recipes++

Naan

Serves 10

Ingredients

  • 560g maida (or strong white bread) flour, plus extra for dusting
  • 10g fine sea salt
  • 5g baking powder
  • 8g caster sugar
  • 150ml milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus extra for oiling
  • 135ml water
  • Melted butter, for brushing

Method

  1. Sift the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well in the centre.

  2. Combine wet ingredients: Put the baking powder, sugar, milk, 135ml water, and the egg into a large jug and whisk to combine. Pour into the well in the flour mixture and gradually draw in the flour with a round-bladed knife. Knead the dough to a soft, smooth dough – about 5 minutes. (It will be quite soft and slightly sticky; dust your hands with a little flour if needed.) Set the dough aside to rest for 10 minutes.

  3. Add oil and knead again: Trickle the 1 tbsp oil over the dough, knead aggressively for 30 seconds to squash the oil in. Bring the dough back into a neat ball, place in a clean bowl, cover with a damp tea towel, and rest for 2 hours.

  4. Shape dough balls: After 2 hours, take 70g pieces of dough, roll into neat balls, and place on an oiled baking sheet. Repeat with all the dough, cover with cling film, and rest for another 30 minutes.

  5. Roll out the naan: Lightly oil a clean work surface. Flatten a ball of dough into a round, then roll into an oval (about 2mm thick). Use oil rather than flour to prevent sticking. Rest for 1 minute.

  6. Heat the pan: Turn the grill to its highest setting. Place a large heavy-based frying pan under the grill (or on the hob) and heat it until it’s as hot as it will go. The pan should be close to the grill’s heat source, but not so close that dough touches it when it puffs up. Have a clean tea towel ready to one side.

  7. Cook the naan: Lay the naan in the hot pan. Count to 20, then place the pan under the grill. The naan should puff up and brown in patches in about 30 seconds. Watch carefully: remove it before it becomes crispy. Wrap the naan in the tea towel to steam for a minute or so before serving.

  8. Repeat: Place the empty pan back over the hob to reheat. Continue until all naan are cooked. Brush with melted butter and serve warm.

Storage Tip

To store cooked naans, cool in the tea towel, then keep in an airtight plastic bag for up to 2 days. To reheat: dampen with wet hands and grill or toast for a couple of minutes.

Variations

  • Crispy Sesame & Onion Seed Naan: Roll naan as thin as possible. Top with 1 tsp black sesame seeds and ½ tsp onion seeds, pressing in with your fingers. Cook slightly longer until crispy.

  • Garlic Naan: Roll dough into rounds. Sprinkle with ½ tsp finely chopped garlic and 1 tsp chopped coriander. Press in, cook as above.

  • Cheese Naan: For each naan, mix together:

    • 15g grated Cheddar
    • ½ tsp finely chopped green chili
    • 1 tsp finely chopped spring onion

    Place a ball of dough in your hand, flatten to a disc, add filling, then pinch and crimp the edges to seal. Gently roll into a flatbread (3–4mm thick) and cook as above (allow about twice as long under the grill). Wrap in a clean tea towel for 1 minute before serving.