Cooking and Serving: 40 minutes | 8 pieces
Ingredients
How to make gluten free naan bread | Ingredient substitutions
Description
Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 40 minutes | Servings: 8 pieces
Ingredients
How to make gluten free naan bread
Expert tips
Ingredient substitutions
Instructions
to golden brown…Yum! Brushed it with garlic butter and herbs before serving.
Notes
* How to make gluten free naan bread
* Ingredient substitutions
* Gluten Free Naan Recipe
* Storage instructions
“This naan is so good even my husband loves it, and he is not a fan of the idea
of GF. Yeasty, chewy deliciousness!”
“The great bubbling when it hit the frying pan..the light fluffy poofs, grilled
to golden brown…Yum! Brushed it with garlic butter and herbs before serving.
Will make it again and again!”
* Flavor: made with plain yogurt and butter for a slightly tangy taste and
* Texture: Tender and pillowy soft, with golden brown spots that add some
* Easy to handle: We begin with a relatively wet dough, and shape with plenty
of extra flour so it’s smooth, pliable, and easy but never tough.
* Make ahead: Let the dough rise and work with it right away, or store it in
the refrigerator for days, then shape and fry in minutes.
ingredients for making gluten free naan bread in small bowls on light marble
surface with black block letters spelling names of ingredients
for making gluten free naan bread in small bowls on light marble surface with
black block letters spelling names of ingredients
* Gluten free flour: This bread calls for a regular all purpose gluten free
flour blend like Better Batter’s original blend or Nicole’s Best
multipurpose, with added xanthan gum, not a gluten free bread flour or other
* Sugar: Just a touch of sugar helps enhance the flavor, tenderize the bread,
and feed the yeast. You can replace it with half as much honey, and reduce
the water * Yeast: I prefer instant yeast, also called breadmaker’s or rapid-rise yeast,
because you don’t need to dissolve it first in water. It adds rise and
* Salt: Enhances and brightens other flavors and helps control yeast
* Cream of tartar: Helps support the rise of the bread, and enhances the tangy
flavor of the yogurt. You can replace it with 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or
* Egg and egg white: Help bind the bread, add richness and help rise.
* Butter: Adds moisture, tenderness and flavor.
* Plain yogurt: Adds richness, moisture, and a tangy flavor.
* Water: Even if you don’t plan to let the bread rise at room temperature, make
sure the water is warm or the ingredients won’t combine well in the mixer.
A close up of a metal spatula lifting a piece of naan bread in a skillet
close up of a metal spatula lifting a piece of naan bread in a skillet
A cast iron skillet with cooking naan bread
cast iron skillet with cooking naan bread
HOW TO MAKE GLUTEN FREE NAAN BREAD
The best way to make a smooth dough is to use a stand mixer fitted with the
paddle attachment. If you don’t have one, try pulsing the dough in a large food
processor with the plastic blade, or mixing as vigorously as possible in a bowl
In the mixer bowl, place the gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum, salt,
cream of tartar, and sugar, and whisk to combine well. Whisk in the yeast
Add melted butter, an egg, egg white, and warm water. Mix on low speed at first,
then on medium speed for about 3 minutes until the dough is well combined. It
will look shaggy and be quite wet.
large metal mixing bowl with white flour inside with metal wire whisk and hand
pouring yeast from small yellow bowl
metal mixing bowl with white flour inside with metal wire whisk and hand pouring
yeast from small yellow bowl
hand holding small pitcher pouring water into same mixing bowl with yellow egg
and melted butter and white yogurt on top of flour in bowl
holding small pitcher pouring water into same mixing bowl with yellow egg and
melted butter and white yogurt on top of flour in bowl
white stand mixer paddle attachment with very soft pale batter on paddle and in
stand mixer paddle attachment with very soft pale batter on paddle and in bowl
Place the dough in a tightly sealed container, and refrigerate overnight or up
to 5 days. The dough will rise slowly in the refrigerator, in the container. Or
you can let it rise for about 45 minutes or until nearly doubled, then chill and
pale dough in clear round proofing bucket with cover on its side leaning against
dough in clear round proofing bucket with cover on its side leaning against
same raw dough in bucket after having risen
raw dough in bucket after having risen
Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, or just separate out a few pieces of about
100 grams each. The dough will seem pretty shaggy and wet. Sprinkle each piece
generously with more flour and shape it into a round your palm in circles.
