This Naan Recipe without Yogurt is naturally dairy-free and is made with just 7 ingredients! It's light, fluffy, and flaky with perfectly charred spots. I'm sharing all of my foolproof tips so you can make it even if you're a beginner. Whether you're vegan, dairy-free, or just fresh out of yogurt, this is the only naan recipe you'll need.
👩🏼🍳 A Quick Look:
- 🕒 Ready in: 2 hours + 40 minutes (only 40 minutes of active time)
- 👪 Serves: 8
- 🍽 Calories: 131
- 💪 Protein: 3g
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Stovetop
- 📖 Dietary Info: Dairy-free, kid-friendly
- ⭐ Difficulty: Moderate, lots of tips to help beginners
- ❤️ Why You'll Love It: Seven ingredients and a hot cast iron skillet deliver naan with blistered, charred edges and a soft, chewy interior.
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS RECIPE ON:
If you've ever wondered why naan is so often made with yogurt, and whether you can make it without, this post is for you!
Yogurt does a few things in naan. First, the acidity tenderizes the dough by limiting gluten development, leading to a softer naan. Second, yogurt is fermented, and when mixed with yeast, the dough rises faster and has a better flavor.
But what if you're out of yogurt or simply don't want to use it? Enter: my fluffy naan recipe without yogurt.
As a trained chef, I've tested this until the texture is as close to a restaurant naan as a home kitchen allows, and I can tell you, no one at my table has ever asked where the yogurt went.
Serve your naan without yogurt with dishes like garam masala curry with coconut milk and spiced red lentil eggplant curry.
what readers are saying:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️10/10 I've tried so many different recipes, and this was the easiest one yet! The bread was so soft and fresh, I used milk instead of water and it turned out so good!!!!! Thank you so much!
- Naavahthis review was submitted by a reader who made the recipe.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Made with simple ingredients. This yogurt-free naan recipe uses 7 ingredients you probably have in your pantry right now.
- Restaurant-worthy results at home. Each piece comes out with a tender, airy interior and those golden, blistered spots you'd expect from a tandoor - without using one.
- Naturally vegan and dairy-free, but it can also be made with regular milk if desired
- Perfect as a side dish or for a snack. Naan bread is versatile and can be served with main dishes as well as a snack with yogurt or creamy cottage cheese dip!
Ingredients and Notes
- Yeast: Use instant dry yeast, not fresh yeast. This is the leavening agent that helps the dough rise and gives the naan its airy texture. Instant yeast doesn't need to be activated first and works more quickly than active dry yeast.
- Warm water: Lukewarm is key - aim for 105-115°F. Too cold and the yeast won't activate properly, too hot and you'll kill it entirely, and the dough won't rise.
- Flour: White all-purpose flour gives you the softest, fluffiest result. If you'd like to use whole wheat, it does work with a few adjustments that I've mentioned below.
- Non-dairy milk: Soy and almond milk work best in this recipe. Be sure that you do not use milk straight from the fridge. Let it sit out to warm up to room temperature. Cold ingredients can drop the temperature of the dough and take longer to rise.
- Sugar: A little bit of sugar helps feed the yeast, allowing it to activate quickly so the dough rises faster.
- Olive oil: You'll need it both for making the dough and for greasing your hands while kneading.
See the recipe card below for exact measurements.
Variations
- Garlic Naan: Melt regular or dairy-free butter or ghee and add minced garlic. Brush it on your freshly cooked naan as soon as you remove it from the pan. Top with chopped cilantro.
- Herb Naan: Sprinkle some nigella seeds, cumin seeds, or dried cilantro on top and lightly press it into the dough before cooking.
- Ghee: Swap the olive oil for the same amount of ghee. However, with some flours you may need a little extra water. I found the dough a bit thick during testing and added 1-2 tablespoons more water.
Any variation you try makes a great side dish for dipping into a big bowl of spinach, tomato and bean stew or tomato and feta shakshuka.
How to Make This Naan Recipe without Yogurt
Step 1: To start, you will want to bloom the yeast. While not always necessary with instant yeast, it doubles as a freshness check. Dissolve the sugar in lukewarm water in a small bowl. Then, add the yeast and whisk until it dissolves as well. Set it aside for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture becomes foamy and bubbly. If it doesn't foam, you will need to start again with a new packet of yeast.
