Easy Homemade Naan Recipe - Oh Sweet Basil (2024)

FAQs

Why is my naan bread not fluffy? ›

Naan doesn't get bubbles – Pan not hot enough, dough not moist enough or improper leavening. Naan turns hard – Toasting for too long, not enough moisture in the dough, toasting on low heat or not kneading the dough enough.

The sweet filling is a mixture of sultanas, almonds, coconut, and butter. This makes the naan a delicious sweet Indian bread great with an extra spicy curry! The bread is fluffy and soft; it is a simple yeast dough that is easy to work with and cooks in a skillet or frying pan in under 5 minutes!

Naan is historically cooked in a hot tandoor oven in the ground or on hot wood charcoal. These cooking methods often result in temperatures of about 900°F (480°C).

Make the dough up to the end of Step 5 – Proof 1. Then after the dough has doubled in size, put the bowl with the dough it in the fridge overnight (I've done 24 hours). Do not punch dough down or touch it – just put it in as is. The fridge stops the dough from rising any further.

Add Sugar

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

If you want a lighter fluffier bread loaf just add 2 Tbsp of dry milk to the flour per loaf of your bread. Vinegar has a very similar effect to the dough as the ascorbic acid. It helps hold the dough together and strengthens the bubbles so they won't pop.

Skip: Naan

And like those fluffy spuds, this soft flatbread has little nutritional value. Most naan recipes call for Greek yogurt to give it that airy texture. But that's more than offset by less healthy ingredients like white flour, sugar, and oil.

Afghan naan is different in shape, texture, and taste from Indian varieties. While the main ingredient – wheat flour – is the same, Afghan bakers hand-shape the dough, rather than rolling it out, and their use of a tandoor results in large, pillowy rounds.

While it may contain more carbs and sugars, it earns its reputation as a healthy alternative with its relatively generous amounts of protein and fiber. Despite its high carb content, naan can be considered a more nutrient-dense alternative to white bread and pita.

Yogurt or milk is often (though not always) added, and occasionally egg is added to the dough. The dough is kneaded by hand and then set aside to rise. In restaurants, the naan is usually baked in a tandoor oven, but in homes, it's typically cooked in a very hot pan on the stove.

What do you eat with naan bread? ›

Traditionally with Indian food, naan (or other various Indian breads) is served as an accompaniment to curry, chutney, saag paneers, etc. to scoop the contents of your meal up. In Italy, bread is served with your meal, and used to scoop the remaining pasta sauce from the bowl ('fare la scarpetta').

In many traditional recipes, naan bread does not contain eggs. However, there are variations of naan where eggs might be added to the dough. Whether eggs are added to naan largely depends on the specific recipe used by the restaurant and regional preferences.

Naan bread typically lasts 2-3 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. It can also last up to a week if refrigerated.

Naan is a leavened bread (meaning it uses yeast), while roti is an unleavened bread (meaning it doesn't). The different ingredients give a far different texture: naan is soft and chewy, while roti is dense and thin.

Naan bread is soft, fluffy, and chewy, whereas pita bread is denser with a slightly crispy texture on the outside. Naan bread also has a buttery flavor due to the ghee and buttermilk in the dough, which adds an extra dimension of flavor compared to pita bread's more neutral taste.

Use a good-quality bread flour that has a high protein content, as this will give your dough the structure it needs to rise and become light and fluffy. Make sure to use the right amount of yeast for your dough. Too much yeast will cause the dough to rise too quickly, resulting in a denser texture.

Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake and will make your naan bread dense. The best way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don't have one, then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.

If you don't see the dough puffing up, you should turn up the heat under the griddle. Take the naan with thongs and turn on an adjacent gas burner. Flip the naan on top of this gas burner and leave until it's nicely charred.

8 reasons why your bread dough is not rising:

Yeast should be stored in a cool, dry place. Yeast is too hot Yeast may have been dissolved in water that was too hot, or the liquid ingredients in the recipe may be too hot, causing the yeast to die. Yeast needs to be warm - not too hot, not too cold.