→ 
Simple Homemade Naan (5 Ingredients)
By Alexandra Stafford
—
Last Updated: 01/24/2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
Naan is one of the simplest bread recipes you could make. There is no kneading, and after a short rise, you simply divide, roll, and griddle. The dough is so soft and tender thanks to yogurt, and a brush of melted butter out of the skillet makes them completely irresistible!
There are many ways to make naan, but after experimenting with various recipes, I discovered I preferred the simplest, made with only five ingredients: flour, salt, instant yeast, yogurt, and water. The inclusion of yogurt is imperative not only for imparting a subtle tang but also for lending a tender texture. Ingredients such as oil, eggs, baking powder, and baking soda are simply unnecessary.
The process is simple, too: the no-knead dough comes together quickly, rises in just over an hour, and rolls out easily after being portioned. Originating from the Indian subcontinent, naan traditionally is cooked in a tandoor (clay oven), but for this small batch, you can use your stovetop and a hot skillet. Each naan cooks in under 2 minutes.
PS: Easy, Homemade Pita Bread Recipe
How to Make Naan, Step by Step
Combine 2 cups flour, 1 teaspoon instant yeast, and 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a large bowl. As always, a digital scale is best for measuring. (Weight measurements included in the recipe)
Combine 1/2 cup Greek yogurt with 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons boiling water.
Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients, and stir with a spatula to form a ball. You’ll likely need to knead with your hands for about a minute to get the dough to come together (see video for guidance.)
Cover the bowl and let it rise in a warm spot for about an hour and 15 minutes, or until the dough looks slightly puffed.
Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface.
Divide the dough into 4 portions.
Ball each one up.
Roll each into an 8- or 9-inch round.
Heat a cast-iron skillet over high heat till it’s very, very hot. Place one round in, cover, and cook for 1 minute. Uncover, flip, and cook for 30 seconds.
Brush each round with melted butter once it is out of the pan.
Stack the cooked, buttered naan on a plate or platter and cover with a towel till ready to serve.
Friends, these are sooooo yummy ….
Simple Homemade Naan (5 Ingredients)
- Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Naan is one of the simplest bread recipes you could make. There is no kneading, and after a short rise, you simply divide, roll, and griddle. The dough is so soft and tender thanks to yogurt, and a brush of melted butter out of the skillet makes them completely irresistible!
Notes:
- As always, for best results, use a digital scale.
- To create a warm spot for your dough to rise: Preheat your oven for 1 minute, then shut it off. Note: Any temperature is fine, but the oven is only on for 1 minute total. You don’t, for example, want to get your oven up to 350ºF and let it heat there for a minute. The oven will likely not rise about 100ºF. You just want a cozy, draft-free spot for your bread to rise.
- Notes for making dough ahead of time: Once the dough is mixed, pour a thin layer of oil over top and turn the dough to coat. Cover bowl, stick in the fridge, and keep it there till about an hour before you are ready to bake the following day. Divide the dough, ball it up, and let it rest for about an hour before rolling out.
- Interestingly, the weight of the flour and the weight of the liquid (water + yogurt), are identical here: 256 g each. I suspect, if you use buttermilk or regular yogurt as long as you keep the total weight of the liquid close to 256 g, the naan will turn out just fine.
Ingredients
For the naan:
- 2 cups (256 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) instant yeast
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (136 g) boiling water
- ½ cup (120 g) Greek yogurt
For Finishing:
- 2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing (I use salted)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, and instant yeast. In a medium bowl or a liquid measure, stir or whisk together the water and yogurt. Add the yogurt mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine with a spatula. When the mixture becomes too stiff, knead with your hands for about a minute or until the flour is incorporated and you have a sticky, wet ball. Cover with a towel or cloth bowl cover, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1.25 hours. (See notes above for creating warm spot. See notes above for making dough ahead of time.)
- Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide into 4 equal portions, then shape each into a ball. Let rest for 5 minutes.