Step 2: Measure the flour and stir in the salt. When the yeast is ready, add it to the bowl with the dry ingredients, along with the olive oil and almond milk.
If you don't want to mix the dough by hand, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook.
Step 3: Use a fork to mix until the dough becomes sticky. Once you can't continue with the fork anymore, grease your hands and mix until the dough forms into a ball.
Step 4: Transfer the dough to a clean surface and grease your hands again. Start kneading it for 5-6 minutes, or until it becomes smooth, elastic, and soft. At first, it may stick to the counter and your hands, but don't worry, just keep greasing your hands and kneading. Do not add more flour!
Step 5: After a few minutes of kneading, the dough should no longer be sticky. Grease a large bowl with some oil and transfer the dough to it. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Set it aside in a warm place for at least 90 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. If it's a particularly cold day, put the bowl in the oven and turn on the light.
Tip: Be sure to give the dough plenty of time to rise. This is important to end up with fluffy and light naan bread with air pockets inside. If the dough does not rise properly, you'll end up with flat naan bread.
Step 6: After rising, lightly punch down the dough to release the air. Then grease your hands, and knead it for 1-2 minutes, or until it forms a smooth ball again.
Step 7: Use a knife or a bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 balls (make sure not to tear the dough, but to cut it). Transfer the dough balls to a plate, and allow them to rest for 30 minutes to rise a second time.
Step 8: Sprinkle some flour onto a clean surface. Use a rolling pin to roll each dough ball into an oval shape about 8″ long and 5″ wide (20 cm x 13 cm). Be sure to roll from the center to the edges, instead of rolling back and forth at the same spot. Dampen your finger in water and pat some all over one side of the dough. This step is key to preventing the dough from sticking to the pan.
Step 9: Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Using damp fingers, carefully transfer the dough to the hot skillet, and place it with the watered side facing down. Cook for 40-60 seconds, or until bubbles appear all over the naan.
Use the Right Pan: A cast-iron pan is the best stand-in for a tandori oven because it retains and distributes heat more evenly and aggressively than any other standard cookware. It's important to allow it time to preheat before you start cooking. For more recipes that use a cast-iron pan, check out these cast-iron skillet recipes.
Step 10: Flip the naan over in the pan and cover the skillet with a lid to steam it. Cook for 30 more seconds, then transfer to a plate. Repeat the same process with the rest of the dough. After cooking a few pieces, you may need to lower the heat if the bread starts browning too quickly. Serve immediately with some easy white bean dip or your favorite main dish.
Chef Petra's Tips
- Water temperature matters. Aim for 105-115°F, as cold water won't activate the yeast and hot water will kill it.
- Use a digital scale. Measuring flour by cup is easy to get wrong, and too much flour means dry, tough naan. A scale takes the guesswork out.
- Don't add more flour while kneading. The dough will feel sticky at first - that's normal. Keep oiling your hands and working it, and it will smooth out. Adding flour makes the naan dry.
- Preheat well, then lower the heat as you go. Cast iron holds heat well and gets hotter the more naan is cooked. Start high to preheat and allow it plenty of time to heat up (about 5 minutes), then settle around medium once you're cooking. My electric stovetop goes up to 9, but after preheating, I lower it to 5. If the naan is charring too fast, drop the heat even lower so it doesn't burn.
- Roll to the right thickness. About 8 inches long and 5 inches wide is the sweet spot. Too thick and you lose the air pockets; too thin and it crisps instead of puffs.
- Storing leftovers: Let them cool to room temperature, then transfer the pieces to a Ziptop bag or an airtight container, and store at room temperature for 1-2 days, or in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can also freeze for up to 3 months. Add a piece of parchment between each naan to prevent the pieces from sticking together.
Whole Wheat Naan without Yogurt
I recently retested my naan recipe without yogurt using a 50/50 whole wheat blend and honestly might prefer it to the original. The whole wheat adds a really nice nutty flavor, but it does require a few adjustments.
