2 Ingredient Dough Naan (No yeast!)

Now, don’t get me wrong. I didn’t go out and buy this particular type of flour as if you look through my recipes, it’s not a flour I regularly use.

I often stick to grain-free and low carb flours, like coconut flour and almond flour.

However, as a means to make use of my pantry staple ingredients, I’ve been digging through it over the past week!

The famous 2 ingredient weight watchers dough has been used to make these 2 ingredient bagels, 2 ingredient pizza crusts and 2 ingredient soft pretzels.

After a curry craving last night, 2 ingredient dough naan bread had to be next!

What is naan bread?

Traditional naan bread is a staple bread in many East Asian countries, like India and Sri Lanka. It’s leavened and most often baked in the oven.

It’s generally made with flour, yeast, salt, and water.

Enjoyed with curries, stews and on their own, they make a fantastic side dish or a substitute for a pizza base!

In this recipe, we don’t bake the naan bread but instead, dry fry it (pan fry it without oil). This makes is SO much quicker.

Taste-wise, naan bread is mild and doughy, and with a slightly more salty flavor than standard bread.

Texture-wise, it is doughy, fluffy and slightly tender on the outside- you MUST enjoy it warm!

Is aan bread healthy?

Depending on where in the world you are and how you make your naan bread, it can be healthy. More often than not, it is what you eat WITH the naan bread that can tip it in the direction of unhealthy.

While traditional naan bread tends to be coated in oil or butter, my version is healthier than the original and virtually fat-free!

How to make naan bread from scratch

Making naan bread from scratch is SO simple. As it contains no yeast, it literally takes less than 10 minutes to make a batch!

The Ingredients

• Self-rising flour– Either gluten-free self-rising flour or standard self-raising (self-raising) flour must be used. You can make your own self-rising flour following the recipe here.
• Greek Yogurt– Either non-fat or standard Greek yogurt works. I used coconut Greek yogurt, to keep it vegan friendly, and also dairy-free.
• Salt– Optional, but reduces the yogurt flavor in the dough.
• Butter or oil, to brush– To give the naan bread a gorgeous shine. This is not necessary at all.

The Instructions

No crazy mixing bowls or kitchen gadgets needed at all!

In a large mixing bowl, you’ll want to combine your flour, salt (if using it) and Greek yogurt and mix until combined. If you like, use your hands to mix in the dough until fully incorporated. Form a big ball of dough.

Then, you’ll lightly flour a wooden or kitchen surface. Sprinkle a little extra flour on the ball of dough, and transfer onto the floured surface. Press the ball of dough into a circular shape and cut into 8 even pieces. Flatten each piece of dough, and form a rough, oblong shape.

Finally, you will heat a large non-stick pan on medium heat. When hot, place one piece of naan dough onto the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes, before flipping and cooking for another 2 minutes. Repeat until all the dough has been used up and 8 naan bread remains!

If desired, brush the tops of the naan bread with melted butter or oil.

What can I use instead of yogurt in naan bread?

While Greek yogurt is the only kind of yogurt that works well (including vegan Greek yogurt) there IS another alternative for Greek yogurt that can be used.

Sour cream works in the same way Greek yogurt does, as it is thick and holds together. You can substitute the Greek yogurt with sour cream.

I haven’t tried vegan sour cream, but lactose-free sour cream does work.

Is naan bread vegan and gluten-free?

YES!

My version IS vegan (dairy-free Greek yogurt) and gluten-free (gluten-free self-rising flour).

If you don’t follow any of those diets, stick to Greek yogurt and standard gluten-free self-rising flour.

Can you refrigerate and freeze naan bread?

If you plan to enjoy the naan bread within 3 days, there is no need to refrigerate it.

To refrigerate: You should avoid refrigerating the uncooked dough, as it will become stickier the longer it sits. You will need to add extra flour to make it durable to form into naan bread.

If you have leftover naan that you don’t want to enjoy immediately, you can refrigerate it to enjoy later.

Place leftover naan bread in a ziplock bag and be sure to enjoy them within 7 days.

To freeze: Cooked naan bread is freezer friendly. Place the naan bread in a ziplock bag. They will keep fresh frozen for up to 6 months.

To reheat: Allow frozen naan to thaw to room temperature. Either reheat in the microwave or crisp up in the pan.

What to eat or serve with naan bread

Traditional ways to enjoy Naan bread is to enjoy it as a side, but here are some other suggestions-

• Side dish– Enjoy naan bread with homemade curry, with a veggie burger or your favorite protein.
• Pizza- Substitute your traditional pizza crust with naan bread- Top it as you would with any pizza and bake until the toppings are cooked and cheese is melted.
• Toast substitute- Replace your toast with it, and spread some almond butter or homemade Nutella on top!

Naan bread variations and flavors

• Garlic naan- Add 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder into the dough. Brush the tops with melted butter and crushed garlic.
• Butter naan- Brush the tops of the naan with melted butter and let sit, before re-brushing again.
• Cheese naan- Divide naan dough into two, and top shredded cheese on one half of it. Top with remaining half and pan fry as normal, until cheese has melted in between.
• Paneer naan- Crumble fresh paneer into the naan dough, along with 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder and onion powder.
• Chilli cheese naan– Fold through red pepper flakes (to taste) into the dough, along with shredded cheese (1/4 cup). Cook as you would, and enjoy.