Easy Bread Recipes

Naan bread goes so well with any Indian meal. Although you can buy naan breads ready made from the supermarket, after you have tried making them yourself, you probably won’t want to bother.

This homemade naan bread recipe is much better than the shop bought variety.

Bread recipes like naan bread are not the same as pita bread and chapati which are unleavened breads.

Naan bread recipes use yeast more like traditional bread recipes.

Naan Bread ingredients and cooking method:

Recipe ingredients

Enough for 4.
Makes 4 naan breads

2 teaspoons yeast (or 1 sachet)
1 teaspoon sugar
A few drops of olive oil or good quality vegetable oil.
Warm water - 50ml
Plain flour - 440 grams flour
Salt to taste
Chopped herbs (optional)

Preheat the oven to about 220 degrees.

Bread recipes that rely on yeast to rise need the yeast activated first. So the easy way to do this is to use a sachet or two teaspoons of yeast and put it into a mixing bowl.

Next add the sugar and approximately 50 ml of warm water and leave for 10 minutes. The yeast will start bubbling and the mixture will look cloudy and bubbly. If any of the yeast still looks dry, stir it in.

Next add the flour to the yeast mixture.
Mix it in, adding a generous pinch of salt, and a couple of drops of olive or vegetable oil. If you want any other flavouring, mint or coriander works well.
You could also add black pepper if so wished.

Mix an egg into the naan bread ingredients adding warm water if it seems too dry. Ideally, you want a round ball of dough. Once the naan bread mix can hold together, take it out of the bowl and knead it on a flat surface until it feels elastic and springy. If it feels too wet, flour the table and knead it again.

Wash the bowl and then replace the dough inside and cover with cling film. Leave it in a warm place for about an hour to rise. It should double in size.

Once the dough has risen, remove from the bowl and knead it again for a few minutes, then divide the dough into equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball with your hands, and then flatten with the rolling pin into a circular shape. The naan breads should be approximately 1 cm thick.

If you hold each naan bread up the weight will give it the teardrop shape.

Naan Bread cooking times

Lay the naan breads onto a greased baking sheet and brush them with water.
Then put them into the oven - on a mid to high shelf. They will begin to rise quite quickly so turn them over after a couple of minutes.

Cook them for about 3 minutes or so on each side. You want the breads to just to start to brown in places, but not to overcook so it’s best to watch them. Turn onto a plate and serve immediately.

This simple bread recipe will make Naan bread that is reliable and will give you delicious and authentic naan bread every time.

Bread Recipes make a great alternative to rice and potatoes and don’t forget all bread recipes are part of a healthy diet.

More recipes - Experiment and enjoy!