- Heat a large skillet (something like cast iron is great) over high heat. You want it very, very hot. Using a rolling pin dusted in flour, roll one ball into a thin large round or oval (8- to 9-inches in diameter, roughly), using flour as needed to prevent sticking. Repeat with another round. (I like to start with 2 rounds rolled out; then I roll the remaining 2 while the first 2 are cooking.)
- When the skillet is very hot, transfer rolled out round, dusting off excess flour if possible, to the skillet. Cover. Cook for 1 minute. Close to the end of the minute, you’ll hear the pan hissing a bit … this is a good sign. Flip, and cook for another 30 seconds uncovered. Transfer to a plate and brush the top lightly with melted butter.
- Repeat this process with the remaining dough balls. You may have to adjust the heat as you go. If too much flour is burning in the skillet, turn it off, carefully wipe it out with a dish cloth, then crank the heat back up. As the naan emerge from the skillet, stack them on top of one other in a shallow bowl or plate. Cover with a tea towel to keep warm.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Yeast
- Cuisine: Indian
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.
258 Comments on “Simple Homemade Naan (5 Ingredients)”
Ooooh Ali. I’ll have to try this. I’m in general anti-yeast when it comes to my naan, but I trust you. We eat Indian cuisine often at home. And naan is a must.
Can you Make this without yogurt? I have a kid with a lot of food allergies but I want to make him naan and most vegan options for yogurt are also out. Could I just use more water or oat milk?
I’m sure you could. I love oat milk (though I haven’t baked with it much) but I’m sure water would work just as well. Do you use a scale to measure? I think as long as you keep the liquid about 256 g, you are free to experiment with what that makeup is. I might add a few tablespoons of olive oil to give the dough some richness and softness.
I do use a scale to measure.
I’ll try it out and let you know how it goes. Thanks!
Great!
I just made this, and it is easy and delicious. A word of caution-I learned this the hard way today-if you are using a cast iron pan on a glass surface cooktop (mine is induction), DO NOT crank up the heat as it will warp your pan. My lodge pan wobbled, and did not make even contact. It did settle, and I was able to make my last bread on medium heat, but I did a google search, and doing this repeatedly will result in a permanently warped pan.
Chrisanne this is so interesting … I would have thought cast iron was completely indestructible. As I mentioned in our IG exchange, I’m going to revisit this recipe soon using the oven. I’ve made naan on my Baking Steel years ago and it was delicious, but I’m going to try a sheet pan method for anyone who doesn’t have a steel or a stone. Glad your pan recovered!
Could this be made gluten free by using an all purpose gf flour.
Possibly! I really can’t say bc I haven’t tried. Cup4Cup is my favorite gf flour brand. I would start there.
Great job Ali! I am Indian and I have made homemade naan with my mother. It is soooo much better than store bought. You can also dice up some onion or garlic to make some savory naan or add raisins and sugar for some sweet naan. Love the use of the cast iron pan. Every Indian household has a tava, a cast iron pan with no sides. The no sides makes it easier to flip the naan with your hands 😛. The cast iron pan you used is a good approximation. If you leave out the yeast and yogurt, you can make some roti. If you deep fry your recipe, you make batura. Yum!
Oh Sonia, I love all of this! Where to beging:
1. I’m definitely trying an onion and garlic naan ASAP.
2. I watched a bunch of YouTube videos and was so intrigued by one method I saw that called for brushing the dough with water to help steam, but all called for flipping the pan over and letting the burner cook the top of the naan … no flipping of the dough, just flipping of the pan. So interesting! My cast iron skillet is too heavy 🙂
3. Dying to make roti! I don’t know batura, but I have no doubt I’ll love it.
Thanks!
The resulting naan bread was tender and really delicious! My only problem was regulating the heat, at high heat it was burnt within a minute on one side. Once I got my temperature corrected it worked well. I had it for lunch with your braised chickpeas with basil and labne, delicious!
I swear that is half of it … just finding your rhythm and getting the temperature right. I’m going to do a follow up soon (I hope!) with an oven method.
