Butter Naan
The Naan recipe I’ve been perfecting for the entire 19 years I’ve been with my Indian husband. It’s the best homemade naan: so soft and stretchy. Drench it in melted butter if you know what’s good and call it Butter Naan.
Butter Naan: why you’re going to fall in LOVE with this recipe
Let me just say that I’ve been in a relationship with an Indian man for almost 20 years and I’ve spent most of those years trying to make perfect naan. You can trust that this is an extensively-tested recipe that passes the authentic test.
- Butter naan is traditional Indian Naan bread brushed with melted butter after cooking. You can add some minced cilantro (coriander) leaves or minced garlic to make garlic nan.
- It is a yeasted dough rolled into flatbreads and cooked traditionally in tandoor clay. My workaround makes it super easy to create that tandoori flavor and look in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop.
- The combination of yeast and yogurt give this recipe a complex, delicious bread flavor similar to sourdough naan without needing a sourdough starter.
- It puffs up on the pan (or tawa, in India) and those charred spots are irresistible. For an even more dramatic puffing up, see my notes in the recipe for finishing the naan over a direct flame (only works if you have a gas stove).
I guarantee you this easy tandoori-style naan rivals your favorite Indian restaurant. Serve it with one of these tasty Indian recipes. If you love Indian breads, you’ve gotta try my super-soft roti, paratha recipe (layered, flaky South Indian flatbread) and soft chapati recipe, too.
What is Butter Naan Made of?
Guys, it’s a magical blend of pantry staples: Flour and yeast PLUS baking soda and baking powder. When combined with yogurt to form a soft dough, you get the best naan of your life.
Naan Ingredients
- Plain white flour (a.k.a. maida in India)
- Instant dry yeast (a.k.a. quick rise yeast): You can swap in another kind of yeast, but traditional (active dry yeast) will have to be activated first in the warm water before adding it to the dry ingredients. I love how easy it is to use instant yeast because you add it right to the flour.
- Baking soda: this is not always found in traditional recipe but using baking soda helps ensure lots of bubbles in the naan. Adding it decreases the acidity of the dough, which helps the dough to brown in the pan. More browning makes for more flavor and more attractive color. Baking powder doesn’t do the same for browning and flavor, but a teaspoon and a half can be used as a substitute for the baking soda and you’ll still get the extra bubbles.
- Baking powder: baking soda starts to work as soon as it’s combined with acidic ingredients (yogurt) and loses its leavening power as the dough sits. Baking powder is double acting – meaning it has an initial reaction when it combines with liquid, and a second reaction when heat is added. Basically, it adds extra bubble insurance!
- Plain yogurt: (a.k.a curd in India) don’t useextra high-fat or greek yogurt. Regular whole milk (3.25%) or 2% yogurt is perfect. Extra fat and thickness will make the dough too rich and prevent it naan from puffing up. It will have a thicker, doughier texture. I regularly use buttermilk as a substitute because I don’t always stock plain yogurt. Both work perfectly.
- Melted butter: this puts the butter in butter naan. It’s simply brushed onto the warm naan breads after they’re done cooking and after they’ve been transferred to a plate. Salted butter is the tastiest option.
- Minced cilantro: totally optional but I love the pop of green color. You could add a couple of minced fresh garlic cloves to the melted butter, too, or instead, if you like.
