Homemade Naan (Indian Style Flatbread)

I talked about the many uses of Naan (Indian style flatbread) in an earlier posting and how nice it is to have a package on hand, not only as a flavorful bread heated with warm butter and herbs or Parmesan cheese, but also as a quick pizza. It is great to serve as a snack, especially when there are lots of kids around to feed or a hungry crowd watching a game.

If you enjoy making homemade bread, naan is a snap to make as there are few ingredients and the dough requires only one rise. Here is a very simple recipe, much more economical than buying those packages of two in the grocery store.

Homemade Naan
(Makes 6 small flatbreads.)

• 2 cups all purpose flour, plus more for rolling out the dough
• 3 teaspoons sugar, divided
• 1 teaspoon rapid-rise yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons plain yogurt
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons melted salted butter, for brushing on finished naans

Preheat oven to 200°F.

Homemade Naan (Indian Style Flatbread)

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together, the yogurt, olive oil, and 3/4 cup warm water (about 100°F).

Add the yogurt mixture to the dry ingredients and mix. When the dough is almost completely mixed, dust your hands with flour and knead gently into a soft, slightly sticky dough. As soon as it comes together, stop kneading.

Transfer the dough to a large bowl that has been lightly oiled. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Let sit in a warm place for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size.

Dust a work surface with some flour and place the dough on top. Sprinkle more flour on top of the dough and on your hands. Shape the dough into a long rectangle and cut into 6 equal portions, dusting with more flour as necessary so the dough doesn't stick.

Warm a large heavy nonstick pan over medium-high heat until very hot. Using a rolling pin, roll one of the dough balls into an oval shape about 1/8-inch thick (it should be about 9 x 4 inches). Lightly pat the dough to release any excess flour, then gently lay it in the dry skillet.

Cook a few minutes until the top is bursting with air bubbles and the bottom is golden and blackened in spots. Flip the naan and cook about 1 to 2 minutes more until the bottom is again lightly browned and blistered in spots. Remove the naan from the skillet and brush with melted butter. (To keep the them warm, place them in the preheated oven.)

Repeat with the remaining naans, adjusting the heat lower if necessary as you go. Serve warm.

Store the leftover naans in a sealed plastic bag. To reheat, wrap each naan in aluminum foil and warm in a 350°F oven until hot.