A soft, fluffy, pillowy naan that also happens to be 100% whole wheat!
If you love a good naan but hesitate to indulge because of all that white flour, here's the bread you've been waiting for. This whole wheat naan is made entirely with wholegrain flour, and it is just as soft and puffy as the Indian restaurant version you are used to. Use it to scoop up a spicy curry or sabzi for an exquisite--and healthy--Indian dinner.
Around here we love a good naan, especially on weekends when we have a pot of tasty chana masala or a vegan malai kofta curry to scoop it up with.
But if you're careful about what you eat, a naan comes with a hefty dollop of guilt. This popular flatbread is typically made with white flour and the idea of eating all those unhealthy, refined calories does not go down so smoothly.
But take heart, because this vegan and whole wheat naan I have for you today is made entirely with whole wheat flour, and it's so soft and so pillowy your family or friends will never be able to tell the difference. And they'll be thanking you for making their beloved food healthier.
Spotlight on Indian flatbreads
Flatbreads of all kinds are popular across the Indian subcontinent and are eaten at meals every day in most homes. These breads are usually unleavened, like roti, or paratha or stuffed flatbreads like aloo paratha.
Other breads identified with Indian food, like kulcha and naan, are usually yeasted and they are associated more with restaurant style cuisine or the cuisine popularized by dhabas, or roadside eateries, in north India.
Naans are believed to have come to India from the Middle East, and they were quickly adapted into the kitchens of the Mughals, Muslim rulers in north India. This created an association of royalty and to this day naans remain more of an indulgence rather than an everyday food.
I've shared a few naan recipes with you on the blog, including a gorgeous garlic vegan naan and a gluten-free naan as well as an easy grilled naan. This whole wheat naan is yet another way to eat this delicious bread while keeping things healthy.
Why you will love this whole wheat naan
- It's delicious. There are many delicious Indian flatbreads but nothing beats that special feeling of tearing into a naan. This whole wheat naan has all those qualities of a white-flour naan that you love. It bubbles up nicely, creating a flaky, puffy texture, and it's soft as a cloud.
- It's easy. I have tips for you below on how to get the perfect results. Follow them and you will discover, to your surprise, that the entire process is quite, quite simple and foolproof.
- It's healthy. A typical naan is delicious but it also has all of those pesky white-flour attributes, like being high in calories with almost no fiber and vitamins found naturally in wheat flour. With this whole wheat flour naan you are getting the best of both worlds--the wonderful texture and flavor with more fiber and nutrients.
- It's everyone friendly. This whole grain naan is nut-free and soy-free and vegan, of course. If you are gluten-free, check out my vegan and gluten-free naan recipe.
Pro tips for making the perfect whole wheat naan bread
One of the biggest problems with most whole wheat naan recipes is that they end up resembling either a roti or a pita bread. And a naan is neither.
A well-made naan should be slightly crisp on the outside, soft and easy to tear into. It can be slightly chewy, but not so chewy that you end up struggling with the bread at the dinner table. And it should bubble up and get those lovely, round, char spots on the griddle but it should not have just one large pocket, like a pita or a roti.
A naan also has to be thick--thicker than a roti -- but it should not be too thick because keep in mind that it will puff up once it hits the heat.
Here are some tips to follow in order to make the perfect whole wheat naan:
- Vital wheat gluten: This is an optional ingredient but I strongly, strongly recommend you use it for the best whole wheat naan. Here's why: wheat flour has less gluten than bread flour or white all purpose flour, which are typically used for making naan. But it's the gluten that helps make naan dough pliable and soft and the naan slightly chewy after cooking. If you leave out the gluten the naan will still taste good but the texture won't feel authentic, the way a naan should.
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The dough: Make sure your dough is not too stiff. If you've ever handled pizza dough, storebought or homemade, that is the texture you are looking for: slightly loose yet not too sticky or tacky.
Make sure you knead the flour a bit longer than you'd knead a white flour naan so you'll help build up the gluten. The dough will also need an hour or so to rise in a warm kitchen, and 10 more minutes to rest after you've divided the dough. - Shaping the naan: This is quite likely the easiest part. A naan can look rustic, in fact, the more rustic the better. While a chef at a restaurant might shape a naan with their hands, you can just use a rolling pin and use your hands at the very end to create a more traditional naan shape. But you don't have to feel the pressure of making this perfect. The thickness of the rolled naan should be somewhat even, it can have some thick and some thin spots.
- "Docking" the naan: Once you've shaped the naan, dock it with your fingertips. To do this press into the naan gently with your fingertips to create indentations all over. What this will do is prevent the naan from forming one big air pocket after it hits the high heat. Instead you will get many lovely big and small bubbles all over the naan, which is exactly what you want.
