast and more.
- Artisan Dutch Oven Bread Here’s an easy Dutch Oven Bread with a crispy crust and tender inside.
