Paul Hollywood's Naan Bread Recipe w/ American Measurements (2024)

FAQs

Why doesn't naan rise? ›

Heat a griddle or tawa. If the pan is not hot enough then the naan will not rise well. So ensure it is hot but not extremely hot. Gently remove the naan from the counter and place it on the hot griddle.

Naan is essentially a leavened flatbread, which means it contains some form of raising agent to provide its airy texture. Hence for this naan, the raising agent we will be using is yeast. Other variations do exist which may utilise self raising flour or baking powder/baking soda.

Naan is another flatbread traditionally served in Indian restaurants but the difference is that there will already be a filling inside these flatbread pockets. Naan may be stuffed with curd, fresh desiccated coconut, butter, nigella seeds, and raisins.

Butter naan is indulgence personified. After cooking the plain naan, a generous amount of butter is brushed over the surface, imparting a rich yet buttery flavour. The butter also gives the naan a glossy finish, making it irresistible to resist.

As such, you should avoid filling up on naan if you're watching your saturated fat intake. Moreover, store-bought plain naan has a relatively high sodium content, accounting for around 18% of the DV. Eating too much sodium may increase blood pressure and your risk for heart disease and stroke ( 7 ).

We make naan with extra virgin olive oil instead of butter/ghee. The olive oil makes the naan soft and fluffy and keeps it nice and moist. This is a Mediterranean and middle-easter way of making flatbread, and still traditional in its own way.

Skip: Naan

And like those fluffy spuds, this soft flatbread has little nutritional value. Most naan recipes call for Greek yogurt to give it that airy texture. But that's more than offset by less healthy ingredients like white flour, sugar, and oil.

2% milk works well, but I do not recommend using fat-free or skim milk. Full-fat Greek yogurt. The full-fat dairy in this naan recipe gives it a soft texture and rich taste. You can use a 2% or fat-free Greek yogurt, your bread may just not be as pillowy soft.

The yogurt also adds some fat. The fat keeps the dough nice and soft and prevents the naan from hardening too much during the cooking process.

Kulcha. This next bread is often confused with naan due to its similar appearance. While naan is usually made with yeast and yogurt or milk, kulcha is usually made with baking powder and baking soda.

Which is healthier, pita or naan? ›

Naan is higher in protein (around 9 grams) and fat (around 5 grams) than pita and other breads.

1. Plain Naan Bread. Among all types of naan, this flatbread is the most widely consumed. It is made with wheat flour, salt, butter and yeast.

Flatbreads are an important staple in South Asian cuisine. One of the most familiar South Asian flatbreads are naan, which are leavened and typically made of maida, a refined wheat flour.

I LoVe stonefire naan, especially the wheat naan. It's so flavorful, yet healthy without excess grease or butter. It's the perfect complement to my favorite chicken and lamb dishes.

Keep an eye on how they're cooking and adjust the heat as needed. If your naan breads are cooking/browning too quickly (before they can puff up and form bubbles), reduce the heat. If they're not puffing up and are taking too long to brown, increase the heat.

Increasing the temperature and moisture can help activate the yeast in the dough so it rises. You can also try adding more yeast. Open a new packet of yeast and mix 1 teaspoon (3 g) of it with 1 cup (240 mL) of warm water and 1 tablespoon (13 g) of sugar. Let the yeast mixture proof for 10 minutes.

But almost as good as a proofing box is taking a Mason jar filled halfway up with water, microwaving it for two minutes, then putting your bowl of dough into the microwave with the jar to rise. The other thing you can do is place your lidded container or bowl of dough into a second, larger bowl of warm water.

Dough may not have been kneaded enough. Kneading 'exercises' the gluten in the bread and gives it the elasticity to hold in the air bubbles produced by the yeast. It is these air bubbles that cause the dough to expand and rise.