Begin to roll it into a long oval about 3 inches wide and 5 inches long. If the
dough seems fragile and too sticky, gather it back together, and work in some
2 small pieces of raw wet dough, one covered in white flour, one not
small pieces of raw wet dough, one covered in white flour, one not
one smooth small piece of dough in a round disk on a marble surface with white
smooth small piece of dough in a round disk on a marble surface with white flour
hand pressing small blond wood roller into ball of dough to create an oval shape
pressing small blond wood roller into ball of dough to create an oval shape
two floured flat oval pieces of raw dough with small blond wood roller
floured flat oval pieces of raw dough with small blond wood roller
Heat a cast iron or other heavy-bottom skillet, heat over medium heat, and
grease it generously. Place the shaped dough in the center, fry on one side for
30 seconds, flip and fry until very lightly golden brown, then flip back and
black round cast iron skillet with one raw oval of dough cooking
round cast iron skillet with one raw oval of dough cooking
same dough flipped onto opposite side in skillet, with light brown markings on
dough flipped onto opposite side in skillet, with light brown markings on top
same dough now as cooked gluten free naan bread with bubbles and brown spots
dough now as cooked gluten free naan bread with bubbles and brown spots
You can make the bread the same day, or let it rise in the refrigerator for up
to 5 days. If you’d like to make it the same day, let it rise, covered tightly,
for about 45 minutes or until nearly doubled in volume. This step is designed to
let the yeast develop some flavor, and to allow the flour to absorb moisture,
making the dough easier to handle.
FLOUR THE WET DOUGH GENEROUSLY
This is a relatively wet dough (unless you’ve used a very starchy flour blend).
The flour will absorb some of the moisture if you chill it for a few days, but
it should still be tacky to the touch. If it is, don’t be afraid to sprinkle
more flour and add it to the dough until you can roll it without its sticking to
the surface. You need to be able to lift it into the pan.
HEAT THE PAN PROPERLY
If the pan isn’t hot enough, or the dough is rolled too thick, it won’t bubble.
If you’re concerned, cover the skillet. But don’t make the skillet screaming
hot, or it’ll just burn the bread. Once it bubbles, flip it to the other side.
Place a cast iron skillet or medium heat, a nonstick skillet over medium-low
USE A SPATULA FOR EVEN FRYING
To make sure that all the dough comes into contact with the hot skillet, I’ll
occasionally press down on the dough with my spatula. It should puff right back
up. Flip and cook a few times until the dough seems puffy at least in spots and
cooked through when you view it from the side.
Pieces of cooked gluten free naan bread in striped cloth
of cooked gluten free naan bread in striped cloth
INGREDIENT SUBSTITUTIONS
To replace the butter or ghee in this recipe, try vegan butter or extra virgin
olive oil. If you choose olive oil, the dough is a bit softer and harder to
Instead of regular plain yogurt, try your favorite nondairy plain yogurt. Just
be sure you like the taste of whatever brand you choose, since you’ll taste it
in the bread. My favorite brand is Forager, and So Delicious is also really
Try replacing the whole egg with a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia
seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel), Bob’s Red Mill
egg replacer, or “Just Egg” brand refrigerated plant egg replacer. For the egg
white, try 1/4 cup aquafaba (the brine from a can of chickpeas/garbanzo beans).
There is no replacement for yeast in a yeast bread recipe. Instead, try our
yeast-free gluten free pita bread
or gluten free yeast free pizza
and shape it into a naan-style dough.
You can use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast. You need 25% more yeast
active dry yeast dissolve in 1/4 of the warm water from the recipe first, and
then add it in when you add the rest of the water to the dough.
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GLUTEN FREE NAAN RECIPE
Prep Time: 30 minutes mins
Cook Time: 10 minutes mins
Rising time: 45 minutes mins
Total Time: 1 hour hr 25 minutes mins
gluten free naan in striped towel with pastry brush
free naan in striped towel with pastry brush
This gluten free naan is made extra soft and tender with yogurt and butter or
ghee. Make the dough ahead, fry it in minutes!
* Stand mixer with paddle attachment
* Rolling Pin traditional, or small pastry roller
* 2 ½ cups (350 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend
* 2 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum, omit if your blend already contains it
* ½ teaspoon kosher salt
* ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
* 4 ½ teaspoons (18 g) granulated sugar
* 2 ¼ teaspoons (8 g) instant yeast
* ⅓ cup (76 g) plain yogurt, at room temperature
* 3 tablespoons (42 g) butter or ghee, melted and cooled
* 1 (50 g (weighed out of shell)) egg, at room temperature, beaten
* 1 (25 g) egg white, at room temperature
* ¾ cup (6 fluid ounces) warm water, about (95°F)
* Ghee or virgin coconut oil, for frying
* In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the
flour, xanthan gum, salt, cream of tartar, and sugar, and whisk to combine
well. Add the yeast and whisk again to combine.
* Add the yogurt, butter or ghee, egg with egg white, and the water, and mix on
low speed with the paddle attachment until just combined. Once the water has
been absorbed, turn the mixer up to medium speed and mix for about 3 minutes.
* The dough will most likely be quite fluffy but will come together and
thicken, but it will not turn into a fully integrated ball of dough on its
* Turn off the mixer, scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl with a
spatula, and gently press it into a ball. Place the dough in a greased bucket
with a lid (or a bowl with a lid or one you can cover very tightly), and
* If you plan to make naan the same day, place the dough in a warm, draft-free
spot to rise until it is nearly doubled in volume, about 45 minutes.
Refrigerate the dough for at least 15 minutes to make the dough easier to
* Alternatively, place the well-sealed container in the refrigerator for up to
5 days, and work with the dough straight from the refrigerator.
* Once the dough has finished rising, turn it out onto a lightly floured
surface and sprinkle lightly with more flour.
* Divide the dough into 8 pieces. You can also just scoop out or pull off a few
pieces, each a bit less than 100 grams in weight.
* Working with one piece of dough at a time, flour it generously and shape it
into a smooth round on a floured surface motion on a floured surface.
* Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into an elongated oval about 3-inches by
5-inches (and about 3/8-inch thick). If the dough tears easily and seems
fragile, gather it together again, work in some more flour, and roll it
* While you’re shaping the dough, place about 1 tablespoon of ghee or virgin
coconut oil in a cast iron skillet, and melt over medium heat. You can also
use a nonstick skillet, but heat to medium-low.
* Lift the first piece of shaped dough up and place in the center of the heated
skillet. Fry on one side until large blisters begin to form (about 30
* Flip and fry until the underside is golden brown and beginning to blister.
Flip the bread again and cook until browned all over, about another 45
* Remove to a paper towel or tea towel, and cover the dough to retain the heat
* Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, adding more fat to the skillet as
necessary. Stack the pieces of naan one on top of another, keeping them
covered with a tea towel to maintain freshness. Serve warm.
My favorite gluten free flour blends are Better Batter’s original blend gluten
free flour and Nicole’s Best
multipurpose blend (with added
xanthan gum). Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour
should also work, but add an additional 3/4 teaspoon
xanthan gum to the dry ingredients or the dough won’t hold together properly.
Cup4Cup changed its formula and doesn’t seem to work as well as it has in the
past, so I don’t recommend it. To make your own blend using one of my “mock”
recipes, please see the all purpose gluten free flour blends
You may also be able to make this bread using Caputo Fioreglut flour or King
Arthur Flour gluten free bread flour, but both will absorb a lot more moisture
and will make bread that is less tender. The dough should be quite easy to
Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 171IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 19mg |
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an
All bread is fresh right after baking, so it’s best to shape and cook this bread
right before serving. It will, however, stay fresh for at least a day wrapped in
wet paper towels in a sealed container at room temperature.
For longer storage, let the bread cool completely, wrap each piece tightly in
freezer-safe wrap, and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature or
in a microwave oven at 50% power for 45 seconds to 1 minute.
To refresh bread whether it’s been frozen or not, sprinkle it with lukewarm
water and place it in a 300°F oven to refresh. You can also use a dry cast iron
skillet over medium heat, or nonstick skillet over medium-low heat.
If I don’t have cast iron skillet, can I use a regular skillet?
Yes! A cast iron skillet holds heat really well at a consistent temperature so
your bread cooks fast and doesn’t burn easily. If you don’t have one, you can
use a nonstick skillet and just keep your pan on medium-low heat. Grease it
anyway, though, since that will add color to the bread.
Will this work with Greek yogurt?
Plain yogurt has more moisture than Greek yogurt, so if you want to use Greek
yogurt, you’d need to thin it out with some milk until it’s the same consistency
as plain yogurt. It won’t be exactly the same, but if you add the right amount,
Can these be baked in the oven?
You can try baking them on a pizza stone if you keep the shaped dough on
parchment paper. I would try baking them like you do gluten free pita bread
at 400°F for 3 to 4 minutes total.
Do I need to let the dough rise after shaping?
No, you don’t need to give the dough extra time to rise after shaping. The long,
first rise here is for flavor development, and most of the rise in the shaped
naan is when it fries in the pan.
A close up of naan in a skillet
close up of naan in a skillet
A close up of food, with Bread and Gluten
close up of food, with Bread and Gluten
gluten free naan bread is made extra soft and tender with yogurt, eggs and a bit
of butter or ghee in the dough. Make the dough ahead of time, and then fry it up
in a pan in minutes! #glutenfree #gf #bread
gluten free naan bread is made extra soft and tender with yogurt, eggs and a bit
of butter or ghee in the dough. Make the dough ahead of time, and then fry it up
in a pan in minutes! #glutenfree #gf #bread