Food Recipes Bread Yeast Breads Garlic Naan 5.0 (4,502) 9 Reviews This flavorful garlic naan bread is cooked on the stovetop, in a cast-iron skillet. It makes a wonderful accompaniment to your favorite Indian dish. By Food & Wine Editors Food & Wine Editors This is collaborative content from Food & Wine's team of experts, including staff, recipe developers, chefs, and contributors. Many of our galleries curate recipes or guides from a variety of sources which we credit throughout the content and at each link. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on May 25, 2023 Rate PRINT Share Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 3 hrs Yield: 12 flatbreads Though we most often associate naan with Indian cuisine, versions of it are prepared throughout Asia. In fact, naan is simply the Persian word for bread, and in Iran, it's a generic term that doesn't correlate with any specific style. Elsewhere, naan is a leavened flatbread typically baked in a tandoori oven, which reaches upwards of 900°F to result in the bread's signature charred brown spots and gentle puff. Happily, restaurant-quality naan can easily be replicated at home on the stovetop with the aid of a cast-iron skillet. Cast iron works because it's capable of getting very hot and retaining that heat. When it comes to shaping your naan, you can certainly use a rolling pin to flatten the dough, but hand-stretching helps preserve some of the air pockets to form the bread's pillowy bubbles. This garlic naan recipe calls for butter to brush over the finished naan, but ghee is the traditional choice if you happen to have some on hand. For extra flavor, feel free to top the bread with chopped cilantro along with the garlic. Ingredients 1 teaspoon active dry yeast 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 cup water, at room temperature 4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup full-fat plain yogurt 3/4 cup whole milk, at room temperature Cooking oil, for the bowl 3 tablespoons minced garlic 1 stick melted unsalted butter Kosher salt Directions Diana Chistruga Gather the ingredients. Diana Chistruga In a glass measuring cup, combine the yeast, sugar, and water and let sit for 10 minutes. In the meantime, mix the flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a large bowl. Diana Chistruga Whisk together the yeast mixture, yogurt, and milk and stir into the dry ingredients. Diana Chistruga Knead with your hands until the dough forms a smooth, soft ball, about 2 minutes. Place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Leave at room temperature until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Diana Chistruga Remove the dough from the bowl and turn onto a well-floured surface. Knead it briefly and divide the dough into 12 equal portions. Diana Chistruga Roll it into 1/4-inch-thick ovals, approximately 6 inches wide. Diana Chistruga Heat a cast-iron skillet over moderately high heat. Sprinkle each portion with minced garlic and press it into the dough. Diana Chistruga Brush the dough with melted butter and place in skillet. Cook for about one minute, until the dough puffs up. Diana Chistruga Flip, cover the pan, and cook for one more minute. Diana Chistruga Remove from the pan, brush both sides with butter, and sprinkle with salt. Place in a towel-lined bowl until ready to serve. Diana Chistruga Originally appeared: July 2013 Rate It Print