Description
Soft and tender with a chewy interior, this super easy gluten-free naan bread recipe is ready in just 30 minutes. Flavored with parsley and garlic for aroma and taste, it’s totally yeast-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free (no yogurt required!), but it’s so good no one would care! Make a fresh batch of this delicious naan and eat it as a side dish or appetizer (with this delicious slow cooker lentil curry, alongside our popular creamy hummus, baba ganoush, or even on its own)!
Ingredients
- 1 cup gluten-free all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your gluten-free flour blend already includes it)
- 1/2 cup tapioca starch, plus more as needed
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup warm water, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
- 1/4 cup fresh minced garlic, optional
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley, optional
Instructions
- Combine Dry Ingredients: Combine all the dry ingredients (gluten-free all-purpose flour, xanthan gum (if using), tapioca starch, baking powder, and salt) in a large mixing bowl.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, warm water, and olive oil together until combined.
- Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients to Get Dough: Pour the wet mixture bit by bit into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix with a spoon until you get a soft, pliable dough ball. (If the dough is too dry, add a sprinkle of warm water at a time, and knead until pliable. If the dough is too wet, add a sprinkle of tapioca starch until dough is no longer too sticky to handle).
- Shape Dough into Round Disc: Use gluten-free floured hands to shape the dough ball into a round disc.
- Cut Dough into Portions: Cut the round dough disc into 8 equal portions as you would a pizza.
- Flatten Dough: Flatten each dough portion with your fingers or a rolling pin on a floured surfact until each piece of dough is roughly 1/8-inch thick. You want the dough to be as thin as possible without breaking so the naan doesn’t get too thick.
- Prepare Garlic-Parsley Mixture: If using garlic and parsley, mix the fresh garlic and parsley together in a small bowl, and press around 1 teaspoon of garlic-parsley mix evenly on both sides of each piece of flattened dough.
- Heat Cast Iron Skillet: Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat and once hot, brush the skillet with olive oil.
- Cook: Place a piece of flattened dough in the middle of the skillet and let it cook for approximately 40 seconds until air bubbles start to form at the surface of the dough and the bottom starts to char slightly. Brush the top of the dough with olive oil, flip it over, and let it cook for another 40 seconds before removing it from the skillet and placing it on a plate and covering it with a kitchen towel.
- Repeat Until All Dough is Used: Repeat until all the naan is cooked and serve warm.
Notes
Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: I recommend using a good-quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that is made of a mix of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch or potato starch) to ensure a fluffier texture. I do NOT recommend using a flour blend with heavier flours such as garbanzo bean flour as that will result in a denser texture.
Xanthan Gum: Xanthan gum is a replacement for gluten in gluten-free baked goods, and helps to bind the ingredients together. If your gluten-free flour blend does not include xanthan gum, make sure to add it in.
Tapioca Starch: You can substitute tapioca starch for the same amount of cassava flour or arrowroot starch. Basically this starch is necessary to give the naan bread a chewy texture.
Baking Powder: I recommend using aluminium-free baking powder to prevent any “metallic” taste that may be present especially when making a recipe that requires baking powder in high quantities to give it the yeast-free rise. If you are Celiac or intolerant/allergic to gluten, make sure you use certified gluten-free baking powder.
Egg: The egg in this recipe helps to bind the ingredients together. I personally haven’t tried making this gluten-free naan recipe without the egg, but if you are vegan or allergic to eggs, you can try using aquafaba or a flax egg.
Water: You may substitute the water for the same amount of non-dairy milk (such as my 5-minute cashew milk or my easy homemade almond milk). Alternatively, if you’re not lactose-intolerant, feel free to go ahead and use normal dairy milk.
Olive Oil: I like the taste that extra virgin olive oil imparts to the naan, but if you don’t have olive oil (or simply prefer not to use it), you can use other oils such as sunflower oil or avocado oil instead.
Cast Iron Skillet: I believe using a cast iron skillet will yield the best results, as cast iron mains high heat well and for a long time. However, if you don’t own a cast iron skillet, simply make sure to heat up your skillet very well before cooking the naan.
Storing/Freezing: To store, place the cooled naan in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To freeze, place the cooled naan in a freezer-safe container or ziplock bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Let frozen naan thaw completely overnight in the refrigerator before heating it up and serving.
This recipe was originally posted in May 2020 but has since been updated to include ingredient photos, ingredient notes and substitutions, as well as clearer step-by-step instructions.
Adapted from: Tea for Turmeric
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Category: Bread
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