- Roasting the naan: Rule number one for roasting the naan is to have your griddle screaming hot before you place the naan on it. This will give you those beautiful char spots and it will also help the naan bubble up and quick quickly, as it would in a tandoor oven. Once the naan is on the griddle it will need no more than a minute or two on each side to cook up. Brush on some oil over the naan as you finish roasting it (a cilantro-garlic butter is awesome, I'll tell you how to make it to get a yummy whole wheat garlic naan).
Ingredients for naan
- 1 tablespoon sugar. I used coconut sugar. Any sugar, or maple syrup, is fine.
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 ¾ cups lukewarm water. Use distilled water or filtered water for best results.
- 3 ½ cups whole wheat flour. Preferably use white whole wheat flour or the Indian whole wheat atta flour (sold at Indian grocery stores and online -- I'll leave an affiliate link in the recipe card to the one I use). Atta is especially preferable beause it is more finely ground than the regular whole wheat flour we eat here in the United States and creates a more authentic texture in the naan. You can use regular whole wheat flour at a pinch but it's worth finding and buying atta flour to make delicious and healthy naans and rotis.
- 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (optional but highly recommended).
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup vegan yogurt. I use my homemade cashew yogurt, but any storebought or homemade yogurt is fine. If nut-free make sure you use a nut-free yogurt.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
For the optional garlic-cilantro butter topping
- 4 tablespoon vegan butter. You can use vegetable oil, including olive oil, instead.
- 2 tablespoon cilantro
- 4 cloves garlic
- ½ teaspoon salt
How to make whole wheat naan
- Place the yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add ½ cup lukewarm water and let the yeast stand five minutes so it "blooms" and becomes frothy.
- Add the flour, vital wheat gluten, baking soda and vegan yogurt. Use the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer or knead with your hands and drizzle in the water until you get a soft, pliable dough. I needed a total of 1 ¾ cups water on a dry, cool day. You might need more or less water depending on the weather where you live.
- Continue kneading for five minutes until the dough is very smooth. Add the oil and continue kneading until the oil is absorbed, which should take another minute. The finished dough should stick very slightly to the bottom of the bowl but should come off easily and should not feel too tacky (see photo).
- Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough once so the top is coated with oil. Cover tightly and place in a warm spot in your kitchen. In about an hour the dough should have doubled.
- Knead the dough very briefly to deflate, then cut into eight pieces. Roll each into a ball, coat each ball lightly with flour, and set aside, covered with a kitchen towel, for 10 more minutes. Resting the dough this way makes it easier to shape the naans.
- Shape the naans. I find it easiest to create a teardrop shape by first using the rolling pin to roll the naan into an oval. Then I pick up the dough and use my fingers to pull the edges out gently, creating a teardrop shape. Be careful as you can tear the dough when you do this. If you do, patch it up and continue shaping. You can also just roll the naan into a round or an oval and roast it.
- Once you've got your naan in the desired shape, place it back on a flat surface and use your fingertips to gently make indentations in the naan.
- Heat a griddle until it's very, very hot. Don't oil it. Place the naan on the hot griddle and wait a minute until bubbles appear all over. Check the bottom of the naan and if there are nice char spots on it flip it over and cook another minute.
- Flip over one more time and quickly brush on oil or vegan butter or cilantro-garlic butter and remove to a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Wrap the hot naan immediately in the towel to keep it soft.
- If you make the optional garlic-herb butter topping, place all ingredients for the topping in a small skillet. Heat until all the butter has melted, then continue to infuse the herbs into the oil for five more minutes over low heat. Stir occasionally.
- Brush the hot butter over the naans as soon as they are cooked.
Frequently asked questions
Absolutely, it has all the benefits of a wholegrain food. It is higher in fiber than a regular naan made with white flour, and you can make it oil-free by using a cooking spray at the end instead of using the herb-butter oil. A regular white flour naan would have six grams of protein and two grams of dietary fiber. Each of these whole wheat naans has nine grams of protein and six grams of dietary fiber.
You can skip the vital wheat gluten but it really helps create a more authentic texture in the naan, and it has the added benefit of upping the amount of protein in the recipe. If you skip it make sure you knead the dough a little longer to help the gluten develop.
You can. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/235 degrees Celsius. If you have a pizza stone place it inside the oven before you begin to heat it. Otherwise place a baking sheet in the oven. Once the oven has preheated place a naan --or two depending on how many your baking sheet will hold without overlapping -- on the hot pizza stone or baking sheet. Once the naan puffs up and bubbles and forms char spots flip and bake the other side for a couple minutes more. Oil after removing from the oven.