- Flour: Use 125g whole wheat flour + 125g all-purpose flour. White whole wheat would also work, adding a slightly milder flavor.
- Add: 20 ml more water on top of the 119 ml in the original recipe for a total of 139 ml.
After mixing the dough, it'll be very sticky so let it sit for 20 minutes to hydrate before you start kneading. The rest time fixes the stickiness, and then you can continue on with the remaining steps in the recipe.
⭐️ Note for readers: The rise time may vary slightly depending on the brand of whole wheat flour.
Naan Recipe FAQs
Yes! You can easily make naan without yogurt by using water or non-dairy milk in place of the yogurt, though it usually requires changing the ratio of flour to liquid. This naan recipe without yogurt uses non-dairy milk (such as almond milk) instead of yogurt to make light and fluffy naan.
Yogurt locks in moisture and tenderizes the dough by preventing too much gluten from forming, which is what keeps the naan soft and fluffy. In this recipe, moisture comes from the almond milk and olive oil instead.
Yes! After you knead the dough, place it in a large bowl greased with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise in the fridge overnight. The next morning, take the bowl out of the fridge and let the dough come to room temperature for at least 90 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. Then continue with the rest of the recipe as usual.
The best method is to use a dry skillet over medium heat for 30-60 seconds per side. This brings back the char and keeps the inside soft. In a pinch, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20-30 seconds, though you'll lose some of the texture. Avoid reheating uncovered in the microwave because it goes rubbery fast.
Both of these are almost always a pan or dough issue. If the naan isn't puffing or bubbling, the most likely culprits are: the pan wasn't hot enough before you started cooking, the dough didn't rise long enough and the yeast didn't do its job fully, or the naan was rolled too thick, which prevents the air pockets from forming. Make sure your cast iron is preheated until nearly smoking, give the dough the full rise time, and roll each piece to about 8 inches, thin enough to puff, thick enough not to crisp.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy your naan with any dish that's great for dipping! I especially love it with soups such as potato leek soup without cream, creamy leek cauliflower soup, and sweet potato soup with carrots.
It also doubles as a snack with dips like no garlic hummus and creamy guacamole with parsley.
More Homemade Bread Recipes
If you tried this Naan Recipe without Yogurt or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it goes in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
📖 Recipe
Naan Recipe without Yogurt
Equipment
- Rolling Pin
- Mixing bowls
- Thermometer optional
Ingredients
- ½ cup lukewarm water (100-110ºF)
- 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 ½ tablespoon unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or melted ghee plus more oil for greasing your hands
- ½ teaspoon lemon juice (optional, for adding tanginess)
Instructions
- Bloom the yeast. In a small bowl, dissolve the sugar in lukewarm water. At the yeast and whisk until it dissolves as well. Set it aside for 10-15 minutes or until the mixture becomes foamy and bubbly. If that doesn't happen, your yeast is expired and you need new one.
- In the meant time, in a large mixing bowl, measure the flour and stir in the salt. When the yeast mixture is ready, add it to the bowl with the dry ingredients, alongside the olive oil, almond milk, and lemon juice if using. (If you don't want to mix the dough by hand, you can use a stand mixer with a dough hook).
- Using a fork, mix until the dough becomes so sticky that you can't continue with the fork anymore. Then grease your hands and mix until the dough forms into a ball.
- Transfer the dough to a clean surface and grease your hands again. Start kneading it for 5-6 minutes, or until it becomes smooth, elastic, and soft. At first, it may stick to the counter and your hands, but don't worry, just keep greasing your hands and kneading. Just don't add more flour!
- Rise the dough. After a few minutes, the dough should be no longer sticky. Grease a large bowl with some oil and transfer the dough (I use the same bowl from before and wash it). Cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Set it aside in a warm place for at least 90 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. If it's a particularly cold day, put the bowl in the oven and turn on the light.
- After rising, lightly punch down the dough to release air. Then grease your hands, and knead it for 1-2 minutes, or until it forms a smooth ball again. Using a knife or a bench scraper, divide the dough into 8 balls (make sure to not tear the dough, but to cut it).
- Proof the dough. Transfer the dough balls to a plate or a piece of parchment paper, and rest for 20 to 30 minutes to rise a second time.
