Easy Homemade Garlic Naan Bread

Are you intimidated by the idea of making homemade garlic naan bread? Does the idea excite you? Do you find yourself thinking of all the stews, soups, and curries you could pair with your homemade, pillow-soft naan bread? What if I told you that there is a high probability that the naan bread you are about to make is way better than what you get at the store? AND most importantly, that all you need to do is follow 4 simple steps to make it. Do I have your attention? Before I show you how to make naan bread, here’s why this naan bread recipe is different.

What Makes This Homemade Garlic Naan Bread Recipe Different?

Flour: I used strong bread flour. Why? If there is anything I love about all the restaurant naan I have enjoyed so far, it was the dough texture. It wasn’t tough but soft and pulled apart with no effort at all. I use bread flour/strong bread flour for the gluten which helps yield a more elastic dough.

Proof: After kneading, I let the dough proof until doubled in size (I follow the same procedure as when making pizza dough). After that, I portion the dough into sizeable naan bread dough balls and let that proof for another hour or until doubled in size again. Then I roll it, but not just anyway.. this is what I do.

Roll: When rolling pizza dough, you try to hold in those beautiful bubbles of trapped air you so patiently waited for. I try to do the same for the naan bread by first disseminating the air throughout the dough using my fingertips. Then stretching it into shape and finally gently rolling it to even the bread.

You could also leave it in the fridge overnight for the first proofing, then proceed with the rest of the steps on the next day.

Oil: I used garlic-infused brown butter. Just because since I became a brown butter convert I think it works with everything!!! hahahahaha really it was perfect for this. If you like the naan bread with a hint not an overload of garlic, then you will love this recipe. But if you would much rather have it with more garlic I will let you know how to do that below:

How to Make Naan Bread in 4 Simple Steps

Step 1: How to Make Brown Butter:

If you do not want to use browned butter, simply melt 64g or unsalted butter and use that instead.

Melt 100g unsalted butter in a stainless steel pan over medium-high heat. After the butter has melted the milk solids will froth and rise to the top, carefully spoon them out. After 6 minutes the water should have evaporated and all the milk solids turned brown. However, the butter will not have changed color too much at this point.

Take it off the fire and toss in 2 cloves of chopped garlic. Constantly stir and when the butter settles from bubbling, leave it cool with the garlic in it for another 5 minutes to infuse even more. The result should be brown butter with a mild garlic scent.

After this, use a fine sieve or tea bag muslin cloth (which is what I used) to sieve out the garlic and brown milk solids. From 100g unsalted butter, I made 64g brown butter.

Step 2: How to Make Garlic Naan Dough:

Heat the milk, it should not be hot but lukewarm, at about 105° and 115°F. Stir the sugar and milk to dissolve then add in the yeast. Stir and let that activate, it should be bubbly and frothy like beer after a few minutes.

Then mix the flour, salt, milk, and 4 tablespoons of brown butter. When almost all the flour is incorporated, tip the dough onto the kitchen counter and knead drizzling 2 tablespoons of the brown butter onto the dough (stir the chopped coriander into the leftover butter). When smooth, put the dough in a lightly buttered bowl covered with cling film to rise (in a draught-free place) until doubled in size.

Step 3: Portion and Second Proof

When the dough has doubled in size, knock it back and portion into equal weights of 76g each. Set them on a lightly floured surface, with a few inches of space between them to give room for growth. Cover with cling film and a kitchen towel.

After the dough balls have risen to double their original size you can now move on to rolling. First, spread the trapped air across the dough gently using your fingertips. Then shape the dough into an oval by gently pushing out the dough and carefully stretching it. The last step would be to very gently roll the dough.

Step 4: Cook the Garlic Naan Bread

You need a cast iron pan and this step moves fast. Each naan takes 1 minute to make, 30 seconds on each side. Cook it on medium heat and flip the naan bread after the bubbles form.

Store the garlic naan bread in an airtight container to maintain moisture. When all are done, brush them with garlic-infused brown butter.

If you have leftovers and would prefer to use them the day after, wrap the naan in cling film. To reheat, do so on a grill or microwave.

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Print Recipe

Easy homemade garlic naan bread

(+25 rating, 5 votes)

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Bread – Indian

By Angela – Serves: 7

Prep Time: 2 hours 30 minutes – Cooking Time: 13 minutes – Total Time: 2 hours 43 minutes

A delicious and simple homemade garlic naan bread made with garlic-infused brown butter and some cool tips and tricks for super soft and fluffy naan bread.

Ingredients

• Unsalted butter 100g (3/4 stick) - this is how much butter you need to make the required 65g of browned butter. If you would prefer not to make the browned butter, simply melt 64g of butter and use as per the instructions below 🙂
• 2 garlic cloves
• Strong bread flour 300g (1 3/4 cups plus 2 tbsp)
• Whole milk 180ml (3/4 cup)
• Active dry yeast 9g
• Granulated sugar 1 tablespoon
• Salt 1 1/4 teaspoon
• Finely chopped coriander 1 tablespoon

Instructions

1

Make the garlic-infused brown butter (as above) and leave to cool, then sieve out the browned milk solids and garlic.

2

Add salt to one side of the bowl with the flour.

3

Heat the milk to the optimum temperature, then stir in the sugar and yeast to dissolve. Wait for about 5 minutes for the yeast to activate or until the mixture looks frothy like beer.

4

Make a well into the flour and pour the yeast mixture and 4 tablespoons of brown butter into it. Slowly incorporate the flour with the milk, when most of the flour is mixed in. Tip the dough onto the counter, drizzle 2 tablespoons of the garlic-infused butter over the dough, and knead until smooth.

5

Put the dough in a lightly buttered bowl, cover with cling film and leave to rise until doubled in size.

6

Knockback the dough and portion it into dough balls of about 76g each. Leave to proof on a lightly floured surface with enough space between them until doubled in size.

7

With very little flour on the counter, spread the trapped air across the dough gently using your fingertips. Then shape the dough into an oval by gently pushing out the dough and carefully stretching. Lastly, gently roll the dough. It would be best to have them all rolled out (you shouldn't need to flour the surface on which you lay the rolled out dough.

8

Heat a cast-iron until piping hot and set the heat to medium. Lay the naan bread on the pan and watch closely as the bubbles form and the dough rise, flip after 30 seconds and repeat with the rest.

9

Store the naan in an airtight container to maintain moisture. When all are done, brush them with the garlic-infused brown butter.

Notes

If you have leftovers and would prefer to use them the day after, wrap the naan in cling film. To reheat, do so on a grill or microwave.