Homemade bread is one of those things that you have to devote some time to, and homemade naan is no exception. If you want to start from flour, let the yeast do it’s thing, knead, rise, etc… Go right ahead. Me and I would assume most family cooks have a lot of things to do, so I am using as many shortcuts as I can. This is exactly where this recipe comes in.
Now, recipe is the wrong word for this homemade naan. So is homemade for that matter. But every store-bought naan might as well be pita bread for how it tastes, so I had to come up with alternatives. We really love Indian food and Naan is a must. So that is where this recipe comes in.
…Recipe is the wrong word as well. Let’s call it a technique. Yea that’s more accurate.
Don’t mind me, On with the show…
Ingredients & Equipment
“Homemade” Naan Ingredients
- Pizza Dough: We are going for simple, so grab the Pilsbury pizza dough in a can or an equivalent. If you have some frozen pizza dough you made previously, go for it.
Equipment
- Skillet: Bigger is better, but we want a quality pan that will evenly distribute the heat and maintain a steady temperature. My Calphalon Wide Chef Pan works great for this and I can’t recommend it’s quality enough.
Preparation
Cooking Homemade Naan
Remove the pizza dough from the can and unroll it. Stretch it out if it seems thick. Thinner Naan is better and cooks through since we are cooking these for 2-3 minutes. And the thinner the dough, the more pieces you get from one roll, win/win.
Cut the dough into smallish circles, triangles, etc. I use a pizza cutter and cut squares then triangles. About the size of two Dorritos is perfect. This should yield 15-20 pieces of Naan when you are finished.
Flour a surface and open the dough. Both good activities for small assistants. Stretch the Dough if it seems thick. Good task for willing assistants Lay the dough out on a floured surface for cutting. Using a cutter, cut your dough into playing card sized pieces. (These will get cut further into 1/4s)
Cooking Naan at Home
This is both the fun and slightly tricky part. Naan is usually cooked it a Tandoori oven. Basically, a circular oven with fire at the bottom, and the Naan is slapped on the side to cook quickly. I am going to assume that you don’t have a Tandoori oven (or you wouldn’t be here), so we use a hot DRY pan to get a similar effect.
The dry pan is the important part. If you oil the pan, the dough will fry, even slightly, and you won’t get the same effect as the super dry Tandoori oven walls.
They Cook Fast, so Don’t Wander off. Not exactly the same, but a great approximation This is what happens when you start cleaning and forget about them for an extra minute…
So, heat the pan over medium heat until hot. Toss some water on the pan, and if it sizzles, then you are good to go. Throw a few pieces of dough on the pan and let it sit for a minute or two. Check them at a minute, they are probably pretty close. Flip them when they start to brown, it happens fast. After flipping, do the same on the other side. Take it off the pan once the other side is finished.
I like to place mine on a plate, in the microwave above the oven. This is very effective, kinda like in my pancake recipe.
“Homemade Naan” the Easy Way
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Pizza Cutter
- Wide Skillet or Pan
Ingredients
- 1 can Pizza Dough Pilsbury or Similar
Instructions
- Heat a wide, flat pan over medium heat.
- Open and unroll the dough. Roll it out thin (~¼ inch) and cut it into smallish pieces, about the size of 2 tortilla chips.
- Add the dough pieces to the pan and let cook for 1-2 minutes. Check for bubbles and/or browning, and flip when they do.
- Cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes and look for the same signs of doneness.
- Repeat through all pieces and enjoy when finished.
Notes
- Check the temperature of your pan and make sure it doesn’t get too hot over time. A pan that’s too hot will burn the outside and leave a doughy inside.
Nutrition
How Do I Store Leftover Naan?
We usually don’t leave any of these leftover since they are so tasty and it’s my favorite way to eat Curry dishes. However, I recommend storing them in an airtight container at room temperature. The refrigerator will leave them quite dry and resembling the Naan you can get at the store…
I hope you enjoyed my rendition of Homemade Naan to go with your Tikka Masala or a nice Chicken Curry your family loves. I hope to one day experiment with actually making proper Naan, but until then we love this stuff.
Let me know if you enjoyed this recipe and anything else I am putting out into the world. Feedback is the currency of the infant food blog.
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