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Naan Bread

By Amy Flanigan

Updated Apr 25, 2026

Read 26 Reviews

Prep 15 minutes mins

Cook 15 minutes mins

Servings 8 naan flatbreads

By Amy Flanigan

Updated Apr 25, 2026

Jump to RecipeShare

This easy homemade Naan Bread Recipe is perfectly soft, chewy, and pillowy, just like you get at your favorite Indian restaurant. No electric mixer required – just your hands, a bowl, and cast iron skillet. So delicious and completely irresistible!

What is Naan Bread vs. Pita Bread

Naan is a traditional Indian flatbread, which is soft and pillowy, full of neat little air pockets. Authentic naan is baked in a blazing-hot Tandoor clay oven, but you can get great results simply by using a hot cast iron skillet.

Both naan and pita are classic Indian flatbreads, but their origins, ingredients, and cooking methods are different. Pita bread is from the Middle East and just includes flour, salt, yeast, and olive oil and forms one huge air pocket. Naan hails from India and includes yogurt and egg in the dough, which causes several little bubbles to form, making it nice and fluffy.

5 from 26

Naan Bread

Prep: 15 minutes mins

Cook: 15 minutes mins

Rise: 1 hour hr

Total: 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Servings: 8 naan flatbreads

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This easy Naan Bread recipe is perfectly soft, chewy, and pillowy, just like you get at your favorite Indian restaurant. No electric mixer required – just your hands, a bowl, and cast iron skillet. So delicious and completely irresistible!

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Ingredients 

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For the Naan

• ▢ ½ cup warm water, (105-110°F)
• ▢ .25 ounce packet instant dry yeast, (see note)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• ▢ 3 tablespoons olive oil, (plus more for the skillet)
• ▢ ¼ cup plain yogurt, (or plain Greek yogurt)
• ▢ 1 large egg, beaten
• ▢ ½ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2½ cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

For the Garlic-Herb Butter (optional)

• ▢ 2 tablespoons melted salted butter
• ▢ 2 teaspoons garlic, minced
• ▢ 2 teaspoons fresh chopped parsley

Instructions 

• In a large bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and sugar; let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. (If it doesn't foam, your yeast isn't good anymore.)
• Add in the olive oil, yogurt, egg, and salt. Stir until incorporated and smooth.
• Add the flour. Using a wooden spoon, stir until a shaggy dough forms.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your hands, bring it together, then knead it a few times into a ball until smooth and shiny. (If the dough is very sticky, add 1-2 extra tablespoons flour at a time to bind the dough, only if necessary.)
• Lightly oil or spray a clean bowl with nonstick cooking spray (the bowl should be large enough to allow the dough to double in size). Transfer dough to the prepared bowl, dust the top very lightly with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (I set it on a heating pad to speed things up!)
• Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle some of the flour on top of the dough and on your hands. Pat down slightly.
• Cut into 6 equal pieces.
• Shape into smooth balls by stretching the surface and tucking it under.
• Flatten each round of dough with your hand.
• Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a 6" circle, 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. (It's totally ok if they are slightly oval.)
• Preheat a cast iron or heavy bottom skillet to medium-high heat. Brush with a teaspoon of oil.
• Pick up the dough and flip-flop it back and forth between your hands to release any excess flour; then gently lay the dough in the skillet and cook until the top is bursting with air bubbles and the bottom is golden brown in spots, 60-90 seconds.
• Flip over and cook for another 45-60 seconds until the bubbles become deep golden brown and blistered in spots.
• Remove, set aside and keep warm in a clean kitchen towel, while you repeat with remaining naan, taking care to regulate the heat of the skillet so it doesn't get too hot. (You don't want the bubbles to get too charred or burn. I usually find it necessary to lower the heat to medium after the first naan.)
• Combine melted butter and minced garlic together in a bowl. Brush each warm naan with the garlic butter and sprinkle with just a bit of chopped fresh parsley. Devour and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Using bulk yeast? A .25 ounce packet of dry instant yeast contains about 2¼ teaspoons.

Nutrition

Serving: 1naan | Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 32g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 182mg | Potassium: 75mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 131IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.

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How to Make Naan Step By Step

In a large bowl, combine ½ cup warm water (105°F), 1 packet instant dry years (.25 oz) yeast, and 2 tsp sugar; let sit for 5-10 minutes until foamy. (If it doesn’t foam, your yeast isn’t good anymore.)

Add in 3 tbsp olive oil, ¼ cup plain yogurt, 1 large beaten egg, and 1½ tsp salt. Stir until incorporated and smooth.

Add 2½ cups spooned and leveled all-purpose flour.

Using a wooden spoon, stir until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface. Using your hands, bring it together, then knead it a few times into a ball until smooth and shiny. (If the dough is very sticky, add 1-2 extra tablespoons flour at a time to bind the dough, only if necessary.)

Lightly oil or spray a clean bowl with nonstick cooking spray (the bowl should be large enough to allow the dough to double in size). Transfer dough to the prepared bowl, dust the top very lightly with flour, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours. (I like to set it on a heating pad on low to speed things along!)

Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle some of the flour on top of the dough and on your hands. Pat down slightly.

Cut into 6 equal pieces.

Shape into smooth balls by stretching the surface and tucking it under.

Flatten each round of dough with your hand.

Using a rolling pin, roll out each ball into a 6″ circle, 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick. (It’s totally ok if they are slightly oval.)

Preheat a cast iron or heavy bottom skillet to medium-high heat. Brush with a teaspoon of oil.

Pick up the dough and flip-flop it back and forth between your hands to release any excess flour; then gently lay the dough in the skillet and cook until the top is bursting with air bubbles and the bottom is golden brown in spots, 60-90 seconds.

Combine melted butter and minced garlic together in a bowl. Brush each warm naan with the garlic butter and sprinkle with just a bit of chopped fresh parsley. Devour and enjoy!

Best Way to Eat Naan

• Enjoy on its own: Baste it with the melted garlic butter, tear into pieces, and snack away. BLISS.
• Serve as a side: Chickpea Curry, Chicken Tikka Masala, and Mulligatawny Soup practically beg for it.
• Flatbread and pizza: Naan can easily be used as a pizza crust or as a base for Turkey Keema and Strawberry Balsamic Flatbread.
• As a wrap: It’s perfect piled with delicious Beef Kofta or falafel or use as a wrap for gyros.

How to Store Naan

• Keep warm. To keep it warm before serving, place freshly cooked naan in a clean kitchen towel or place in a 200°F oven.
• Storing leftovers. Cool completely, then transfer to a resealable plastic bag. It will keep at room temperature for 1-2 days or 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
• Reheat. Wrap in foil and warm in a 350°F oven until hot.
• Can you freeze naan bread? Yep! Once cooled completely, wrap each piece in plastic wrap, then transfer to a resealable freezer-safe plastic bag. It will keep up to 2 months. Frozen naan thaws fairly quickly at room temperature.

I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!