Naan
A yogurt-enriched dough slapped onto a screaming-hot dry pan for the classic blistered spots.
Makes 6 naan · Prep 20 min · Rise 90 min · Bake 15 min
Ingredients
Dough
- 3 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 1/8 tsp Instant yeast — Instant/quick-rise: stir straight into the dry ingredients, no proofing needed.
- 1 tbsp Granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup Plain yogurt
- 1/2 cup Milk, warm
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil
- 1 tsp Salt
Finish
- 3 tbsp Butter or ghee, melted
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
Instructions
Dough
- Whisk the flour, yeast, and sugar together, then stir in the yogurt, warm milk, and oil to form a shaggy dough. Add the salt and knead until smooth and elastic.
Rise
- Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled.
Shape
- Divide into 6 pieces and roll each into a thin oval, about 1/4 inch thick.
Cook
- Heat a dry skillet over high heat until genuinely very hot. Slap a piece of dough directly onto the surface and cook until large bubbles form and the underside is charred in spots. (Tip: Genuinely hot, almost smoking. A moderately hot pan will only brown the naan evenly rather than producing the characteristic blistered, spotted char.)
- Flip and cook the second side briefly until cooked through and lightly charred.
Finish
- Brush immediately with melted butter (mixed with garlic if using) while still hot. (Tip: Brushing hot naan lets the butter melt straight into the bread rather than sitting on top of a cooling surface.)
Tips
- No blistering, just even browning: The pan wasn't hot enough. It needs to be aggressively preheated — closer to what you'd use for a smash burger than for a standard sauté — before the first piece of dough goes on.
- Keep them warm under a towel: Stacking finished naan under a clean kitchen towel as you cook through the batch keeps them soft and warm rather than drying out on an open plate while later pieces finish.