I can’t wait to make these tomorrow with one of your curry recipes! When you say to “preheat your oven for a minute and then turn it off,” do you mean heat to around 350 (like you suggest for bread making)?
By the way, I love your how-to videos. I’m far more likely to cook something when I see it demonstrated.
Yes! Any temperature is fine, but the oven is on for a total of 1 minute … you don’t want the oven to get up to 350ºF and preheat there for a minute. The oven will not get above 100ºF likely. You just want a cozy, draft free place for your bread to rise to ensure it rises in a timely manner. Going to add these notes to the recipe now 🙂 🙂 🙂
I noticed you used full-fat greek yogurt. Do you think non-fat greek yogurt would work?
Yes, definitely! Do you use a scale?? If so, just keep the liquid (water + yogurt) to 256 g. If not, I would start with 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup yogurt. You might not need the additional 2 tablespoons water, but you can always add it if necessary.
I used non-fat greek yogurt, instead of full-fat, and Anson Mills flatbread flour (sonora and red fife). Brushed finished bread with evoo and herbs (zaatar, garlic powder, salt, pepper). This is a great recipe. Cudoes to Alexandra for developing formulas using scaled ingredients, esp grams instead of ounces. I’m very grateful for all your hard work.
Carla, this all sounds amazing! I’m going to get some of the Anson Mills flatbread flour … I need to place an order anyway. And your olive oil-spiced topping sounds fabulous!
This is my first time making naan and it worked out. Thank you! I was pretty worried because the dough looked very wet and I wonder if my scale is off. What a delicious treat! I used them as pitas for falafel sandwiches.
Oh if anyone is wondering, these can be vegan. I used plain vegan yogurt (riviera) and they were awesome.
Great tip about the vegan yogurt. Thanks, Erika! So happy this turned out well. Falafel sandwiches sound amazing 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi Alexandra, I make a naan recipe in the food processor that uses ice water, (I guess to keep the processor blades from heating the dough), and it rests in the fridge overnight.
I noticed you use boiling water, I presume to activate the yeast. My question is, can I still ferment this dough overnight in the fridge or will it over proof? I find the flavor is so much better after an overnight fermentation. Would love to know what you think. I agree with everyone, that fresh naans are very easy to make and so much superior to store bought! I also freeze the dough balls well wrapped, bring them to room temperature and they grill in the skillet as good as the ones freshly made. It’s a great convenience to have fresh naans at the ready!
Definitely make the dough and store it overnight … the first time I started experimenting with this recipe, I was actually doing an overnight, fridge rise, because I, too, love what a fridge rise does to do, but also for the convenience. Simply make the dough as written, and stick it in the fridge. Then proceed with recipe. Enjoy!
We had a family over for dinner tonight and this was a huge success! It was easier than the previous naan recipe I’d been making, and a little bit tastier, too. Thanks for sharing! (Also, I saw you mention in the comments that you like oat milk. Which brand? I’ve been wanting to try some)
Wonderful to hear this, Amelia! Thanks for writing. I love Oatly! I’ve been making cheaters’ turmeric lattes with it.
Well, I started out reading and re-reading, making sure I understood the steps convinced your talents and well researched recipe would never transfer to my newbie hands..but, here I am with a beautiful plate of homemade naan on my table. Delicious, pillowy naan! Good use of the TJ’s ghee I had and didn’t know what to do with. The naan even cooked up well in my ceramic pan. Thanks so much for the approachable steps to naan nirvana!
Hillary, yay!! I’m so happy to hear this 🙂 🙂 🙂 I can’t stop making it here … we all just love it.
I just made this tonight. I followed the directions exactly including weighing the ingredients. It was the BEST naan I have ever tasted. Seriously. And I’m Indian.
Thank you for this incredible recipe.
Oh Kay! This is amazing. So happy to hear this. Thanks so much for writing and rating 🙂 🙂 🙂
Forgot to add my rating in my previous review. Adding it here!
