Easy No Yeast Naan Recipe (30 Minutes!) (2024)

Published: · Modified: by Shadi HasanzadeNemati · This post may contain affiliate links .

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This easy no yeast naan recipe is a winner. It takes 30 minutes from start to finish and it's made in a skillet. Even a novice baker can make this recipe!

Easy No Yeast Naan Recipe (30 Minutes!) (1)

Nothing beats homemade bread. The smell and the feeling of having that warm, fresh bread in your hands is just out of this world. I love any kind of homemade bread, from classic pita bread and Turkish simit to Persian barbari or Turkish pide, making bread at home is absolutely soul-soothing for me and for many others. Today's recipe is a simple naan recipe that you can make right now, even if you don't have any baking experience.

Table Of Contents:
  • About this recipe
  • Why this recipe works
  • Ingredients
  • Instructions
  • Serving suggestions
  • Notes and tips
  • Step-by-Step Recipe

About this recipe

Naan is such a comforting bread. It’s pillowy, soft and warm. It would be perfect with some chicken korma, fish curry or veggie tikka masala or just as a snack on its own.

Naan traditionally calls for yeast but today I’m going to show you how to make naan without yeast. It takes less than 30 minutes to make this quick bread, and 20 minutes of that is the bread resting! You don’t even need an oven since you can make it in a skillet. It’s the perfect recipe for times you need warm bread in no time to go with your main dish.

Why this recipe works

Making bread at home is one of the most rewarding and comforting things we get to do. I mean, once you try your own homemade bread, you would want to have that everyday.

This no yeast naan recipe works so well because:

  1. It’s simple, easy, and quick. Plus it calls for minimal hands-on time.
  2. If you're a new baker, you're going to enjoy making it, it always comes out perfectly!
  3. Just like our lavash recipe, this one also doesn’t require any baking skills and you won’t even need a scale.
  4. The ingredient list is very simple. You don’t need yeast or eggs for this naan recipe.
Easy No Yeast Naan Recipe (30 Minutes!) (2)

Ingredients

It can’t get simpler than this. With a few ingredients you can make your own bread at home. Let’s take a look at the ingredients:

Flour: For this recipe I use 50% whole wheat flour and 50% all purpose flour. However, you can use only all purpose flour as well.

Baking powder: Since this is a no yeast in this recipe, the leavening agent is baking powder. If you don’t have any available, you can use ½ teaspoon baking soda.

Sugar: Sugar helps the components of the dough to work together and also balances the flavor.

Salt:Salt adds flavor to this bread so make sure not to skip it.

Oil: A little bit of vegetable or olive oil makes the dough smooth and soft.

Milk and Water: To bring the dry ingredients together, you need liquid and here we are going to use milk and water.

Easy No Yeast Naan Recipe (30 Minutes!) (3)

Instructions

Prepare the dough

Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and start mixing on medium low until the dough comes together. You might probably need a couple more tablespoons of water. The dough will not be sticky at all.

Let the dough rest

Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 20 minutes. Since this is a yeast-free recipe, you don’t need to let the dough sit for more than 20 minutes.

Shape the dough

After 20 minutes, transfer the dough to your lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into eight pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Gently press down the ball to shape it into a circle and then roll it out using a rolling pin so it’s ¼ inch thick. Make sure not to apply too much force.

Cook the naan

Heat a cast iron skillet (or a non stick skillet) over medium heat until hot. Brush one side of the naan with a little bit of ghee or melted butter and place it in the pan ghee side down. Cook for about 30 seconds until it’s puffy and golden on one side. Flip and cook the other side until cooked. Transfer to a plate and cover with a towel to keep them soft.

Easy No Yeast Naan Recipe (30 Minutes!) (4)

Serving suggestions

You can serve this bread with many different dishes such as classic dishes like butter chicken. Or you can serve them with other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. Are you out of pita? Try having you chicken shawarma or kofta kebab with naan! Making a Persian appetizer platter? You’re going to love that cheese and walnut combo with some fresh naan.And if you want to use up the leftovers, try making breakfast pizza using naan!

Notes and tips

  • Knead by hand: If you don’t own a stand mixer, you can easily make this bread by hand. Make sure to knead it for about 7-10 minutes until it’s not sticky anymore. Check out this tutorial on how to knead dough without a stand mixer.
  • Make ahead: You can make this dough and refrigerate overnight. When ready to cook, take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes so it comes to room temperature, then proceed with the steps.
  • Looking for a dairy free option? Instead of milk and water combination, you can use only water to make this recipe.
  • Make smaller ones: If you like smaller naans, you can divide the dough to 10 pieces instead of eight.
  • Storage: To store naan, simply put them in a resealable bag. Store in a cool place for up to 3 days.
Easy No Yeast Naan Recipe (30 Minutes!) (5)

More Recipes

  • Homemade Chicken Shawarma Recipe [Video]
  • Easy Persian Appetizer Platter
  • Quick Breakfast Pizza Recipe
  • Lavash Bread

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Step-by-Step Recipe

Easy No Yeast Naan Recipe (30 Minutes!) (10)

Easy No Yeast Naan Recipe (30 Minutes!)

Shadi HasanzadeNemati

This easy no yeast naan recipe is a winner. It takes 30 minutes from start to finish and it's made in a skillet. Even a novice baker can make this recipe!

4.50 from 16 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Basic

Cuisine Indian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 305 kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cup all purpose flour
  • ¼ cup whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 tablespoon ghee melted

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, place the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix until combined.

  • To the dry ingredients, add the oil, water and milk. Using the dough hook of your stand mixer, mix and knead the dough for about 7 to 10 minutes until the dough comes together and is not sticky anymore. The dough should be soft and not hard at all. If it feels hard, add one to two tablespoons of water and knead again.

  • Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it sit for 20 minutes.

  • Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece to a ball and roll it out gently with a rolling pin into a disk with ¼ inch thickness.

  • Heat a cast iron skillet (or a non stick skillet) over medium heat.

  • Once the skillet is hot, brush the naan on top with melted ghee. Transfer the naan to the skillet, ghee side down and cook for about 30 seconds until it's golden and has bubbles. Brush the top with ghee and flip so it cooks on the other side as well. This should take about 30 seconds or less.

  • Once the naan is cooked, transfer to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel so it stays soft. Continue with the remaining dough.

  • Serve with your favorite main dish.

Notes

  • If you don’t own a stand mixer, you can easily make this bread by hand. Make sure to knead it for about 7-10 minutes until it’s not sticky anymore. Check out this tutorial on how to knead dough without a stand mixer.
  • You can make this dough and refrigerate overnight. When ready to cook, take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes so it comes to room temperature, then proceed with the steps.
  • Instead of milk and water combination, you can use only water to make this recipe.
  • If you don't have ghee, use melted butter or vegetable oil.
  • If you like smaller naans, you can divide the dough to 10 pieces instead of eight.
  • To store naan, simply put them in a resealable bag. Store in a cool place for up to 3 days.

Nutrition

Calories: 305kcalCarbohydrates: 44gProtein: 6gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 21mgSodium: 591mgPotassium: 224mgFiber: 2gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 25IUCalcium: 81mgIron: 3mg

Did you make this recipe? Let us know how it was by leaving a comment and a 5-star review!

Easy No Yeast Naan Recipe (30 Minutes!) (2024)

FAQs

Is yeast or baking powder better for naan? ›

Naan is essentially a leavened flatbread, which means it contains some form of raising agent to provide its airy texture. Hence for this naan, the raising agent we will be using is yeast. Other variations do exist which may utilise self raising flour or baking powder/baking soda.

Why is my naan bread not fluffy? ›

Rolling Vs stretching dough: Naan is always hand stretched and not rolled with a rolling pin. Sometimes rolling toughens the dough and suppresses the bubbles making dense flatbreads. Hand stretched naan have a lovely fluffy & light texture.

How do you heat naan without making it hard? ›

First I preheat the toaster, then when it's warm I run the naan bread under the tap for a moment so both sides are wet. Not soaked through, just wet. I then stick it in the hot toaster for a minute or two until it is warm. The water stops the bread drying out, and makes it lighter and fluffier than warming it dry.

Why isn't my naan bread puffing up? ›

Make sure that you don't roll it any thinner than about ⅛ inch (4mm). It's too thick. If your naan is too thick, it won't puff up and it can also end up undercooked in the centre. The dough is too dry.

What happens if you use baking powder instead of yeast for bread? ›

In baked goods, you can replace yeast with an equal amount of baking powder. Just keep in mind that the leavening effects of baking powder will not be as distinct as those of yeast. Baking powder causes baked goods to rise rapidly, but not to the same extent as yeast.

Why do you put yogurt in naan bread? ›

Naan gets its pleasing, chewy texture from the addition of full-fat yogurt. Without it, your finished naan won't have the proper consistency.

Why do you sprinkle water on naan bread? ›

you put it on naans to keep them soft.

What does naan mean in English? ›

: a round flat leavened bread especially of the Indian subcontinent.

What ingredient makes bread more fluffy? ›

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.

Why can't you reheat naan bread? ›

However, when reheating in the oven, you want to be careful so that the naan bread does not become overly crisp and dry out. Also, you want to make sure to not heat the naan bread for longer than required. That said, it is easy to reheat naan bread in the oven, as it restores the fluffy texture.

What do you eat with naan bread? ›

One of the most popular Indian delicacies that we know of; curries are creamy with the right amount of spicy, curries pair perfectly with warm, fluffy naan. Naan bread also serves as the perfect companion to soups and stews, absorbing their rich flavors and adding a delightful textural contrast.

Can you put naan bread in the toaster? ›

#useful #tips #1- To reheat naan: cut them to the size. of a bread slice and toast in a bread toaster at the. lowest setting.

What are the black dots in naan bread? ›

Its just the heat that creats the black spots after been cooked. Yeah, if its stale and you find those spots its a big no no. otherwise its only the heat that makes roti naan paratha etc indian bread look like black or brown or red spots on these edibles. Completely edible …

How do you make naan dough rise faster? ›

Set the bowl of dough in the microwave and shut the door.

Leave the glass of water in the microwave with the dough. The glass of water and the heat from the microwave will create a warm, moist environment that will help the dough rise faster.

Can I leave naan dough to rise overnight? ›

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.

Should I use yeast or baking powder for bread? ›

Without gluten, the CO2 bubbles in bread would be lost, resulting in a much denser loaf. Whether in the form of active dry yeast or homemade starter, yeast is essential for bread to rise, not only because of the CO2 that is produced but also by way of alcohol.

Should I use yeast or baking powder? ›

These baked items benefit from the fermentation process yeast undergoes during the proofing process. By comparison, you should use baking powder for baked goods that won't benefit from the taste of fermentation, such as banana bread, cookies, and cakes.

Which is better yeast or baking powder? ›

Baking powder will rise by itself because it contains acids, usually a quick combining and a slower combining to maximize the amount of time it bubbles. Even then you should get your bread in the oven as quickly as possible. Yeast bread is used with dough and quick breads (baking powder recipes) are batter breads.

Does authentic naan have yeast? ›

Though they're flatbreads, naans traditionally get their bubbly texture from yeast (and, very traditionally, from wild yeasts). Some more modern variations, such as that in Vivek Singh's Curry, use baking powder instead, with Jaffrey also adding extra bicarbonate of soda.

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