Easy Naan Bread Recipe (2024)

You will love this easy naan bread recipe! It’s perfectly soft, puffy, completely vegan, insanely delicious, and it has beautiful brown spots on the surface. It’s the perfect addition to Indian curries and you will be surprised how easy the recipe is!

Why This Recipe Works

I absolutely love Indian food and we order food from our favorite Indian restaurant at least once a month. Fortunately, they offer vegan naan bread. However, this is often not the case as traditional naan bread contains yogurt and is, thus, not vegan. But it’s so easy to make it vegan.

For a very long time, I thought making naan bread at home would be super complicated and time-consuming. But it’s so simple and quick! I usually make a big stack of naan bread and then freeze some for later. It’s so nice when you have a delicious curry and you can just take some homemade naan bread out of your freezer. Big yum!

Traditionally, Indian naan bread is made in a tandoor oven with charcoal or wood fire. A tandoor gets super hot – it can rich up to 900 °F! The high heat will create the typical air pockets and dark spots on the outside of the naan bread.

As we don’t have a tandoor in our modern kitchens, using a cast iron pan is a great alternative. Make sure that it’s really hot when you add the naan bread. It will only take seconds for them to puff up nicely!

I love to serve my vegan naan breads with melted vegan butter, chopped garlic, and fresh parsley. Just heat the butter in a small pot on the stovetop, add the garlic, and then brush the naan breads with the melted garlic butter. For extra flavor, sprinkle them with freshly chopped parsley.

This easy naan bread recipe is a real winner and I’ve been asked for the recipe so many times! It’s always gone super fast, but if you can you should definitely freeze some naan breads for later or even double the recipe.

What Goes Into This Recipe

• Flour– I used all-purpose flour.
• Yeast– you need active dry yeast. Dissolve the dry yeast in warm water with the sugar and then leave it to become foamy for about 10 minutes. This step makes the naan bread even fluffier.
• Granulated Sugar
• Baking Powder– it makes the naan bread extra fluffy and airy.
• Yogurt– Use plant-based yogurt for a vegan version (unsweetened coconut or soy yogurt or your favorite yogurt). Your yogurt shouldn’t be too cold, so take it out of the fridge before you start with the recipe. The yogurt addsbit of tang.
• Salt
• Olive Oil– I use extra-virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
• Water– it should be lukewarm.

How to Make This Recipe

1. Step: In a small bowl, add the lukewarm water, the sugar, and the active dry yeast. Stir until dissolved and set aside for about 10 minutes. The mixture will become foamy.

2. Step: In a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and the salt.

3. Step: Make a well in the middle and add the water yeast mixture.

4. Step: Also add the olive oil and vegan yogurt and stir with a spoon.

5. Step: Lightly flour your working surface. Flour your hands, knead the dough until smooth. This should take about 3-4 minutes. Form the kneaded dough into a ball and place it in a large bowl. Cover it with a clean dishtowel and let it rise at a warm place for 30 minutes.

6. Step:Equally divide the dough into 8 pieces.

7. Step: Roll each piece into a small ball. Then use a rolling pin to roll out each piece of dough into a large 6” circle or oval.

8. Step: Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat and lightly grease it with olive oil. Place one piece of naan in the hot skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes until it puffs up and bubbles form. Then flip it and cook for another 1-2 minutes until large brown spots appear on the bottom.

9. Step: Heat 2 tablespoons of vegan butter in a small pot in the stovetop. Finely chop the garlic and add it to the melted butter and cook for 1 minute. Brush the hot naan breads with the melted butter and sprinkle with roughly chopped fresh parsley.

Recipe Notes

• Don’t add too much oil to your cast-iron skillet. It should just be enough to prevent the dough from sticking to the skillet. About 1/2 teaspoon of olive oil should be sufficient.
• You can easily reheat leftover naan bread in the oven (about 3 minutes at 400°F).
• If you’re looking for a warm place to let your dough rise, you could use your oven. Turn on the lowest oven temperature for 2 minutes. Then turn it off and add the dough (in a covered bowl). Don’t turn on the oven again!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Dishes Can You Serve with Naan Bread?

I absolutely love eating this garlic naan bread with my vegan butter chicken, my red lentil dal, and my vegetable korma.

My Dough Is Very Sticky – Is It Supposed To Be Like That?

Yes, naan dough is very soft and a bit sticky. Rubbing a little oil into your palms and fingers before kneading the dough helps a lot. Also frequently flour your fingers.

If the dough is too sticky to work with, add 1-2 extra tablespoons of flour to bind the dough.

How Long Does It Last?

You can store cooled naan bread in an airtight container or plastic bag for up to 2 days at room temperature.

Reheat it in the oven at 400°F for about 3 minutes.

Can You Freeze Naan Bread?

Yes, naan bread freezes really well. You can place it in aziploc bag and store it in the freeze for up to 3 months. Make sure to let it cool down completely before freezing it.

Related Recipes

• Focaccia Bread
• Spinach Tortilla
• Healthy Vegan Bread
• Vegan Pumpkin Bread
• Vegan Zucchini Bread

I Love To Hear From You!

I hope you like this easy naan bread recipe as much as we do around here.

If you give them a try, I’d love to know what you think about them. Justleave me a comment and a star ratingbelow. Your comments really make my day!

You like my recipes and want to see more? Then follow me onFacebook,Instagram, orPinterest!

Sina