Gluten-Free Naan Bread

This Gluten-Free Naan Bread Recipe is very similar to ‘Flat Bread’ or ‘Pita Bread.’ It is thick but soft at the same time. Very fluffy and yummy. Lovely with hummus or whatever your favorite ingredients are. Naan bread is made extra soft and tender with yogurt, eggs, and a bit of butter or ghee in the dough. You can make the dough ahead of time. Then, you can toss the bread in a pan right before you need it for dinner or a get-together! 

How to make gluten free naan bread

Naan bread is a type of flatbread and is very similar to pita bread, but it’s highly enriched. In bread-baking, enrichments refer to things like fat (ghee and butter here in this recipe), yogurt or milk, and eggs.

Naan is traditionally made with all-purpose (wheat) flour, which is not gluten-free. In addition, gluten provides a stretchy element that can be tricky to replicate with gluten-free alternatives.

I have tried many flours for many different recipes and settled on one. This flour works for me every single time! I use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking flour.

Let’s get cooking…

I am always happy after finding simple-style gluten-free yeast bread recipes. I really enjoyed the easy way to make this recipe. Combined all ingredients and mixed into a nice soft dough.

Measure all your ingredient and get them ready to mix.

Naan Bread Dough

Use hand whisk to fluff your dry ingredient together., (Gluten-Free flour, cream of tartar, sugar, salt).

After combining your dry ingredince add instant yeast and whisk more. You want to have yeast evenly mixed in.

• 2 1/2 cups (350g) all-purpose gluten-free flour, plus more for sprinkling (I used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour )
• 1 1/4 tsp xanthan gum (you can omit if your flour already has it )
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 4 1/2 tsp (18 g) granulated sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp (8 g) instant yeast

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It is time to add the wet ingredients

Melt butter, pour over dry ingredients with whole milk yogurt, eggs, and water, and set your stand mixer with a bowl. The mixer does all the hard work for you. Use paddle attachment. If your dough is too dry, add up to two Tbsp of melted butter. It depends on the flour you use. Some flours are more thirsty.

• 1/3 cup (76 g) plain yogurt, at room temperature
• 3 tablespoons (42 g) butter or ghee, melted and cooled
• 1 egg
• 1 egg white at room temperature, beaten
• 3/4 cup of warm water, about (95°F)

Ghee or butter for frying

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The dough will look like a fluffy batter. However, it will still be tacky to the touch and hold together really well when you set it aside to rest. 

Set your dough to rise somewhere warm. Cover with towel and let rest for 45-60 minutes.

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After your dough has risen, put it on a counter dusted with little flour. Do not use too much flour. That would cause your bread to be too dry.  Dry yeast bread won’t come out fluffy no matter what else you do.

Shape dough loosely into a round, separate into eight same parts. Take each part of the dough and shape a ball with your hands. Use a rolling pin to shape ovals out of your balls.

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Shaping Naan Bread

Shape the dough into ovals and set aside. Heat a heavy-bottom skillet (preferably cast iron) with a bit of ghee or virgin coconut oil. I use a non-stick copper pan, where I do not have to use much oil, only for the first batch. Every other Naan Bread is cooked dry. That means fewer caloric bombs.

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Frying Naan Bread

Place each piece of shaped dough in the hot skillet right away. I use medium heat. If your skillet is too hot, it can burn your bread faster. Also, the dough will bubble up as it cooks.

If you do not see bubbles, make your shapes thinner. Flip a few times while cooking until the dough seems puffy in spots. Make sure it is cooked through. Serve it right away! Serving slightly warm and fresh Naan Bread will make your guests happy.

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Baste finished bread with Olive Oil & cover with a towel. Serve with your favorite recipe or favorite Indian dish. Do you love Butter Chicken? Check my recipe for Classic Butter Chicken. It is very easy to make and delicious!!!

Histori of Naan Bread

Naan Bread dates as far as 1300 AD. The first mention was in the notes of an Indo-Persian poet. Around 1526, this delicious treat became popular among royals of the Mughal era in India. Naan contained yeast (which was very expensive). It was reserved for royalty only. (source)

You will be happy now for living in 21st century. Yeast is very cheap and we can enjoy it in many recipes!

Cooking tips

• You can freeze the cooked naan for quicker weeknight preparation and reheat it in a skillet or the microwave. Very easy!
• You do not have to rest your dough for 60 minutes. If you know, you are tight on time and let it sit in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
• Glute-Free bread is best to serve fresh right away.
• Cannot find whole milk plain yogurt? Never mind, sour cream will work as well.
• If you like ghee better over butter, do use ghee.

Who inspired me?

Suppose you wonder who inspired this delicious recipe. You can find it here. Gluten-Free on a Shoe String is the name of a blog. She makes delicious meals. I cannot wait to try more of her recipes! I love how this blogger put details into her post. That way, I can learn many new things I didn’t know.

If you try this recipe, let me know! Leave a comment if you have a question please.

Thank you so much for reading!

Until next time…!

DOBROU CHUT!