Easy Yeast‑Free Naan Bread (Soft, Quick & Ready in Minutes)

 

 

 

If you’ve ever wished you could whip up soft, warm naan breads without the time or fuss of working with yeast, you’re going to love this recipe. These Yeast‑Free Naan Breads come together in minutes using simple pantry ingredients, and they cook right on the stovetop — no rising, no kneading, no waiting around. Just mix, roll, and toast until they’re puffed, golden, and irresistibly tender.

They’re perfect for scooping up curries, wrapping around grilled meats, or serving warm with a bit of garlic butter. And because they’re so quick and easy, they’re ideal for busy weeknights or last‑minute meals when you want something homemade but don’t have hours to spare.

If you’ve never made naan before, this is the recipe that will make you wonder why you waited so long. Soft, simple, and ready in a flash — a real kitchen keeper.

 

This delicious recipe for Yeast-Free Naan Breads is one I got from my friend Swedish Marie several years back.  Naan Bread is an East Indian type of bread that is very popular and often served with things like curry's and other Indian foods.  Perfect for mopping up all of their delicious juices and sauces.  (I also like to use them to make quick and easy pizzas.)

I have often found the ready-made Naan breads in the shops quite disappointing. They are often stale and more often than not hard as compared to homemade Naan.  This recipe for the yeast-free Naan breads has become a favorite of mine. No waiting around for yeast to prove, it can be ready to bake in not much longer than half an hour, and only takes about 10 minutes, per bread, to cook, if that.

It is a very simple dough, using very simple ingredients, and I will confess right now, I didn't have any yogurt in the fridge today (How did that happen?  I always have yogurt!) and so I used sour cream instead which I felt would have approximately the same acidity and consistency needed, and as you can see it worked out really well.  

You make the dough and then roll it out to a thin (1/8th inch thick) oval and then you "bake" the ovals on a hot pan/griddle.  First on one side, over medium heat just until you get blisters showing up as you can see below.  It will be light golden on the under side.  This only takes a few minutes.

There is no need to grease the griddle pan/skillet. No oil needed. Once you have blistered them and browned them on the top side, you simply flip them over and toast the other side, again, for only a few minutes.  

They are rather largish, about 6 by 9 inches in size, so you can really only bake/toast one at a time. You will want to wrap the finished ones in a clean tea towel to keep them warm while you finish baking them all. Any that don't get eaten on the day can very easily be frozen to enjoy at a later date.

These are the nicest, softest, most delicious Naan breads you could ever want.  Lovely and fresh. Once you have tried these you will never want to settle for a shop bought Naan again. Actually there is no comparison really . . .  these blow those nasty dry things out of the water! Prepare to fall in love!

 

INGREDIENTS NEEDED

TO MAKE

YEAST-FREE NAAN BREADS

You probably have everything you need to make these in your kitchen/larder right now! 

• 1 1/3 cups (165g) plain all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 TBS +1 tsp (50ml) whole milk
• 2 TBS butter (cut into bits)
• 1/4 cup (65g) creamy full fat yoghurt

 

NOTES ON INGREDIENTS

• Do not use self raising flour for this recipe.  All-purpose or plain flour is what is needed. 
• It is not a lot of baking powder, but you really don't want a lot. You just want enough to encourage the dough to puff up when it hits the hot griddle pan.
• Just a pinch of sugar. I use Kirkland organic granulated sugar. In the U.K. I would use caster sugar.
• You will want to use whole milk as it has a richer flavor.
• I used salted butter as that is all I keep in my house. I have never found anything to be super-salted in doing so.
• Make sure your yogurt is full fat. Alternately you can use full fat sour cream if you haven't got any yogurt.

 

HOW TO MAKE

YEAST-FREE NAAN BREADS

These are very simple and easy to make. Because there is no yeast involved there is no wait times for them to rise, etc.

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together.
2. Warm the milk gently with the butter to melt the butter. Cool to lukewarm and whisk in the yogurt. Stir this into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon to make a soft dough. (Keep an eye on the milk. You don't want it to boil, just warm up enough to melt the butter.)
3. If the dough is too sticky, dust lightly with flour. Knead in the bowl for a few minutes, then cover with a clean tea towel and let sit for half an hour.
4. At the end of that time, divide into 4 equal portions and shape into balls. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Rotate slightly as you roll them, sprinkling lightly with flour as you go until you have a rough oval shape. (I find it easy to do this moving them a quarter turn with each roll of the rolling pin.)
5. Heat a large non-stick skillet or flat pancake griddle pan over medium high heat. Once it is hot you can start to bake the Naan's. (You can hold your hand just about the pan and feel how hot it is. I used a Pampered Chef grill pan to cook these on. In most cases you will only be able to cook one at a time.)
6. Pick up and remove any excess flour by slapping the dough between your hands and flip it onto the pan.
7. Cook until the surface is covered with bubbles, and it is lightly toasted on the bottom, flip over and repeat. (Do keep a close watch on it as they can turn very quickly.)
8. Remove to a clean tea-towel and cover to keep warm while you cook the rest. This helps to keep them soft. Serve warm.

