This recipe was inspired by my standard I can make that! attitude. The local Indian restaurant makes delicious naan, and I just had to have some at home for when we make curry. You can find naan at the grocery store, but it is just not the same as fresh. We can’t have curry at home without whipping up a batch of this delicious naan!
I try to eat as many whole foods as possible. Every time I make a bread item at home, it is always made with at least 50% whole wheat flour. Why only 50%?? Well, I want it to have great texture too, and 100% whole wheat flour breads are sooooo dense. We find 50% is a happy balance between healthy and delicious!
In this recipe, I like to use white whole wheat flour. The white whole wheat provides a softer texture that emulates the all white flour version we get at a restaurant. I make this naan tangy with yogurt. I usually use non-fat Greek because that’s what I keep in the house, but regular yogurt, full fat yogurt, or even vegan yogurt would work as well. I have tried making naan with olive oil, but a neutral flavored oil works better. Enjoy!
Whole Wheat Naan Bread
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 6 mins
- Total Time: 2 hours 6 mins
- Yield: 6 pieces naan
- Category: Side Dish
- Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients
- 1 cup white whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all purpose flour, plus 1/4-1/2 cup for kneading
- 1 tsp rapid rise yeast
- 1 tsp sugar or honey* See Note
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 TBS canola oil or other neutral flavored oil, plus 1 TBS for the bowl
- 2-3 TBS plain yogurt
- 3/4 cup water heated to 120°F
- Optional toppings:
- melted butter
- sprinkle garlic granules
- sprinkle paprika
- sprinkle parsley
- sprinkle salt
Instructions
- Mix together flours, yeast, sugar (if using), and salt.
- Pour in oil and yogurt, mix until crumbly.
- Pour in water, and honey if substituting for sugar, and stir until a shaggy dough forms
- Dump dough onto a clean and floured working surface.
- Wash your hands and set aside a 1/4 cup of all purpose flour for cleaning your hands after kneading. Oil a large bowl to place the finished dough into.
- Knead dough with clean hands until all clumps of oil and yogurt are gone by pressing it into the counter with your palms and pulling it back toward you repeatedly. Your hands will get very messy, but that’s ok 😉 Continue kneading for about 5 minutes to make a very elastic dough.
- Pour the 1/4 cup of flour over your hand and rub them together until most of the dough is removed. Scrap the dough off the counter and place another 2 TBS flour under the dough to prevent it from sticking again. Gently bring the dough back together into a ball, kneading slight, but trying to prevent it from sticking again.
- Place the dough ball into the oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven with a pizza stone to 475°F.
- Press dough down and knead out air bubbles. Divide into 6 portions.
- Take 1 portion and roll it into an oval, about 1/4 inch thick. Use about 1 tsp flour if they are sticking to the counter too much. Set the first oval aside. Roll another portion using the same method.
- Place 2 ovals onto the preheated pizza stone and bake for 3 minutes. Give your oven about 3 minutes before opening it again to reheat. The hotter the oven and stone, the better the bread will cook.
- Repeat steps 11 & 12 with remaining dough portions.
- Optional: You can garnish naan by brushing it with melted butter and sprinkling it with garlic granules, parsley, salt and paprika.
Notes
1) If using honey, mix it into the dough when you mix in the water. 2) You can use a mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough and skip the messy hands and counter!
Recipe inspired by Manjulas Kitchen.