I've turned the delicious Asian classic flatbread into a "real food" approved favorite in this Whole-Wheat Naan bread recipe that I adapted from Jo Cooks. It's simple to make if you're familiar with making tortillas.
I tried making whole-wheat naan, and it was so fun! And now I get to share the recipe with you. :) I found a reliable white flour recipe and made all the right modifications for this to be “real” and still yummy.
My kids scarfed them down so I’ll definitely be whipping these up again very soon. They really were not too hard to make at all (especially if you have experience making homemade tortillas)! Enjoy.
Whole-Wheat Naan
I've turned the delicious Asian classic flatbread into a "real food" approved favorite in this Whole-Wheat Naan bread recipe that I adapted from Jo Cooks. It's simple to make if you're familiar with making tortillas.
Print Recipe
Servings: 12 5-inch pieces
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup water (heated to about 110 degrees F)
- 1 packet active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 1 pinch sugar (optional)
- 2 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 2 tablespoons butter (melted)
- ghee (for cooking, can sub olive oil)
- hummus and parsley (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Heat oven to 200 degrees F.
- Add the water to a large glass measuring cup or medium bowl. Sprinkle in the yeast and, if using, the sugar. Yeast will bloom without the sugar, but it can sometimes be hit or miss. Let it sit until the yeast foams up, about 5 or 10 minutes.
- Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix together to combine.
- Add the oil, yogurt, and egg to the yeast mixture.
- With the stand mixer running, slowly pour the yeast mixture into the flour until the dough comes together into one ball that comes clean from the sides of the bowl. Add additional pinches of flour (if too sticky) or additional drops of water (if too crumbly) to help it come together.
- Place dough in a bowl coated with olive oil and cover with a clean dry towel. Turn your oven OFF and place bowl in the oven to help speed up the rising process. Make sure the towel is only touching the bowl and not the hot oven steel grates. Let it rise until it doubles in size, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Heat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Cut dough into 12 equal pieces. One by one roll each piece of dough into a ball, then use a rolling pin to flatten to 5″ in diameter (about 1/3″ thick). Keep dough waiting to be cooked covered with a towel or plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. (For those who’ve made tortillas before, you don’t roll these out nearly as thin as tortillas.)
- Add a dab of ghee (or olive oil) to the pan and cook until the naan bubbles up and browns on the bottom. Flip and cook until golden brown. It only takes a minute or two. Brush finished naan with melted butter and transfer to a covered plate to keep warm. Repeat until done and serve with hummus and fresh parsley if desired.
Notes
Peanut/tree-nut free if served with tree-nut free hummus.
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts
Whole-Wheat Naan
Amount Per Serving
Calories 151
Calories from Fat 63
% Daily Value*
Fat 7g11%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Cholesterol 19mg6%
Sodium 122mg5%
Potassium 107mg3%
Carbohydrates 18g6%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 4g8%
Vitamin A 80IU2%
Calcium 15mg2%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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This was delicious! Followed it exactly except we grilled it outside on the pizza stone. I went ahead and rolled all the pieces out, stacked and separated them by wax paper, and then covered with a moist towel so that it would be easy to just grill one after another. The naan bubbled perfectly! Went amazing with our curry veggies and chicken. The entire family loved it. Thank you!
Can I make these with white whole wheat flour instead of the pastry flour?
You can try it with regular, but I’d highly recommend finding the pastry flour for this recipe. Certain recipes just work better with the pastry flour. – Nicole
I applaud your receipe and I enjoy your site. But, this isn’t naan, this is a paratha. Naan doesn’t use yeast, is white flour & is made a stone oven. What you made is a paratha- whole wheat flour & is made in a pan. Indeed, this is tasty & made quite regularly.
http://www.differencebetween.net/object/comparisons-of-food-items/difference-between-naan-and-paratha/
LOVED the whole wheat naan. Thank you for such a great recipe – easy, great tasting, perfect to add into the weeknight rotation.
Can you freeze these once they’re made and cooked? Thanks :)
Yes, freezing these will be fine.
I would just use a bowl and a wooden spoon. Most bread doughs can be made by hand and I am pretty sure most people in India make it that way. The dough hook is just for convince. Though you will probably want to knead the dough a few times to thoroughly combine it.
I agree!
Can I substitute plain whole milk yogurt for the Greek yogurt?
Yes!
Can you do this without a stand mixer and use a hand mixer and no dough hook?
I think making it by hand would be better than a hand mixer.
I have everything, except Greek yogurt.
Can I substitute with sour cream?
I have not tried that yet myself … let me know how it goes!
Can I use a regular skillet in place of cast iron? Thanks!
Yes, you can try that – the nice thing about cast iron is it gets really hot and stays hot. Good luck!