Butter Naan
Soft, pillowy leavened flatbread with charred blisters, cooked in a very hot cast-iron pan and finished under the grill to mimic a tandoor. Brushed with melted butter, it's the perfect partner for any curry.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Make the dough
Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the yogurt, warm milk and oil, then knead by hand for 8 to 10 minutes until you have a very soft, slightly sticky, smooth dough.
- 500g flour
- 7g yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 150g yogurt
- 200ml warm milk
- 2 tbsp oil
✅ Done when: dough is smooth, soft and slightly sticky but holds together
Rise
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot for 60 to 90 minutes.
- all dough from step 1
✅ Done when: dough has roughly doubled in size
Shape
Divide the risen dough into 8 equal balls. Roll or stretch each one on a lightly floured surface into a teardrop shape about 5mm thick, then sprinkle with cilantro or and press them in lightly.
- all dough from step 2
- 2 tbsp cilantro or (optional)
Cook in a hot pan
Heat a dry 25 to 28cm cast-iron pan over high heat until it is smoking hot. Lightly wet the underside of one with your fingers and slap it into the pan wet-side down, then cook for 1 to 2 minutes until large bubbles form and the base is charred in spots. Repeat for all 8 naans.
- 1 piece shaped from step 3
- ¾ tsp water, for wetting (about ¾ tsp per , from the 2 tbsp total)
✅ Done when: big bubbles have formed and the underside has dark charred spots
Brown the top
Hold the with tongs top-side down over a gas flame for a few seconds, or slide the pan under a hot grill for about 1 minute, until the top puffs up and gets dark spots. Brush generously with melted butter and keep warm wrapped in a cloth.
- 1 piece cooked from step 4
- ~6g melted butter (about 6g per , from the 50g total)
✅ Done when: top is puffed with dark charred spots and glossy with butter
Make the dough
Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the yogurt, warm milk and oil, then knead by hand for 8 to 10 minutes until you have a very soft, slightly sticky, smooth dough.
- 500g flour
- 7g yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp baking powder
- 150g yogurt
- 200ml warm milk
- 2 tbsp oil
✅ Done when: dough is smooth, soft and slightly sticky but holds together
Rise
Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and leave in a warm spot for 60 to 90 minutes.
- all dough from step 1
✅ Done when: dough has roughly doubled in size
Shape
Divide the risen dough into 8 equal balls. Roll or stretch each one on a lightly floured surface into a teardrop shape about 5mm thick, then sprinkle with cilantro or and press them in lightly.
- all dough from step 2
- 2 tbsp cilantro or (optional)
Cook in a hot pan
Heat a dry 25 to 28cm cast-iron pan over high heat until it is smoking hot. Lightly wet the underside of one with your fingers and slap it into the pan wet-side down, then cook for 1 to 2 minutes until large bubbles form and the base is charred in spots. Repeat for all 8 naans.
- 1 piece shaped from step 3
- ¾ tsp water, for wetting (about ¾ tsp per , from the 2 tbsp total)
✅ Done when: big bubbles have formed and the underside has dark charred spots
Brown the top
Hold the with tongs top-side down over a gas flame for a few seconds, or slide the pan under a hot grill for about 1 minute, until the top puffs up and gets dark spots. Brush generously with melted butter and keep warm wrapped in a cloth.
- 1 piece cooked from step 4
- ~6g melted butter (about 6g per , from the 50g total)
✅ Done when: top is puffed with dark charred spots and glossy with butter
The Story Behind the Dish
Naan, from the Persian word for bread, appears in Indian records from the 13th century, when it was a luxury bread of the Delhi Sultanate's royal kitchens — leavened bread required skill and a tandoor oven.
It became everyday restaurant food after the 1940s, when Punjabi tandoor cooks brought their ovens and breads to Delhi and beyond.
⭐ Why It's Famous
Soft, chewy and charred, naan is the bread most of the world associates with Indian food.
💡 Fun Fact
In most Indian homes, roti is the everyday bread — naan is mostly restaurant food, because few homes have a tandoor.
Persia & North India
28.66°N, 77.24°E
Related recipes
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!