I am looking forward to trying this naan later today—thanks! My naan experiments have so far been on the stodgy side(does hard vs soft wheat matter? our canadian all-purpose flour is made from high gluten winter wheat—great for bread), and I have an old cast iron griddle that will be perfect for the job.
FYI, I noticed that your old post raving about cleaning enamelled cast iron with bleach+vinegar—which creates toxic chlorine gas—is still available. Pls remove it—it takes only a few ppm (parts per million) of chlorine gas for symptoms to arise, up to and including fatality. It was used to poison troops in WW1, so nothing to play around with for a mere pot! Unless you have a properly vented chemical hood (and the certification that it is working efficiently) do not try this at home! More info here:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537213/
Tried these today. Really easy and came out great. Threw the flour, salt and yeast in the food processor, then added the warm water-yogurt mix through the chute (pretty much in one go) with motor running until dough forms a ball, maybe 10 sec. If it doesn’t quite come together, add a tablespoon or two more flour. Once you have your ball, transfer to bowl to rise. Worked great—I proceeded to follow the rest of the recipe as is, but next time will add onion seeds for more flavor. That said, my kid’s fav treat is nutella on naan…a naanwhich of sorts.
Great to hear this Bri! Thanks for sharing the food processor tips, too.
This was recipe was so easy and delicious. We’ll definitely make it again and again. Thanks, Ali.
So happy to hear this, Pat!
I’d like to substitute plain full fat yogurt for Greek yogurt, since that is the kind I have on hand. Do you think that substitution would have an adverse effect on the naan?
No adverse effect! Go for it. If you use a scale to measure, as long as you keep the liquid to 256 g, it will work out great.
Excellent recipe! I have previously only tried naan in restaurants or bought frozen naan but this is the first time I made it at home. I usually avoid making flatbreads since I don’t like to knead with hands and this dough was sticky and all over the fingers, but was worth it since it came out well and was tastier than store bought naan. I will plan to use a food processor next time like the other person suggested. Thanks for the recipe!
So happy to hear this, RK!
I can’t wait to try this recipe!
Can I use spelt flour? Or wholewheat stone grounded flour?
Sorry i, know is not the original naan 🙂
You can try! The naan will likely be on the dense side, but if you are used to baking with spelt and/or stone ground flour, then this might be fine.
Made this for dinner. My first homemade Naan. Delicious! Ratios were perfect. I was a little worried because my dough was a little wet in the beginning and I didn’t oil the surface when rising so it formed a little dry (crust?). I gave it a few kneads and it was fine. The dough rolled out perfectly (no bounce back). Cooking temp is critical, so first one was a tad overcooked. This recipe made four naan so if you have a larger crowd (or kitchen taste testers 🤗) you may want to scale up accordingly. I used my Le Creuset shallow lidded 12” x 2 1/2” on a gas flame, dry – no oil added – and it was perfect. I used the timer on my phone and 1 minute is great for side 1. My first one cooked 1 1/2 minutes and it was a tiny bit tougher – but still wonderfully chewy. My husband posted a pic of his dinner plate and his friends were jealous 😂. Naan, thinly sliced strip steak, grilled asparagus, grilled green onions, cucumbers & homemade Tzatziki sauce (plain yogurt, shredded cucumber, lemon juice, mint, maldon salt). Eating with your hands watching a movie – Perfect Wednesday night.
So happy to hear all of this Julie! Thanks for writing and sharing your process/experience. Your dinner sounds unreal delicious!! It’s making me long for warmer days 🙂 🙂 🙂
I am planning on making this for dinner tonight but just wondering if you’ve shared your oven version and i have simply missed it. Love your recipes so much. Thank you!