 

 

HINTS AND TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• You will want your dough to be not sticky, not dry, but somewhere in the middle.
• Roll your dough out thin so that it cooks out evenly and light.
• Use a well heated non-stick skillet. This will help to create the lovely characteristic bubbles and charring.
• You can vary the flavor by brushing some garlic or herb butter on top of the breads after cooking while they are still warm.
• Keep a close watch on your breads while they are baking. They can turn in the blink of an eye. When they start to blister and puff up, and start turning brown, they are done.
• Keep your Naan breads wrapped loosely in a clean tea towel while you finish cooking them all. This helps to keep them nice and soft and prevents them from drying out.

 

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

CAN THIS BE MADE AHEAD OF TIME?

Yes, make the naan breads, then cool them and place in an airtight container or wrapped in foil. They should be fine at room temperature for 2 days.

HOW CAN I REHEAT THESE?

Reheat them by placing on a baking tray in a single layer, covered in foil. Place in a pre-heated oven at 400*F/200*C for about 5-6 minutes until hot throughout.

CAN THESE BE FROZEN?

Yes, make the naan breads, then cool them and place in an airtight container or wrapped in foil. Label, date and place in the freezer. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator, then reheat as per the make-ahead instructions above. Use within three months.

 

A FEW OTHER SAVORY

QUICK BREADS TO CONSIDER

 A bit of savory bread is always welcome sitting next to soup, curry, stew or a salad.  Here are a few other's that we enjoy that are quick and easy to make!

CHEESE & PEPPER BREAD - This is a wonderfully simple, savory quick bread that comes together in minutes and bakes up into the most gorgeous, golden loaf. It’s rich with sharp cheddar and flecked throughout with coarse black pepper, giving every slice a warm, gently spicy kick that pairs beautifully with the cheese .Made with everyday pantry ingredients, this loaf is stirred together in a flash — no yeast, no kneading, no fuss. Just whisk, mix, bake, and enjoy. Quick breads like this one are perfect when you want something homemade but don’t have hours to spare; they’re stirred together and in the oven lickety‑split!

SIMPLE BRITISH MALT LOAF - A classic, old‑fashioned tea loaf that’s beloved for its sticky texture, deep malty sweetness, and generous amount of dried fruit. It’s the kind of bake you turn to when you want something comforting, wholesome, and wonderfully British — the sort of treat that tastes even better after a day or two of resting. Malt loaf is a sweet quick bread made with malt extract, raisins, prunes, and whole‑grain flours, giving it that signature chewy, dense texture and rich flavor . The fruit is soaked in strong hot tea, which adds even more depth and helps create that lovely squidgy crumb. Once baked, the loaf is sticky, dense, and generously filled with fruit, improving in flavor each day it sits — a true “better‑with‑time” bake

 

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Yield: makes 4 breads

Author: Marie Rayner

Yeast Free Naan Breads

Prep time: 45 MinCook time: 10 MinTotal time: 55 Min

The dough for this can be made ahead and kept in the refrigerator instead of the normal resting time. Just bring back to room temperature before continuing. 

Ingredients

• 1 1/3 cups (165g) plain all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 TBS +1 tsp (50ml) whole milk
• 2 TBS butter (cut into bits)
• 1/4 cup (65g) creamy full fat yoghurt

Instructions

1. Sift the flour, baking powder, sugar and salt together.
2. Warm the milk gently with the butter to melt the butter. Cool to lukewarm and whisk in the yogurt. Stir this into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon to make a soft dough.
3. If the dough is too sticky, dust lightly with flour. Knead in the bowl for a few minutes, then cover with a clean tea towel and let sit for half an hour.
4. At the end of that time, divide into 4 equal portions and shape into balls. Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Rotate slightly as you roll them, sprinkling lightly with flour as you go until you have a rough oval shape.
5. Heat a large non-stick skillet or flat pancake griddle pan over medium high heat. Once it is hot you can start to bake the Naan's.
6. Pick up and remove any excess flour by slapping the dough between your hands and flip it onto the pan.
7. Cook until the surface is covered with bubbles, and it is lightly toasted on the bottom, flip over and repeat.
8. Remove to a clean tea-towel and cover to keep warm while you cook the rest. This helps to keep them soft. Serve warm.

Notes

If you want a garlic flavoured Naan, you can rub the surface of the finished breads with the cut side of a clove of garlic and brush with butter.

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