Easy Herbed Garlic Naan
Whoa! This easy naan bread recipe is here to stay. It's so hard to resist this fluffy fresh made bread especially with this easy garlic herb butter!! Easy to freeze and goes great with so many recipes. So good I can hardly stand it.
Servings 8 pieces
Ingredients
- ½ cup warm water
- 2 tsp yeast (active dry)
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup oil (I love avocado oil) melted butter or olive oil work great too!
- ⅓ cup yogurt or sour cream
- 2½-3 cups flour (all purpose)
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp minced fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro or chives) optional
*optional* Herbed garlic lemon butter
- 2 tbsp Softened butter
- 2 tbsp oil (avocado or olive oil work great)
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp onion powder really rounds out the flavors
- 1 tsp minced fresh herbs (parsley, cilantro or chives) reduce to ½ tsp if using dried herbs
- 1 Generous squeeze of lemon more to taste
- salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine yeast, sugar and water. Let it foam up a bit, about 5 minutes.I like to do this in a 2 cup clear measuring cup. I can easily add oil and yogurt without dirtying another dish using the markings on the side.
- Once the yeast is frothy add salt, oil and yogurt. Add egg. Stir to combine.
- Transfer to a large mixing bowl or a stand up mixer. Add flour, garlic and any seasonings. Knead for a few minutes until everything is well incorporated.
- Cover and rise until doubled, about 1 hour. (Cover with plastic wrap or a plate.)I like to nestle mine in a warm place. If I have a nearby pot of soup or a warm oven, the back of the stove top is ideal. A warm laundry room works too! Get creative, If it's cold it will take much longer to rise.
- Once the dough has risen, heat up a skillet over medium heat. The heavier the pan the better. I love using my cast iron skillet.
- Use lightly floured hands to pull dough into about 8 equal sized pieces. Does not need to be exact! Form into balls and flatten them out on a floured surface.I've used my fingers to pull and press flat but find that using a lightly floured rolling pin yields prettier results. Both taste great!For the biggest bubbles try using a rolling pin and flattening them as you need them.
- Add a touch of oil to the hot pan and toss in a flattened naan. I usually find two at a time is perfect. cook 2-3 minutes per side.
- Serve warm. Brush with herbed garlic butter if you'd like! Ohhhh it's SO GOOD.
For the herbed butter
- Simply combine all of the ingredients into a small bowl and whisk together. If you prefer to use fresh minced garlic instead of garlic powder I suggest warming the butter/oils in a small sauce pan over medium heat then adding the fresh garlic. Stir for about one minute. Remove from heat and add the rest of the ingredients.
- Use a basting brush to spread the butter over your naan. If you'd like a more spreadable consistency put it in the fridge for a few minutes. Stir and spread.
Notes
INGREDIENT NOTES-
Substitute salt with Tajin (a spice blend of salt, lime and chili- not spicy) for zestier flavor in your dough.
Yogurt vs sour cream- both work just fine. Yogurt does add a bit more zing. Make up for any lost flavor with a zesty butter!
Herbs- Fresh herbs always win in my book for their bright, fresh flavor but sometimes dried herbs step in to save the day. Note that dried herbs tend to have a more concentrated flavor, but not always. I've found that cilantro, parsley and chives work great in this recipe in any combo.
Use all butter for the finishing butter if you'd like a richer flavor. I prefer to cut mine with half vegetable based oil so I diversify my fat sources. Cutting it with oil also keeps it from solidifying so it's easier to brush onto the naan. Works great as a dip too or spooned over soup as an extra garnish.
Substitute the salt, pepper and lemon juice with a teaspoon of Tajin if you'd like. I do it all the time! Addicting.
FREEZING-
This garlic naan freezes so well. I wrap mine, maybe 2 or 3 together, in plastic wrap and store them in gallon sized ziplock freezer bags. I pull them out as needed and zap in the microwave for a few seconds or toss them in a warm oven or toaster oven for a minute or two.
SERVE WITH-
Naan goes great with all kinds of soups/stews, folded for pita style sandwiches, served with dips, made into mini pizzas and more. It's great just with garlic butter too!