You can add sesame seeds, white or black, poppy seeds or nigella seeds to a vegan naan. To do this, sprinkle the seeds on the surface of the uncooked naan and run the rolling pin lightly over it so the seeds adhere. Proceed with baking or roasting the naan.
I recommend using the yogurt for the best texture. That said, if you skip it, use ½ cup nondairy milk mixed with 2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar instead.
Storage instructions
- Refrigerate: Place the naans, still wrapped in a kitchen towel, inside a ziploc bag and refrigerate for up to three days.
- Freeze: To freeze the naans, place them in a freezer safe bag or airtight container after they have cooled. Freeze for up to three months.
- Reheat: You can reheat the naans on the griddle. Thaw the naans first if you froze them.You can also wrap the naans in a damp paper towel and reheat in the microwave.
What to eat with whole wheat naan
The whole wheat naan is awesome with any spicy curry or dal. We love it with chana masala or a vegan malai kofta curry. Or serve it with a vegan paneer butter masala or vegan butter chicken or vegan palak paneer for a divine Indian meal. Serve a vegan cucumber raita on the side.
Whole Wheat Naan
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook or large mixing bowl
- Cast iron griddle or any nonstick griddle that can be heated to a high temperature.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1¾ cups lukewarm water
- 3½ cups whole wheat atta flour (use this or white whole wheat flour if possible.)
- 1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (optional but highly recommended)
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup vegan yogurt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon salt (you can cut down the salt if you eat less salt or are salt-free)
For optional garlic-herb butter topping
- 4 tablespoon vegan butter
- 2 tablespoon cilantro (finely chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Place the yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add ½ cup lukewarm water and let the yeast stand five minutes so it "blooms" and becomes frothy.
- Add the flour, vital wheat gluten, baking soda and vegan yogurt. Use the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer or knead with your hands and drizzle in the water until you get a soft, pliable dough. I needed a total of 1 ¾ cups water on a dry, cool day. You might need more or less water depending on the weather where you live. Continue kneading for five minutes until the dough is very smooth. Add the oil and continue kneading until the oil is absorbed, which should take another minute. The finished dough should stick very slightly to the bottom of the bowl but should come off easily and should not feel too tacky (see photo).
- Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough once so the top is coated with oil. Cover tightly and place in a warm spot in your kitchen.
- In about an hour the dough should have doubled. Knead it very briefly to deflate, then cut into eight pieces. Roll each into a ball, coat each ball lightly with flour, and set aside, covered with a kitchen towel, for 10 more minutes. Resting the dough this way makes it easier to shape the naans.
- Shape the naans. I find it easiest to create a teardrop shape by first using the rolling pin to roll the naan into an oval. Then I pick up the dough and use my fingers to pull the edges out gently, creating a teardrop shape. Be careful as you can tear the dough when you do this. If you do, patch it up and continue shaping. You can also just roll the naan into a round or an oval and roast it.
- Once you've got your naan in the desired shape, place it back on a flat surface and use your fingertips to gently make indentations in the naan.
- Heat a griddle until it's very, very hot. Don't oil it. Place the naan on the hot griddle and wait a minute until bubbles appear all over. Check the bottom of the naan and if there are nice char spots on it flip it over and cook another minute. Flip over one more time and quickly brush on oil or vegan butter or cilantro-garlic butter and remove to a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Wrap the hot naan immediately in the towel to keep it soft.
Make the optional garlic-cilantro-butter topping
- Place all ingredients in a saucepan and melt the butter over low heat. Continue to infuse over low heat for five minutes. Turn off heat.
- Brush the garlic-herb topping over the hot naans as soon as they are cooked.
Notes
- Nutrition info is for the naan and does not include the garlic-herb butter. To keep this naan healthy you can skip the butter and brush on a bit of oil or cooking spray.
- You can skip the vital wheat gluten in the naan dough but it really helps create a more authentic texture in the naan, and it has the added benefit of upping the amount of protein in the recipe. If you skip it make sure you knead the dough a little longer to help the gluten develop.
- Baking naan in oven: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit/235 degrees Celsius. If you have a pizza stone place it inside the oven before you begin to heat it. Otherwise place a baking sheet in the oven. Once the oven has preheated place a naan --or two depending on how many your baking sheet will hold without overlapping -- on the hot pizza stone or baking sheet. Once the naan puffs up and bubbles and forms char spots flip and bake the other side for a couple minutes more. Oil after removing from the oven.
- Storage instructions: Place the naans, still wrapped in a kitchen towel, inside a ziploc bag and refrigerate for up to three days. To freeze the naans, place them in a freezer safe bag or airtight container after they have cooled. Freeze for up to three months. You can reheat the naans on the griddle. Thaw the naans first if you froze them.You can also wrap the naans in a damp paper towel and reheat in the microwave.
Nutrition
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