Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you go

For 6 very large naans or 12 medium

• 500g sifted flour (4 cups)
• 1 tsp dry yeast (5g) or a piece of fresh yeast cube (12g)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 170ml barely warm water (⅔ cup)
• 125g yogurt, plain or Bulgarian (½ cup)
• 1 tsp salt
• 60ml neutral oil (4 tbsp)

For the cheese filling

• 24 portions of Laughing Cow or cream cheese spread

If you change the number of serving, consider adjusting cooking times!

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Here’s the recipe and technique explained step by step to make amazing naans. To be honest, I really regretted not doubling the quantities when I made them because they were devoured very, very quickly.

Preparing the dough

1. In a small bowl, combine the yeast, sugar, and water. Let rest for a few moments, until the mixture foams.

2. In a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer, put the flour, oil, and yogurt, mix a little then add the water-yeast-sugar mixture. Knead the dough well by hand or with the dough hook, until the dough becomes smooth and no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl - this takes several minutes. Don’t hesitate to adjust with water or flour to get the desired consistency as it can vary depending on the flour used. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let rise (1 hour or until the dough doubles or even triples in volume) in the turned-off oven (I preheat it to 37°C for a few minutes before turning it off and putting the dough to rise, so it’s barely warm).

3. While the dough is resting, open the Laughing Cow portions in a small bowl and mix well - it will be easier to spread.

Shaping the naans

I’ve tried several techniques to put the cheese in the middle and the simplest one for me is to make two discs of dough and place them one on top of the other and seal them with a rolling pin or by hand.

4. When the dough has risen, divide into 12 balls (about 70g each). Place the small balls on a lightly floured work surface. Start with the first ball and flatten it with a rolling pin to obtain a very thin disc. Spread a good tablespoon of cheese in the middle (to prevent it from coming out toward the sides when you roll it out a bit more with the second disc of dough).

5. Place a second disc on top, letting the air escape. Seal the edges with your fingers and possibly with the rolling pin.

Cooking the naans

Traditionally, naans are cooked in a Tandoor, a very, very hot clay oven. That’s why I’m suggesting oven cooking, but know that pan cooking will give you softer naans like at the restaurant. You can also cook them in a pan, as I did here for the garlic and cilantro naans.

6. Preheat the oven to 300°C (575°F) (mine goes up to 275°C/525°F maximum) Gently place on a lightly oiled baking sheet. I put them 2 at a time because they’re large, but you can make them smaller. They will beautifully puff up with air.

7. Lower the oven to 255°C (490°F) and bake for 6 minutes. Brush with butter or neutral oil when out of the oven (important if you want them to be slightly moist and shiny on top). Enjoy immediately, with a cucumber Raita sauce for example.

Tips

• Since I’ve been living in Israel, I replace Laughing Cow with cream cheese spread which has a somewhat similar texture.

• If you like them a bit softer like at restaurants, you can roll the dough a little less thin or cook them in a pan.

• Naans can be frozen.

You can easily make variations, for example garlic and cilantro naans: