This spiced naan is a soft, lightly charred flatbread with real spice flavour running through the dough. Fennel seeds, onion seeds and cumin seeds go directly into the mix, so you get flavour in every bite rather than just on the surface. Yogurt, egg and hot milk give the crumb a tender, slightly rich quality. A very hot oven followed by a short blast under the grill creates those puffed patches and browned spots without drying the bread out.
About the Recipe
The dough is a straightforward yeasted dough, but a few details matter. Strong white bread flour is specified because it gives the dough enough structure to puff properly in the oven. The milk should be hot but not boiling. A full ten minutes of kneading develops a smooth, elastic dough, and the dough then rests until doubled in size before being divided and shaped.
Rolling each piece into a rough teardrop and placing it directly on a preheated baking sheet helps the base cook quickly. Keep the remaining pieces covered while you work with one at a time.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
The spice combination baked into the dough itself is what sets this apart from a plain naan. Fennel seeds bring a mild sweetness, onion seeds add a faint peppery note and cumin seeds give the bread a warm, earthy quality. Together they make the naan interesting enough to eat on its own.
The oven and grill method is also more reliable at home than trying to replicate a tandoor on a stovetop. It genuinely produces a puffed, lightly blistered bread. For more on what fennel seeds bring to a dish, see Which Fennel Seeds Benefits Matter Most?
Cooking Tips
The most common mistake is not preheating the baking sheet long enough. The sheet must be genuinely hot before the naan goes on it, otherwise the base will not cook quickly and the bread will sit rather than puff.
Do not roll the naan too thick. A thicker piece will need longer in the oven and may dry out before it colours under the grill. Work with one piece at a time and keep the rest covered so they do not dry out before shaping.
Top Tips
- Preheat the baking sheet in the oven for the full preheating time so it is properly hot when the naan goes on.
- Use strong white bread flour, not plain flour. The extra protein allows the dough to stretch and puff correctly.
- Hot milk means warm to the touch but not scalding. If the milk is very hot, let it cool for a minute before adding it to the flour.
- Knead for the full ten minutes. Underworked dough will not develop the elasticity needed to hold the puffed shape.
- Roll each naan quickly and place it on the sheet without hesitation. Handling it too long after rolling can cause it to shrink back.
- Watch the naan closely under the grill. Thirty seconds is a guide, but grills vary and the bread can colour very fast.
Serving and Storing Suggestions
Serve the naan immediately after it comes off the grill. It is at its best hot, when the inside is still soft and the surface has a slight chew. It pairs well with a saucy curry such as Potato Curry with Coconut Milk or alongside a dry preparation.
If you need to store leftover naan, wrap it in a clean cloth once cooled and keep it at room temperature for up to one day. Reheat in a dry pan over medium heat for about one minute per side to restore some softness.
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Nutrient Benefits
Strong white bread flour provides carbohydrates for energy. Plain yogurt contributes protein and calcium, and the egg adds further protein. The whole seeds each contain small amounts of iron and other minerals.
Spiced Naan
Ingredients
- 4 cups, strong White Bread Flour
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 sachet Dried Yeast
- 1 tsp Caster Sugar
- 1 tsp Fennel Seeds
- 2 tsp Onion Seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2/3 cup Hot Milk
- 2 tblsp, plus extra for brushing Oil
- 2/3 cup Plain Yogurt
- 1 , beaten Egg
Instructions
- Stir in the flour, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
- Stir in the yeast, sugar, fennel seeds, onion seeds and cumin seeds.
- Make a well in the centre. Stir the hot milk into the flour mixture, then add the oil, yogurt and beaten egg.
- Mix to form a ball of dough.
- Tip the dough out on to a lightly floured surgace and knead it for 10 minutes until smooth.
- Return to the clean, lightly oiled bowl and roll the dough to coat it with oil.
- Cover the bowl with clear film and set aside in a warm place until the dough has doubled in bulk.
- Put a heavy baking sheet in the oven and preheat the oven to 240C. Preheat the grill also.
- Knead the dough again lightly and divide it into six pieces.
- Keep fives pieces covered while working with the sixth. Quickly roll the piece of dough out to a teardrop shape, brush lightly with oil and slap the naan on to the hot baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough.
- Bake the naan in the oven for 3 minutes until puffed up, then place the baking sheets under the grill for about 30 seconds or until the naan are lightly browned.
- Serve hot.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use plain flour instead of strong white bread flour?
It is better to use strong white bread flour as specified. It has a higher protein content than plain flour, which gives the dough the elasticity it needs to stretch without tearing and to puff in the oven. Plain flour will produce a denser, flatter naan.
How do I know when the dough has doubled in bulk?
Before the dough goes into the bowl to rise, note how high it sits. When it has risen to roughly twice that height, it is ready. This usually takes between one and one and a half hours in a warm room. If your kitchen is cool, it may take longer.
My naan did not puff up in the oven. What went wrong?
The most likely cause is that the baking sheet was not hot enough when the naan went on. The sheet needs to be preheated for the full preheating period so that the base starts cooking the moment it makes contact. A second possible cause is that the dough was not kneaded long enough and lacked the elasticity to trap the steam that causes puffing.
Can I substitute the whole seeds with ground spices?
You can, but the texture and flavour will be different. Whole seeds give occasional bursts of flavour and a slight texture contrast within the bread. Ground spices will distribute the flavour more evenly but will not give the same bite. If you use ground spices, reduce the quantity slightly as they tend to be more intense than whole seeds by volume.
Can I make the dough ahead of time?
Yes. After the dough has been kneaded and coated in oil, cover the bowl and refrigerate it instead of leaving it to rise at room temperature. The dough will rise slowly overnight. Take it out about an hour before you want to bake so it can come to room temperature and finish rising if it has not yet doubled. Then proceed with dividing and shaping as normal.
