Naan Recipe Without Yogurt - Foods Guy (2024)

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If you are unfamiliar with Naan bread, it is a great time to meet each other.

Naan bread is a traditional Indian bread. It is a type of flatbread that you make in a skillet. It is not a just flatbread, but also a soft and pliable type of bread.

This Naan recipe is quick and easy to make and requires no yogurt. This recipe is probably my favorite recipe for the Naan bread as it is not only quick but super delicious.

Sometimes people mix pita and Naan bread, but although both being types of flatbread, they are completely different. Pita bread is cooked in an extremely hot pan or oven and has a characteristic air pocket in the middle.

Naan bread is cooked over medium-high heat on a skillet and it has more air bubbles than pita bread, which has one big giant bubble.

Naan bread can be served with any type of meal. You can eat Naan along with soups, gravy, meat dishes, or simply used for sandwiches.

Can You Make Naan Bread Without Yogurt?

Yes, you can make the Naan bread without yogurt. The yogurt is used to make the bread soft and fluff, but making Naan bread with yeast and allowing it to raise will give the same results.

Yogurt of any type is not mandatory in this recipe. Yeast will do the trick and turn the Naan dough into the softest and most bubbly bread.

How Is Naan Bread Traditionally Made?

Naan bread uses really simple ingredients:

  • Flour
  • Yeast
  • Salt
  • Milk
  • Warm water

First, you want to make the dough by combining the yeast and flour together. Knead the dough by hands or using a stand mixer with dough hooks attached. Divide the dough into six to eight portions and let it raise for at least 1 hour.

Once the dough is made, the bread itself is baked in a very hot clay tandoori oven, with charcoal or wood. Of course, we do not have a tandoori oven so the next best thing is a heated skillet.

You can use either a plain non-stick skillet or a cast-iron skillet (this one that you can pick up on Amazon is by far my favorite, and perfect for making Naan).

The baked bread will have distinguished brown spots on top. The spots are actually air pockets and a great indicator when the Naan bread is done.

Once it’s cooked, you can serve the Naan bread with olive oil, ghee, or butter.

How to Serve Naan

You can make Naan bread plain or with herbs or spices. Although Naan bread is not traditionally made with spices, you can always feel free to adjust this recipe to your personal taste.After all, you’re the one eating it!

You can use some of the traditional Indian spices such as turmeric or a pinch of curry powder, or choose a variety of herbs such as thyme, oregano or basil.

For some extra crunch, you can sprinkle the Naan bread with black cumin seeds.

Now let’s get into our yogurt-less Naan recipe!

How to Make Naan Without Yogurt

Ingredients

  • ½ cup warm water
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp instant yeast
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp almond milk or plain milk
  • ½ tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil + some extra for brushing

Instructions

Step 1

Gather your ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, combine water, sugar, and yeast. Cover and let it stand for 5 minutes at a warm place.

Naan Recipe Without Yogurt - Foods Guy (1)

Step 2

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, milk, lemon juice, olive oil, and the yeast mixture. Stir to combine until dough comes together.

Naan Recipe Without Yogurt - Foods Guy (2)

Step 3

Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Roll each piece in a ball. Arrange the balls on a plate and cover with a damp cloth.

Let the dough rise for 1 hour.

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Step 4

Heat a large skillet over a medium-high heat.

Roll the dough balls to a 1/4-inch thickness and place into the heated skillet. Cook the Naan bread until it starts to bubble.

Flip the bread and brush with some olive oil.Cook the bread on the other side.

Serve bread warm with olive oil, butter, or ghee, and enjoy!

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Naan Recipe Without Yogurt - Foods Guy (5)

Naan Recipe Without Yogurt

Yield: 6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

This authentic Naan bread without yogurt is soft and fluffy, just like Naan should be!

Ingredients

  • ½ cup warm water
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • 1 tsp instant yeast
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp almond milk or plain milk
  • ½ tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp olive oil + some extra for brushing

Instructions

  1. In a mixing bowl, combine water, sugar and yeast.
  2. Cover and let it stand for 5 minutes at warm place.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, milk, lemon juice, olive oil, and the yeast.
  4. Stir to combine until dough comes together.
  5. Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Roll each piece in a ball. Arrange the balls on a plate and cover with a damp cloth.
  6. Let the dough rise for 1 hour.
  7. Heat a large skillet over a medium-high heat.
  8. Roll the dough balls to a 1/4-inch thickness and place into the heated skillet. Cook the Naan bread until it starts to bubble. Flip the bread and brush with some olive oil.
  9. Cook the bread on the other side.
  10. Serve bread warm.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 198Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 3mgSodium: 23mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 6g

Up Next: The Best Ways To Reheat Naan Bread

Naan Recipe Without Yogurt - Foods Guy (2024)

FAQs

What can I use instead of yogurt in naan bread? ›

  1. Just substitute milk. The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons; you might use a bit less milk. ...
  2. If you don't have that, try buttermilk or sour cream. You're just trying to add a little moisture and a bit of sour tang. ...
  3. If you don't have any of that, just go with water.
Apr 8, 2014

Why does naan need yogurt? ›

Naan has a thicker, fluffier texture because it is made with yogurt. Pita is thinner bread made with less ingredients (flour, water, salt, etc) and no yogurt. Naan is cooked in a skillet while Pita is usually baked at very high temperatures in the oven.

What is similar to naan bread? ›

Kulcha is a mildly leavened bread prepared with all-purpose flour without any yeast, but rather leavened with yogurt and/or baking powder. Though it's similar to naan, you don't need a tandoor oven to make kulcha; you can easily prepare it on a griddle.

What does adding yogurt to dough do? ›

Adding yogurt to any bread will result in a softer, fluffier crumb because you are adding milk fats to the dough. Yogurt will also make the dough rise faster. You can add yogurt to most bread doughs, however you may need adjust the other liquids in the bread to ensure you do not end up with a wet, sloppy dough.

What is a substitute for yogurt in Indian food? ›

If you don't have access to traditional Indian or Greek yogurt, some alternatives include regular cow's milk yogurt, coconut yogurt, almond yogurt, soy yogurt, or goat's milk yogurt. Depending on the recipe, it is also possible to substitute other dairy products such as ricotta cheese or crème fraîche.

What can be substituted for yogurt? ›

Best Yogurt Substitutes for Baking
  • Sour Cream. Sour cream, especially full-fat sour cream, is a great substitute for yogurt in baking. ...
  • Greek Yogurt. ...
  • Buttermilk. ...
  • Cottage Cheese. ...
  • Cream Cheese. ...
  • Heavy Cream. ...
  • Silken Tofu. ...
  • Coconut Milk or Coconut Cream.
Jun 30, 2023

Does naan traditionally have yogurt? ›

It is possible to use baking powder instead of yeast, because they both act as a leavening agent. Don't use them together. IMHO eggs are not part of the traditional naan ingredients. Naan is traditionally made with yogurt to leaven it.

Does naan always have yogurt? ›

Yogurt or milk is often (though not always) added, and occasionally egg is added to the dough. The dough is kneaded by hand and then set aside to rise. In restaurants, the naan is usually baked in a tandoor oven, but in homes, it's typically cooked in a very hot pan on the stove.

Why isn't my naan puffing up? ›

You need a high enough heat for the baking powder to start reacting and producing gases, and also for the water content in the dough to transform into steam – both of which contribute to the puffing action and bubble formation. If your heat is too low, the naan bread will dry out before bubbles start forming.

Can I substitute milk for yogurt in bread? ›

You can substitute dairy products pretty much 1:1, but if you're using Greek yogurt you may want to thin it with milk or water. You can also substitute almond or coconut milk, buttermilk, sour cream (though that would also need to be thinned).

Can I replace yogurt with milk in baking? ›

Yogurt. Yogurt can be a really good replacement for milk in recipes. As with sour cream, it'll add moisture and flavor, but also a bit of tang. You can stick to a one-to-one replacement, but try to steer clear of flavored yogurt.

What can I substitute for Greek yogurt in a recipe? ›

5 Amazing Greek Yogurt Substitutes
  1. Plain Yogurt. It depends on the recipe, but plain, unsweetened yogurt will work as a substitute for Greek yogurt. ...
  2. Sour Cream. Sour cream has the consistency of Greek Yogurt, and it maintains the same sharp tang in recipes. ...
  3. Buttermilk. ...
  4. Cottage Cheese. ...
  5. Silken Tofu.

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