- When ready, sprinkle a little bit of flour onto a clean surface. Using a rolling pin, roll each dough ball into an oval shape about 8″ long and 5″ wide (20 cm x 13 cm). Roll from the center to the edges, instead of rolling back and forth at the same spot. Dampen your finger in water and pat some all over one side of the dough. This will help it stick to the pan.
- Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes. To test if the pan is hot enough, add a few drops of water. If they disappear right away, your pan is ready. Using damp fingers, carefully transfer the dough to the hot skillet, watered side down. Cook for 40-60 seconds, or until bubbles appear all over the naan.
- Flip the naan and cover the skillet with a lid to steam it. Cook for 30 more seconds, then transfer to a plate. Repeat the same process with the rest of the dough, making sure to lower the heat if the bread starts charring too quickly. Serve warm!
Video
Notes
- Water temperature matters. Aim for 105-115°F - cold water won't activate the yeast and hot water will kill it.
- Use a digital scale. Too much flour means dry, tough naan. A scale takes the guesswork out.
- Don't add more flour while kneading. The dough will feel sticky at first - that's normal. Keep oiling your hands and it will smooth out. Adding flour makes the naan dry.
- Preheat and manage the heat. Start high for about 5 minutes until nearly smoking, then settle around medium once you're cooking. If it's charring too fast, drop the heat - you want blistered, not burnt.
- Roll to the right thickness. About 8 inches long and 5 inches wide is the sweet spot. Too thick and you lose the air pockets; too thin and it crisps instead of puffs.
- Whole wheat variation. Use 125g whole wheat + 125g all-purpose flour and add 20ml extra water. After mixing, let the dough rest for 20 minutes before kneading - this hydrates the flour and fixes the stickiness. Rise time may vary slightly depending on your flour.
- Swap olive oil for ghee. Use a 1:1 swap - just note you may need a splash more water depending on your flour.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is a rough estimate calculated with third-party calculations without including the optional ingredients.
Meret says
Incredibly fluffy, great recipe🤩
Petra says
Thank you for the review, Meret! I'm happy to hear you liked it!
Mary says
Dry. Turned out like tortillas & I followed everything to the T including ingredients.
Naavah says
10/10 I’ve tried so many different recipes and this was the easiest one yet! The bread was so soft and fresh, I used milk instead of water and it turned out so good!!!!! Thank you so much!
Petranka says
So happy to hear that, Naavah! Thank you for the review!
Veronica says
Or…how about coconut milk?
Petranka says
It can work, but it may leave a slight coconut taste.
Veronica says
Can I use regular milk soured with vinegar or lemon juice instead of almond?
Petranka says
You can use regular milk, yes! No need to add vinegar, use it as the recipe suggests.
Chris says
Bit confused - you say to weigh the flour instead of using cups, but only give measurements in cups. A cup of flour weighs about 120g, but a cup of water weighs 240g, so what's the correct water/flour ratio, please?
Petranka says
Thanks for pointing that out, Chris! I just updated the recipe. You'll need 250 g of flour and 125 ml of water. Most scales can measure both grams and millilitres. Hope this helps!
Abby says
Can the dough rise and be left overnight?
Petranka says
Hi Abby, I haven't tried it, but I think it would work! After you knead the dough, place it in a large bowl greased with oil and cover it with plastic wrap. Let it rise in the fridge overnight. The next morning, take the bowl out of the fridge and let the dough come to room temperature for at least 2 hours, or until it has doubled in size. Then, continue following the steps of the recipe. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Eric says
Everything went as listed. I did not use a skillet but cooked them on my pizza stone. I was really impressed about their fluffiness.
I rarely give 5 stars, but it has become my favourite naan.
I have a question, could this recipe be done with ghee instead olive oil?
Than you so much!
Eric
Petranka says
Hi, Eric! Wow, thanks for the review, I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed my recipe! Ghee will work just fine, hope this helps.
Robert says
Wife made a huuge stack of these. Needless to say they're long gone. Absolutely delicious!
Petranka says
So great to hear! Thanks for the review!
Martin says
Loved this recipe! Delicious and fluffy naan.
Petranka says
So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe!