Naan recipe – fluffy, bubbly, chewy!

Recipe video above. This is a recipe for naan bread that's fluffy, bubbly and chewy, just as it should be. Nobody will ever mistake this for just another basic flatbread! Perfect for slopping up your favourite Indian curries – yet so good that you'll happily devour it plain, straight out of the skillet.Bearing in mind that we aren't cooking in nuclear-level 480°C hot tandoors, see in post for background notes on how I find this recipe to most closely replicates restaurant naan. Makes: 6 naans, ~15-16cm / 6 - 7" diameter. For more Indian recipes, browse the Indian collection.

Prep time: PT20M

Cook time: PT10M

Rating

4.96 stars (466 reviews)

Keywords

Naan recipe

Ingredients

1 tsp instant / rapid rise yeast ((Note 1))
1/2 cup warm tap water ((~40°C/105°F in temperature))
1 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp milk (, full fat (low fat ok too))
1 1/2 tbsp whisked egg (, at room temp (around 1/2 an egg, Note 2))
1/2 tsp salt (, cooking / kosher)
1 3/4 cups bread flour (, or all-purpose/plain (Note 3))
30g / 2 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter (, melted (Note 4))
30g / 2 tbsp tbsp ghee or butter (, melted (Note 4))
1 small garlic clove (, for Garlic Butter option (Note 5))
Nigella seeds
Coriander/cilantro (, finely chopped)
Shredded cheese ((for cheese naan) – Monterey Jack, cheddar, tasty, colby, anything that melts (shred yourself) (Note 6))

Cuisine

Indian

Steps

Bloom yeast: Mix yeast with warm water and sugar in a small bowl. Cover with cling wrap, leave for 10 minutes until foamy.
Egg and milk: Whisk milk and egg together.
Flour: Sift flour and salt into a separate bowl.
Add wet ingredients: Make a well in the flour, add yeast mixture, and butter and egg mixture. Mix together with a spatula. Once the flour is mostly incorporated, switch to your hands and bring it together into a ball. No kneading is required.
Proof 1: Cover the bowl with cling-wrap, then leave in a warm place for 1 - 1.5 hrs until it doubles in size. (Note 7)
Cut into 6 pieces: Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut into 6 equal pieces, then shape into balls into spheres with a smooth surface by stretching the surface and tucking it under (see video).
Proof 2: Place balls on a lightly-floured tray or plate. Sprinkle lightly with flour, cover loosely with a lightweight tea towel. Put in a warm place to rise for 15 minutes until it increases in size by about 50%.
Roll out: Place a round on a lightly-floured work surface, flatten with your hand. Roll out into 3 - 4mm / 0.12 - 0.16" thick rounds (about 16cm / 6.5" wide).
Heat skillet: Rub a cast iron skillet with a very light coat of oil using 1/2 tsp oil on a paper towl (unless already well seasoned). Set over high heat until you see wisps of smoke. (Note 8 for other pans)
Cook naan: Place a naan dough in the skillet and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes until the underside is deep golden / slightly charred – the surface should get bubbly. Flip then cook the other side for 1 minute until the bubbles become deep golden brown.
Cook remaining naan: Remove, set aside, and repeat with remaining naan, taking care to regulate the heat of the skillet so it doesn't get too hot.
Finishing: Brush freshly cooked naan with melted butter or ghee (or garlic butter, Note 5). Sprinkle with nigella seeds and coriander. Serve hot!
Cheese Naan:
- Roll out a naan per above directions. Brush with plain butter or garlic butter. (Note 5) Place a mound of cheese in the middle - about 1/4 cup, lightly-packed. Bundle it up, money bag-style, then twist to seal.
- Turn upside down so the smooth side is up. Roll out to 6-7mm / 1/4" thick rounds.
- Heat a well-seasoned cast iron skillet preheated over high heat, but not until the skillet is smoking. Cook naan for around 1 1/2 minutes on the first side until golden – it will puff up! Turn and cook the other side for around 45 seconds.

Nutitrion

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 223 kcal
Carbohydrates: 29 g
Protein: 5 g
Fat: 10 g
Saturated Fat: 6 g
Trans Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 36 mg
Sodium: 277 mg
Sugar: 2 g

Reviews

Katie on 2026-06-17 (5 stars):
These are sooooo good! Easy and if you have a cast iron pan they turn out perfect, with a bit of char! Better than a lot of Indian restaurants I've been to! I slathered with butter and added chilli and garlic to ours. DELISH!
Simone on 2026-06-08 (5 stars):
Fluffy, soft, and absolutely delicious! I served this with the one pan butter chicken. Another fabulous recipe! Thank you Nagi xxx
Tracy on 2026-04-19 (5 stars):
Easy and simply the best!
Bay on 2026-04-14 (5 stars):
This is the best naan recipe to date! I did add some garlic oil to the mix! Yummm they did not make it to the table
amanda on 2026-04-13 (5 stars):
Reading this maybe I ruined my Scanpans making flatbreads
Brittany on 2026-04-02 (5 stars):
This is just as good, if not better, than a lot of the local Indian places. Thanks Nagi!! Only downside is, I filled up on naan before I could eat my curry :(
Edilsa Escobedo on 2026-03-29 (5 stars):
Thank you. I wanted a snack and decided on this. Very good. Easy recipe.
Catherine on 2026-03-25 (5 stars):
Amazing - the whole family loved it!
DiAnne Doss on 2026-03-23 (5 stars):
Fabulous Nann! Just as good as my favorite restaurant. And really quite easy. Thank you! Excellent instructions.
Tammy on 2026-03-23 (5 stars):
You go girl! You're a class above the rest!
Sofia on 2026-03-20 (5 stars):
These turned out so delicious and fluffy!
Fendi on 2026-03-16 (5 stars):
Loved this recipe! Just wondering how to make these about a week or so in advance...can the made naans be put in the freezer?
Lindsey Mast on 2026-03-14 (5 stars):
Hands down the best naan recipe. I make this at least monthly with curry. We usually make a double batch and they're gone by the next day!
Laura on 2026-03-07 (5 stars):
Extremely easy and yummy. I'm writing this recipe down, it's a keeper!
Tess Reed on 2026-02-27 (5 stars):
This is the best naan recipe out there. I think it might even be better than my local restaurant.
hannah on 2026-02-24 (5 stars):
Never ate a cloud before? Then make this recipe
Linda on 2026-02-20 (5 stars):
Easy recipe and best nanna bread.
Margrit on 2026-02-17 (5 stars):
I absolutely love this naan recipe! It’s so fluffy and chewy and I’ve made it twice now. I’m 12 years old and find this a fairly simple recipe to make! Everyone that has tried it including me thinks it delicious!!