Soft & Chewy Naan (Tandoor Flatbread)

What is Tandoor flatbread?

Tandoor bread is any type of bread traditionally cooked in a tandoor, a clay oven that uses intense, direct heat. Naan, a popular variety of tandoor flatbread, falls under this category, characterized by its soft, pillowy texture and slight char from the high-heat . Other variations of tandoor flatbreads may be rolled or tossed much thinner or thicker than a typical naan. Regardless, one thing all these flatbreads have in common is that signature smoky tandoor favour.

What ingredients needed to make soft & chewy naan

There’s a delicate balance of ingredients that come together to create naan that is soft & chewy with the potential for slight crispy-ness on those raised up bubbles.. Get the ratio of liquid off or leave out some ingredients and you may end up with a dry tough dough that doesn’t quite resemble that gorgeous fluffy flatbread you find at restaurants. Here’s what goes into this recipe for fluffy flatbread:

• Water: hydrates the dough
• Sugar: don’t think this makes the bread sweet- it helps soften the dough
• Yeast: gives us fluffy bread with tiny little bubbles that rise while cooking
• Yogurt: Keeps the dough soft & pillowy
• Salt: all good things need a little salt
• All-purpose flour: an essential ingredient for all things bread
• Olive oil: Helps moisten the dough & improves browning
• Ghee: for that intense buttery flavour

Hand stretched vs. rolling pin?

When it comes top stretching the dough into whatever shape your heart desires, you have two options: hand tossing/stretching or a rolling pin.

Hand stretched: When the dough is stretched or tossed by hand air bubbles are preserved. This creates a lighter, airier, chewy-er texture with a finished bread that presents with a more rustic, artisanal look. I personally find this the best method for pizza and flatbreads. Anyway, why dirty up a rolling pin if you don’t have too, right?

Rolling: Using a rolling pin to flatten the dough gives it a uniform thickness. This method may seem easier or more beginner friendly, hence why it’s a go-to for many. I find rolling best suited when consistent results are needed for the thickness of a dough, perhaps like when making ravioli.

How to cook the perfect chewy naan at home

Naan is typically cooked in a tandoor oven which is a traditional clay oven often used in south asian, middle eastern and central asian cooking. It’s a large upright, cylindrical container heated by charcoal or wood. The walls of this oven absorb and retain heat and the temperature can go up to 900°F. These high temperatures cook bread extremely quickly, evenly and gives it a signature char around those raised edges. Now, most of us don’t have a tandoor ready to fire up at home, but there’s a couple creative ways we can recreate a similar effect to cook the naan at home.

• Method 1: Bake on a preheated Ceramic stone or wire rack in the oven. These materials retain heat and depending on how hot your oven gets, the naan can cook exceptionally well. The only caveat with this method is that it can take at least an hour to heat the stone in your oven which may not be the most practical.

• Method 2: Cook in a hot pan on the stove top. a classic method that is probably the easiest and quickest. My only con with this method is I feel the dough doesn’t always the most even cook/char- perhaps this is due to the flat nature of a pan.

• Method 3: Cook on a pan flipped upside down. Just pre-heat a large shallow pan that has excellent heat retention for about 10 minutes (this pan is my absolute favourite and one of my most-used). This is my preferred method because I find the dome shape of the flipped pan caters better to cooking all the edges of the bread more evenly and provides more consistent charring.

• Method 4: Cook using a special gadget like this pizza oven. I have used this product and while I enjoy the outcome, I find the pan more practical and useful to recommend. If you have the excess counter space and perhaps make pizza/fresh naan often, this may be a great option. Otherwise, a good heat conducting pan is going to deliver great results.

Storing & Reheating Naan

You can store the naan covered in a bread basket for 1-2 days. if storing for longer, place in a ziplock bag in the fridge for about 5-6 days. To reheat naan so it gets soft & fluffy again, place naan in a plate in the microwave. Wet a paper towel and squeeze out the water so it is damp then lay the damp paper towel over the bread and microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Ways to enjoy this flatbread

To me, this is the my go-to flatbread dough recipe. The bread takes on a totally different vibe simply depending on how you stretch it. Stretch it out slightly thinner and more circular and you get a beautiful tandoor style flatbread perfect for sandwiches. Stretch the dough a little thicker and you have typical fluffy naan perfect for dipping. My favourite way to enjoy this bread for kebab sandwiches, Shawarmas and dipping into curries & stews.

5 from 5 votes

Soft & Chewy Naan (Tandoor Flatbread)

This soft and chewy naan recipe yields perfectly fluffy, golden-brown flatbreads with a delicate texture. Made with simple ingredients like yogurt and yeast, the dough is hand-stretched and cooked in a hot pan for that signature soft center and slightly crispy edges. Ideal for pairing with curries, sandwiches or on its own, this naan is a delicious and versatile staple in any kitchen.

Recipe Keys: S Sides

Print Recipe

Prep Time 1.5 hr Cook Time 10 mins Total Time 1 hr 40 mins

Ingredients

Dough

• ¹⁄₂ cup Warm Water

• 1 ¹⁄₂ tsp Yeast

• 1 ¹⁄₂ tsp Sugar

• 2 tbsp Yogurt

• 1 tsp Salt

• 1 ¹⁄₂ cups Flour

• 1 tbsp Olive oil

• 1 tbsp beef tallow/ghee

Optional Topping

• 3-4 tbsp Butter
• 1 Garlic clove
• ¹⁄₂ tbsp Fresh cilantro

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water with sugar and yeast. Stir and let sit for 4-5 minutes.

2. To the yeast water mixture, add yogurt, salt, oil and melted beef tallow (or ghee). Whisk to combine.

3. Add in flour and mix in a stand mixer on speed 2 for 4-6 minutes

   If you want to knead by hand, do so for about 8-10 minutes or until you have a somewhat smooth ball.
5. Divide dough into 3 pieces for average sized naans and knead each piece to form a smooth ball.

6. Place dough balls in a lightly greased tray covered with Saran Wrap and a towel for about 1 hour (until double in size).

7. When the dough is ready for shaping, preheat a pan with good heat retention on medium-high heat for about 10 minutes.

8. Once 10 minutes is up, flip the pan over so it sits on the burner upside down and reduce the heat to medium. *You can adjust the heat setting slightly based on how your first piece of naan cooks. If it cooks too fast and is more charred then you’d like, turn the heat to low and if the bread takes over 1 minute per side and is not getting much colour, slightly turn up the heat.

9. If needed, rub some ghee between your hands before shaping each dough ball.

10. Press into the dough with your fingers using pressure to flatten the dough on each side (focus pressing around the perimeter as the centre tends to stretch out thinner than the outer edges). Then toss the dough back and forth between your hands using a sort of slapping motion with each toss. Check the shape after a couple tosses and continue tossing until the dough has been stretched out to your liking. 

    Keep the shaped pieces of naan covered while you finish shaping the remaining dough balls.
11. When ready to cook, lay one naan at a time over the surface of the preheated pan. The flatbread should cook in about 40 seconds to 1 minute per side.

12. After each piece of naan is cooked, place the cooked naan on a large clean towel and immediately fold the towel over to trap any steam. This helps to continue cooking the bread internally and improves its texture while keeping it soft.

13. Optional: In a small bowl, melt butter and grate in the garlic. Add in a sprinkle of minced cilantro and mix to combine. Brush this mixture over each piece of naan on one side and sprinkle more fresh cilantro on top.

14. To maintain the softness of the bread, keep it sealed in a ziplock bag until ready to enjoy.