Easy No Yeast Naan Recipe (30 Minutes!)
Apr 23, 2020, Updated Mar 01, 2021
This post may contain affiliate links.
This easy no yeast naan recipe is a winner. It takes 30 minutes from start to finish and it’s made in a skillet. Even a novice baker can make this recipe!
Nothing beats homemade bread. The smell and the feeling of having that warm, fresh bread in your hands is just out of this world. I love any kind of homemade bread, from classic pita bread and Turkish simit to Persian barbari or Turkish pide, making bread at home is absolutely soul-soothing for me and for many others. Today’s recipe is a simple naan recipe that you can make right now, even if you don’t have any baking experience.
Table of Contents
About this recipe
Naan is such a comforting bread. It’s pillowy, soft and warm. It would be perfect with some chicken korma, fish curry or veggie tikka masala or just as a snack on its own.
Naan traditionally calls for yeast but today I’m going to show you how to make naan without yeast. It takes less than 30 minutes to make this quick bread, and 20 minutes of that is the bread resting! You don’t even need an oven since you can make it in a skillet. It’s the perfect recipe for times you need warm bread in no time to go with your main dish.
Why this recipe works
Making bread at home is one of the most rewarding and comforting things we get to do. I mean, once you try your own homemade bread, you would want to have that everyday.
This no yeast naan recipe works so well because:
- It’s simple, easy, and quick. Plus it calls for minimal hands-on time.
- If you’re a new baker, you’re going to enjoy making it, it always comes out perfectly!
- Just like our lavash recipe, this one also doesn’t require any baking skills and you won’t even need a scale.
- The ingredient list is very simple. You don’t need yeast or eggs for this naan recipe.
Ingredients
It can’t get simpler than this. With a few ingredients you can make your own bread at home. Let’s take a look at the ingredients:
Flour: For this recipe I use 50% whole wheat flour and 50% all purpose flour. However, you can use only all purpose flour as well.
Baking powder: Since this is a no yeast in this recipe, the leavening agent is baking powder. If you don’t have any available, you can use 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
Sugar: Sugar helps the components of the dough to work together and also balances the flavor.
Salt: Salt adds flavor to this bread so make sure not to skip it.
Oil: A little bit of vegetable or olive oil makes the dough smooth and soft.
Milk and Water: To bring the dry ingredients together, you need liquid and here we are going to use milk and water.
Instructions
Prepare the dough
Place all the ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and start mixing on medium low until the dough comes together. You might probably need a couple more tablespoons of water. The dough will not be sticky at all.
Let the dough rest
Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 20 minutes. Since this is a yeast-free recipe, you don’t need to let the dough sit for more than 20 minutes.
Shape the dough
After 20 minutes, transfer the dough to your lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into eight pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Gently press down the ball to shape it into a circle and then roll it out using a rolling pin so it’s ¼ inch thick. Make sure not to apply too much force.
Cook the naan
Heat a cast iron skillet (or a non stick skillet) over medium heat until hot. Brush one side of the naan with a little bit of ghee or melted butter and place it in the pan ghee side down. Cook for about 30 seconds until it’s puffy and golden on one side. Flip and cook the other side until cooked. Transfer to a plate and cover with a towel to keep them soft.
Serving suggestions
You can serve this bread with many different dishes such as classic dishes like butter chicken. Or you can serve them with other Middle Eastern and Mediterranean dishes. Are you out of pita? Try having you chicken shawarma or kofta kebab with naan! Making a Persian appetizer platter? You’re going to love that cheese and walnut combo with some fresh naan. And if you want to use up the leftovers, try making breakfast pizza using naan!
Notes and tips
- Knead by hand: If you don’t own a stand mixer, you can easily make this bread by hand. Make sure to knead it for about 7-10 minutes until it’s not sticky anymore. Check out this tutorial on how to knead dough without a stand mixer.
- Make ahead: You can make this dough and refrigerate overnight. When ready to cook, take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes so it comes to room temperature, then proceed with the steps.
- Looking for a dairy free option? Instead of milk and water combination, you can use only water to make this recipe.
- Make smaller ones: If you like smaller naans, you can divide the dough to 10 pieces instead of eight.
- Storage: To store naan, simply put them in a resealable bag. Store in a cool place for up to 3 days.
More Recipes
Mediterranean recipes
Homemade Chicken Shawarma Recipe [Video]
Persian Recipes
Easy Persian Appetizer Platter
Breakfast and Brunch
Quick Breakfast Pizza Recipe
Breads
Lavash Bread
Did you make this recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Please comment and leave a 5-star🌟 rating below. You can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest or subscribe to our newsletter to get a free e-Cookbook!
Easy No Yeast Naan Recipe (30 Minutes!)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup milk
- 2 tbsp ghee, melted
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, place the all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix until combined.
- To the dry ingredients, add the oil, water and milk. Using the dough hook of your stand mixer, mix and knead the dough for about 7 to 10 minutes until the dough comes together and is not sticky anymore. The dough should be soft and not hard at all. If it feels hard, add one to two tablespoons of water and knead again.
- Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let it sit for 20 minutes.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and divide it into 8 pieces. Shape each piece to a ball and roll it out gently with a rolling pin into a disk with 1/4 inch thickness.
- Heat a cast iron skillet (or a non stick skillet) over medium heat.
- Once the skillet is hot, brush the naan on top with melted ghee. Transfer the naan to the skillet, ghee side down and cook for about 30 seconds until it's golden and has bubbles. Brush the top with ghee and flip so it cooks on the other side as well. This should take about 30 seconds or less.
- Once the naan is cooked, transfer to a plate and cover with a kitchen towel so it stays soft. Continue with the remaining dough.
- Serve with your favorite main dish.
Notes
- If you don’t own a stand mixer, you can easily make this bread by hand. Make sure to knead it for about 7-10 minutes until it’s not sticky anymore. Check out this tutorial on how to knead dough without a stand mixer.
- You can make this dough and refrigerate overnight. When ready to cook, take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the counter for about 30 minutes so it comes to room temperature, then proceed with the steps.
- Instead of milk and water combination, you can use only water to make this recipe.
- If you don’t have ghee, use melted butter or vegetable oil.
- If you like smaller naans, you can divide the dough to 10 pieces instead of eight.
- To store naan, simply put them in a resealable bag. Store in a cool place for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I tired this recipe and before rolling, stuffed with keema. Came out very dry
I don’t recommend stuffing the dough since it doesn’t contain yeast.
This looks great, is there a way to do it gluten free version?
You can use 1:1 gluten free flour 🙂
This was my first time making Naan bread. Your recipe was perfect!
I am making Chicken Tikka Masala and didn’t want to run to the store just for Naan.
It is a must have for me with this dish and my homemade tzatziki sauce.
I did add the extra tbsp.of water as you suggested
This will be my go to recipe.
Thank you!