You don’t need a tandoor oven to make incredible naan at home. With a bit of yogurt, a hot Baking Steel Griddle, and the right technique, you can create soft, chewy naan with beautiful charred bubbles in your own kitchen. This is the same recipe we used in our live class, fast, easy, and packed with flavor.
Whether it’s curry night or just something warm to dip in olive oil, this naan dough comes together in minutes and cooks up in seconds. Let’s turn up the heat and get started.
Soft & Chewy Yogurt Naan
Makes: 4 Naans
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Rest Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup (180g) full-fat plain yogurt
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil (optional)
- ¼ cup warm water (as needed)
Instructions
- Mix flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a bowl.
- Add yogurt and stir until a rough dough forms.
- Add water slowly until soft and tacky.
- Knead 2–3 minutes, cover, and rest for 1 hour.
- Divide into 4 balls, rest 10–15 minutes.
- Flatten into teardrop shapes by hand or rolling pin.
- Cook on preheated Baking Steel at 500°F for 1–2 minutes per side, until blistered and golden.
🔍 Nutrition Snapshot (per naan)
- Calories: ~315
- Protein: 9g
- Fat: 7g
- Carbohydrates: 51g (Sugar: 2g)
- Fiber: 1g
- Sodium: ~420mg
Based on a recipe yielding 4 naan with full-fat yogurt and all-purpose flour. Values are estimates.
Your Home Tandoor? It’s the Baking Steel®
You don’t need a clay tandoor to make incredible naan. The Baking Steel® transforms your oven or stovetop into a blazing hot cooking surface just like the searing walls of a traditional tandoor.
Preheat your steel to 500°F and you’ve basically got a restaurant-grade naan station. The intense heat creates a crisp, blistered bottom, a soft center, and charred bubbles in minutes.
Whether you’re using the Original in the oven, or the Mini or Skinny on your stovetop, it’s your modern-day tandoor. And it doesn’t stop at naan you’ll be using it for pizza, smashburgers, and more.
Ready to make naan the Baking Steel way?
Make Naan on SteelTwo Ways to Cook It: Stovetop or Oven
Same dough, two methods. Pick whichever matches your setup.
On the Stovetop (fastest)
Preheat your Baking Steel Mini or Griddle over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until a drop of water dances across the surface. Lay the naan down dry, cook 1 to 2 minutes until the bubbles puff and the underside is blistered, then flip and give it another minute. Brush with melted butter as it comes off and keep them wrapped in a clean towel so they stay soft.
In the Oven (more char)
Put your Baking Steel Original on the middle rack and preheat to 550°F for 45 minutes. The long preheat is the whole point. The steel has to be fully saturated with heat to do what a tandoor wall does. Slide the naan on parchment directly onto the steel, bake 2 minutes, flip with tongs, bake 1 minute more.
Use the parchment. This dough is soft and it sticks to a bare peel, and the parchment also keeps the bottom from going past blistered into burnt.
Shape It By Hand
Stretch the dough with your fingers instead of a rolling pin. A rolling pin presses the gas out and you end up with flatbread. Hands keep the bubbles in, and the bubbles are the whole point of naan. Aim for an oval about 8 inches long, and stretch it all the way out. Under-stretched naan stays doughy in the middle.
Why a Baking Steel Beats a Pizza Stone for Naan
Naan needs instant, intense heat from below. Steel conducts heat 18x more efficiently than ceramic, and that changes three things:
- Faster cook time — about 2 minutes a side, versus 4 or 5 on a stone
- Better blistering — the charred bubbles that make naan look right
- It holds through a batch — the steel stays hot across all four naan, where a stone drops off after the first
If you have tried naan on a stone and ended up with something closer to flatbread, the steel is the difference.
Why You’ll Love This Yogurt Naan Recipe
- No tandoor required, just your Baking Steel
- Ready in under 2 hours
- Soft, fluffy texture with crispy blistered spots
- Only 6 pantry-staple ingredients
- Versatile: perfect for dipping, wraps, or pizzas
🍽️ Naan FAQs
Can I make naan without yogurt?
Yogurt gives naan its tenderness and tang, but you can sub in buttermilk or milk + lemon juice. Flavor/texture will shift slightly.
Do I need a tandoor to cook naan?
Nope. Your Baking Steel is your home tandoor it gets ripping hot and delivers those charred bubbles and chewy texture.
Why isn’t my naan puffing up?
Two usual causes. Your surface isn’t hot enough, or you rolled the dough instead of stretching it. The steel needs a full preheat, about 10 minutes on the stovetop or 45 minutes in a 550°F oven. And a rolling pin presses out the gas that makes the bubbles, so use your hands.
What’s the difference between naan and pita?
Naan is enriched with yogurt or milk, which is what makes it soft and chewy. Pita is lean, just flour, water, salt and yeast, baked hot enough to blow open into a pocket. Naan blisters, pita inflates.
Do I need parchment paper?
In the oven, yes. The dough is soft and it sticks to a bare peel, and parchment keeps the bottom from charring past where you want it. On the stovetop you don’t need it, the naan goes straight onto the steel.
What kind of flour works best?
All-purpose flour is perfect. Bread flour = extra chew, whole wheat = nuttier bite.
Can I make naan ahead of time?
Yes. Mix dough earlier and chill, or cook and reheat on your Baking Steel/skillet.
How do I store leftovers?
Wrap in foil or a towel for 1–2 days at room temp. For longer storage, freeze and reheat on the steel or in a toaster oven.
Can I freeze naan dough?
Yes. Freeze dough balls on a tray, then store in a bag. Thaw overnight in the fridge and bring to room temp before cooking.
What yogurt is best?
Plain full-fat yogurt. The fat adds richness and softness. Avoid flavored or low-fat yogurts.