Skip to content
Dough & Brine NL My logMy log

Naan bread in a skillet

These skillet naan have a soft, tender crumb and a blistered surface with browned patches. Milk, yogurt, and oil soften the dough, while a hot, dry skillet sets the outside quickly without drying out the center.

Jump to ingredients

Hydration
64%
Rise time
1.2 hours
Hands-on
35 min
Oven
Skillet at 220 °C (425 °F)
A stack of oval naan with browned blisters and a light coating of melted butter, partly covered by a clean kitchen towel.
Stack the buttered naan under a clean kitchen towel to keep them soft as you cook.

Method

  1. Mix 400 g all-purpose flour with 5 g instant yeast and 8 g granulated sugar. Add 100 g water and 80 g pasteurized whole milk, both at about 30 °C (86 °F), along with 100 g plain full-fat yogurt, 20 g sunflower oil, and 8 g fine salt; mix until all the flour is incorporated.
  2. Knead for 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, supple, and slightly sticky. Do not add extra flour to the dough.Use a dough scraper to lift sticky dough from the work surface rather than dusting it with flour.
  3. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at 24 °C (75 °F) for 1 hour, until roughly doubled in volume.Mark the starting level on the bowl so you can judge the increase in volume.
  4. Divide the dough into six equal pieces and shape them loosely into balls. Cover on the work surface and let rest at 24 °C (75 °F) for 15 minutes, until relaxed and easy to roll.Keep the cover from pressing down on the dough balls.
  5. Preheat a heavy cast-iron skillet without a nonstick coating over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, aiming for a surface temperature of 220 °C (425 °F). Keep the skillet dry, with no added fat.Have a clean kitchen towel ready for stacking the cooked naan.
  6. Lightly dust the work surface using the measured 20 g flour for rolling, then roll one dough ball into an oval about 24 by 18 cm (9 by 7 in) and 3 to 4 mm thick. Keep the remaining balls covered, brush loose flour off the rolled dough, and cook it immediately.Use the rolling flour sparingly across the whole batch; excess flour can scorch in the skillet.
  7. Cook one naan at a time in the dry skillet for 1 to 2 minutes on the first side, turning when bubbles form on top and brown patches appear underneath. Cook the second side for 1 to 2 minutes, until even the thickest parts are cooked through.Melt 20 g unsalted butter over low heat while cooking; lower the skillet heat if the outside blackens before the center cooks.
  8. Brush each naan immediately after cooking with one-sixth of the melted butter and stack under the clean kitchen towel. Repeat the rolling, cooking, and brushing with the remaining dough balls.Keep the stack covered between additions to retain moisture.
  9. Let the naan rest under the towel for 2 minutes before serving. For storage, let the bread cool completely on a rack before packing.Store fully cooled naan in airtight packaging at room temperature for 2 days, or freeze for longer storage.

Food safety

  • Do not taste raw dough: raw flour can carry pathogens. Wash your hands and the counter after handling the dough.
  • Contains: gluten (wheat), milk.

In your log

Tick it off and it goes into your log with the date.

Stays in this browser only.

When it goes wrong

What you seeLikely causeNext time
The dough sticks heavily during kneading.The dough has not developed enough strength yet.Complete the kneading and use a scraper rather than adding flour; the finished dough should still feel slightly sticky.
The dough has barely increased in volume.The rising spot is too cool, or the yeast is inactive.Use active instant yeast and keep the covered dough at 24 °C (75 °F); check for roughly doubled volume.
The dough springs back as you roll it.The dough balls are still tight.Shape the balls loosely and give them the covered 15 minutes of rest.
The dough balls develop a dry skin.They were left exposed during resting or rolling.Keep the resting balls covered and uncover only the one you are rolling.
The naan stays pale and becomes dry.The skillet is not hot enough, so cooking takes too long.Preheat the dry cast-iron skillet to 220 °C (425 °F) before adding the dough.
The surface blackens while the center stays doughy.The skillet is too hot, or the dough is rolled unevenly.Lower the heat and roll evenly to about 24 by 18 cm (9 by 7 in) and 3 to 4 mm thick, checking the thickest parts before removing the naan.
The naan becomes stiff after cooking.It lost moisture while sitting uncovered.Brush each naan with butter immediately and keep the stack under a clean kitchen towel.
Naan bread in a skillet

Ingredients