Helene, I have not yet shared it! Question: do you have a Baking Steel or stone? I’m going to be doing a lot of baking this weekend … I’ll try to give this one a go and report back, but in short, I’m thinking, if you have a Baking Steel or stone, I think you could preheat it at 500 or your oven’s hottest setting for 45 minutes or so, then you could shape the naan and place each on individual sheets of parchment paper — cut up a sheet into smaller pieces. Then shimmy the naan, parchment paper and all on to the Baking Steel or stone, and cook for 2-3 minutes. No flipping. Out of the oven brush with butter. If this sounds like too much and you’d rather just use a baking pan, I would probably heat your oven to 450 or so and bake the naan on a parchment lined baking sheet for 5 minutes or so?? The timing I’m not sure of because I haven’t done it yet. No flipping. Brush with butter out of the oven.
I made this twice last week with the kale and lentil curry (a favorite at our house – my two year old LOVES it!). I portioned these smaller for my 12 inch cast iron pan. The first time I made 6 instead of 4 portions and the second time I made 8. We liked the 8 the best. Charred up a bit better and had a little more texture. Both are delicious though! I think 4 would work better in my bigger cast iron pan. In any case, SO GOOD. I think we’ll try these next time I make souvlaki or falafel.
Oh Andrea, wonderful to hear all of this! Love the idea of making smaller naan … perfect for a souvlaki sandwich 🙂 🙂 🙂
Hi
Am about to try this recipe.
So…the total 136 grams of water is all boiling water? (not just the T2)
Andrew
Yes!
A simple variation from an Iraqi outdoor Naan bakery: use olive oil in the last step (brushing oil on the hot naan), and then liberally sprinkle sesame seeds on the oiled naan – they should stick. While the plain naan is delicious, so is this alternative.
Ohhh that sounds amazing! Totally doing this next time. Thanks, Fred!
Best homemade naan I’ve ever made! I’ve tried at least five different recipes and this one is the winner. The step-by-step was so useful. The bread turned out soft and delicious. I actually don’t eat dairy, so I made it with 1 cup of water and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Perfect!
So happy to hear this, Ingrid! Great to know the water + olive oil combo worked out well. Thanks for sharing.
Easy and delicious! (although I’m definitely leaving the cast iron pan for my husband to clean…)We’ll definitely be making this again. Thanks for the great recipe!
🙂 🙂 🙂 So happy to hear this. Cleaning is such a pain 🙁 I still need to work on an oven method, which might be potentially less messy. THanks for writing!
Hi–we made these the other day, and they were fantastic! May I suggest putting some oil in pan before cooking? We had no issues cleaning up. I used a le creuset dutch oven.
Wonderful to hear this, Mary! I will try a spot of oil next time, too 😍😍😍
Outstanding! So much gratification for so little effort.
And these tasty little lovelies provide the ideal palette for flavor experimentation.
Thanks, Ali, for your consistently great ideas and inspiration. You are truly a cook’s cook.
Awww, thank you, Susan 🙂 🙂 🙂 You are too kind. Means the world 😍😍😍 So happy these turned out well for you.
Yummm!!First time making naan & can’t wait to make /eat it again!! Thank you
Hooray! So happy to hear this, Jo!
My husband and I moved to the North Country from the Boston area and had to leave our favorite Indian restaurant behind. There are none near us on the NY side of Lake Champlain, and crossing to Burlington isn’t always an option, so I’ve been learning to make some of our favorites at home. What was missing? The naan. But not anymore!! I’m so excited to have this recipe. It is easy and delicious. Thank you!
So great to hear this, Christine! And how fun to hear about you being near Lake Champlain. I grew up visiting my aunt and uncle in Charlotte, VT, and I have such fond memories of riding the ferry across the lake to New York. Such a beautiful part of the country. So glad the naan worked out!
Hi
Can I use fresh yeast and how much in grams please?
Thanks
Kx
Hi! And sure. I have never used fresh yeast, but my understanding is that you use 3x by weight as dry/instant. So I would use 12 g here. Good luck!
Thank you for confirming that.
One more question; I am wondering what difference it would make using Strong Bread Flour instesd of Plain Flour? Have you tested using bread flour?
Thanks Kaye
Great! I don’t remember now if I tested with bread flour, but I think it will be just fine. The difference will be subtle.