With the coronavirus disrupting life, our city has a “stay at home” order so this gives me a lot of time to bake and cook things that I normally don’t have time for like Homemade Naan Bread! I brushed my naan bread with a garlic and herb butter and it was simply amazing. We ate the entire batch in one night divided between the three adults.
I’m usually not a huge fan of Indian food, but my husband absolutely LOVES IT! (I love Indian buffets though.) What we can agree on, however, is that we both love the naan bread that is served at our local Indian restaurants.
Naan bread is a traditional flat bread from India. It’s made with flour, plain yogurt, oil, active dry yeast, a sprinkling of sugar, and salt.
It’s different than pita bread (which I think is more of a drier flatbread). Naan bread is soft and fluffy and simply so delicious. It’s pretty easy to make, as long as you have a package of active dry yeast. You just have to be patient as the dough rises (about an hour or so). But it’s absolutely dellicious.
You can dip it with anything. If you’re feeling lazy, eat it alone or dipped in store bought hummus. Happy baking!
Homemade Naan Bread with Garlic Herb Butter
Ingredients
- 1 package (0.25 oz) dry active yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup plain yogurt
- 1 large egg
For the Herb Garlic Butter
- 2 tbsp butter, melted
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp Italian seasoning (or herbs de Provence)
Oil for the Skillet
- 1 tbsp olive oil for frying
Instructions
- Fill a small bowl with warm water. Add the yeast packet and sugar. Stir to dissolve and let sit for 5 or 10 minutes, or until it becomes frothy on top. (This is a sign the yeast has been activated.)
- In another bowl, combine the salt with the flour.
- To the flour, add the water-yeast mixture, plain yogurt, and egg. Using your hands, mix it all together. It will be a little sticky and stick to your fingers.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface (I used a large cutting board). Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, sprinkling down more flour to prevent it from sticking. The dough should be smooth and soft. Add more flour as needed. Roll the dough into a ball.
- Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise for 1 hour. The dough should double in size.
- After the dough has risen, flatten it slightly with a rolling in. Divide the dough into 8 parts.
- Shape each dough piece into a ball. Then roll it until it is flattened, about 1/4 inches thin.
- In a non-stick skillet over high heat, add a little bit of oil to prevent the dough from sticking. Then add the rolled out dough. Cook for 1-2 minutes. When bubbles start to appear, flip it over to the other side and cook until golden brown.
- Remove from heat and repeat the process with the other pieces of dough.
- Combine the melted butter with garlic powder and your dried Italian herbs or Herbs de Provence).
- Brush the warm naan bread with your garlic herb butter on both sides.
- Serve and enjoy!
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