Flatbread

Based on a naan recipe by Pooja Makhijani, via King Arthur Baking

Soft, chewy, slightly tangy flatbread cooked in a cast iron pan, no tandoor required.

Note: I have adjusted the recipe according to my tastes and equipment.

In any baking recipe. including this one, I suggest you measure by weight and not by volume. You’ll get more consistent results.

Details

Prep time: 30 minutes
Rise time: 50-60 minutes + 20 minutes rest
Cook time: 15-20 minutes total (cooking 8 naans in batches)
Yield: 8 flatbreads

Ingredients

Dough

270g (2¼ cup) bread flour (original recipe uses 180g all-purpose, 90g bread flour)
142g (½ cup + 2 tbsp) warm water
28g (2 tbsp) butter, melted (original recipe has ghee as an option)
71g (5 tbsp) full-fat plain Greek yogurt
5g (1½ tsp) active dry yeast (original recipe uses instant yeast)
4g (1 tsp) granulated sugar
6g (1 tsp) table salt

(The original recipe uses a butter/ghee topping, I do not.)

Instructions

1. Make the Dough

Sift the flour into a bowl. Set aside for now. If the butter is not melted yet, microwave it for 30 seconds to liquify it. Make sure it doesn’t begin bubbling and boiling off. Combine the melted butter and warm water in a Pyrex (can be the same one you used to microwave the butter.) Add the yeast, granulated sugar, and salt to the butter/water mixture and whisk until dissolved (or close to dissolved.) Add the Greek yogurt to the liquid mixture and whisk until combined. Pour the liquid ingredients into the flour bowl, and combine with a spoon or spatula. Your goal is to achieve a uniform dough, keep working the dough until you achieve it. A couple minutes of vigorous stirring should get you there.

2. First Rise

Place dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

3. Divide and Rest

Divide dough into 8 equal pieces. Shape each into a ball, cover, and rest for 20 minutes.

4. Preheat the Pan

While the dough rests, preheat a cast iron pan over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. (On my stovetop, I use my most powerful burner at a setting of 4, and I don’t need to touch the dial for the rest of the process, until turning it off.)

5. Shape

On your countertop (not floured), hand-stretch a ball of dough into a 6” round or 7” oblong for thicker naan, or 8”/10” for thinner. Keep remaining pieces covered. Note: This is perhaps the most difficult part of the recipe. Each time you stretch a ball of dough, take note of when it gets very thin and rips, because you are trying to avoid this. The key is to maintain a constant thickness as you stretch.

6. Cook

Cook one naan at a time. Place in the hot pan and cook 30-40 seconds, until bubbles form on top and the underside browns. Flip and cook another 40-50 seconds until done.

7. Finish and Serve

Keep finished naan warm in a 200°F oven or wrapped in foil until serving.

Storage

Well-wrapped at room temperature for 2 days. Freeze for longer storage.

Variation suggestions (From the original recipe)

Garlic naan: Mince 5-6 garlic cloves. Press into each rolled-out round before cooking.
Stuffed naan: Roll each ball into a 5” round, place 2 tbsp filling in the center (spiced mashed potato, grated cheese, or paneer work well), pinch edges together to seal, then roll out to 6”-8” before cooking.

Tips

Use your hands to shape, not a rolling pin. A rolling pin pushes out the gas and leads to flat, dense naan.
Bread flour is key. It gives the naan its signature chew and makes the dough easier to stretch without tearing.
Watch for browning in the thinnest area of the flatbread, that’s your cue to flip.

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