Soft Garlic Butter Naan (Skillet-Cooked)

Name: Soft Garlic Butter Naan (Skillet-Cooked)
Prep time: 38 min
Cook time: 21 min
Total time: 59 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ½ cup (120 ml) water, warm, about 105°F (40°C); 2 teaspoons (8 g) granulated sugar; 2¼ teaspoons (7 g) instant or active dry yeast, one 7 g packet; 3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, plus about ¼ cup (30 g) extra for dusting; 1½ teaspoons (9 g) fine salt; ½ teaspoon (2 g) baking powder; ½ cup (125 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature; 2 tablespoons (28 ml) neutral oil or melted ghee, plus 1 teaspoon (5 ml) for greasing the bowl; 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces; 4 large cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, finely minced; 3 tablespoons (10 g) fresh cilantro, finely chopped; ¼ teaspoon (1 g) flaky sea salt, for finishing

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Pillowy, blistered yeasted naan made with yogurt for tenderness, cooked in a hot skillet and brushed with garlic-cilantro butter. No tandoor needed.

Prep: 38 min
Cook: 21 min
Wait: 1 hr 28 min
Total: 2 hr 27 min
Makes: 8 naan

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Ingredients

8 servings

For the dough
½ cup (120 ml) water, warm, about 105°F (40°C)
2 teaspoons (8 g) granulated sugar
2¼ teaspoons (7 g) instant or active dry yeast, one 7 g packet
3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour, plus about ¼ cup (30 g) extra for dusting
1½ teaspoons (9 g) fine salt
½ teaspoon (2 g) baking powder
½ cup (125 g) plain whole-milk yogurt, at room temperature
2 tablespoons (28 ml) neutral oil or melted ghee, plus 1 teaspoon (5 ml) for greasing the bowl
For the garlic butter
4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 large cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, finely minced
3 tablespoons (10 g) fresh cilantro, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon (1 g) flaky sea salt, for finishing

Equipment (7)

Large mixing bowl
12-inch (30 cm) cast-iron or heavy skillet with a lid
Rolling pin
Small saucepan (for garlic butter)
Pastry brush
Clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap
Kitchen scale (recommended)

Steps

Before you start

Take the yogurt out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so it is not cold; cold yogurt slows the yeast.
Allow about 2½ hours total, most of it hands-off rising and resting.
Use full-fat plain yogurt for the softest naan.
Have a large lid or foil ready to trap steam while cooking each naan.

1
Activate the yeast
- In a large bowl, stir the warm water (about 105°F/40°C) and sugar until dissolved.
- Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let it sit.
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Ready when: The surface is covered with a thick, creamy foam and smells yeasty.
Tip: If there is no foam after 10 minutes, the yeast is dead or the water was too hot or cold; start again.
2
Mix the dough
- Whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together in a separate bowl.
- Add the room-temperature yogurt and 2 tablespoons oil to the yeast mixture and stir.
- Add the flour mixture and stir with a spatula until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains.
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Ready when: No dry patches of flour remain; the dough is sticky and rough.
3
Knead until smooth
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured counter.
- Knead for 6–8 minutes, adding only a teaspoon of flour at a time if it sticks heavily, until smooth and elastic.
- It should stay soft and slightly tacky.
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Ready when: The dough springs back slowly when poked and passes the windowpane test (stretches thin without tearing).
Tip: Resist adding too much flour; a slightly tacky dough makes softer naan.
4
First rise
- Lightly grease a clean large bowl with 1 teaspoon oil.
- Add the dough, turn to coat, cover with a towel or plastic wrap, and leave in a warm spot (75–80°F/24–27°C).
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Ready when: Doubled in volume; a fingertip poke leaves an indent that fills in slowly.
Tip: In a cool kitchen, allow up to 90 minutes.
5
Make garlic butter
- Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat.
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the cilantro and flaky salt.
- Keep warm near the stove.
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Ready when: Garlic is fragrant and just barely sizzling, not browned.
Tip: Burnt garlic turns bitter; pull the pan off the heat as soon as it smells fragrant.
6
Divide and rest
- Gently press the dough down and divide it into 8 equal pieces (about 85 g each).
- Roll each into a smooth ball, place on a floured surface, cover with a towel, and rest.
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Ready when: Balls look puffy and relaxed and don't spring back when flattened.
7
Roll out the naan
- Working with one ball at a time, roll into a teardrop or oval about 8 inches (20 cm) long and ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, dusting lightly with flour as needed.
- Keep the others covered.
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Ready when: Evenly thin, with no tears.
Tip: Roll just before cooking; rolled-out dough left sitting dries out and cooks stiff.
8
Preheat the skillet
- Heat a 12-inch (30 cm) cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 4–5 minutes, with no oil, until very hot.
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Ready when: A few drops of water sizzle and evaporate within 1–2 seconds.
9
Cook the naan
- Lightly brush the top of one naan with water and lay it water-side down in the hot skillet.
- Cover with the lid and cook 1½ minutes until large bubbles form.
- Flip and cook uncovered 1–1½ minutes, pressing gently, until deep golden-brown spots appear.
- Remove to a plate lined with a towel.
- Repeat with the remaining dough, adjusting the heat down to medium if spots turn black.
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Ready when: Puffed with bubbles, charred brown spots on both sides, and cooked through with no raw, doughy patches.
Tip: Stack cooked naan in a towel so the steam keeps them soft.
10
Brush and serve
- Brush each hot naan generously with the garlic butter, rewarming it briefly if it has set.
- Serve immediately, wrapped in a towel to stay warm.
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Ready when: Surface is glossy and fragrant with flecks of cilantro.

Good to know

Tips

Weigh the flour (375 g); scooped cups can pack heavily and make dry naan.
A very hot, dry skillet is what creates the blistered spots and puffy pockets.
Brushing the dough with water helps it stick to the pan and not burn.
Keep unrolled dough balls covered at all times so they don't form a skin.

Make ahead

After kneading, the dough can be refrigerated in the oiled, covered bowl for up to 24 hours (slow rise). Bring to room temperature for 45 minutes, then divide, rest 20 minutes, and cook as directed.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: wrapped in a towel inside a bag for up to 1 day. Fridge: airtight up to 4 days. Freezer: layered with parchment in a freezer bag up to 3 months. Reheat in a dry skillet over medium heat for 30–45 seconds per side, covering the pan so the steam keeps the naan soft.

Substitutions

plain whole-milk yogurt → Greek yogurt thinned with 1 tablespoon water per ½ cup. Keeps the dough tender; use the same weight.
unsalted butter → ghee. Gives a nuttier flavor and a higher smoke point.
fresh cilantro → flat-leaf parsley. Milder taste for those who dislike cilantro.
all-purpose flour → bread flour. Chewier naan; you may need 1–2 extra tablespoons of water.