Whole Wheat Naan Bread with Greek Yogurt. My whole wheat naan can be made 50% whole wheat, 75% whole wheat, or even 100% whole wheat. This whole wheat naan bread recipe is totally customizable!
My Whole Wheat Naan Bread Recipe is:
- Easy to make!
- Healthy
- High in fiber
- Great for gut health!
I really love naan bread. I think the first time I had it was in California years ago. But, I started thinking about all that buttery white flour and realized it is not the healthiest! I mean, don't get me wrong it is okay to eat that every once in awhile. But, if you're like me and like flatbread, this whole wheat naan is a great option!
Do you love Arabic food and want to learn how to make delicious authentic Arabic recipes at home? Make sure to read my complete guide on Cooking Arabic Food at Home!
If you're looking for something to dip your naan in, try my delicious homemade hummus!
I made it with 75% whole wheat flour and 25% all-purpose flour. You can absolutely experiment with those ratios to get the one that tastes best to you! I also used cashew milk in this recipe, but any milk, as long as it is unflavored, should work just as fine in here.
IS WHOLE WHEAT NAAN BREAD HEALTHY?
Yes! This is a healthy naan bread recipe with all healthy ingredients. Add some hummus on the side for a great healthy Arabic snack.
Stonefire Whole Wheat Naan Ingredients: WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR (WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, ASCORBIC ACID ADDED AS A DOUGH CONDITIONER, ENZYME), ENRICHED WHEAT FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, ASCORBIC ACID ADDED AS A DOUGH CONDITIONER, THIAMINE MONONITRATE, RIBOFLAVIN, ENZYME, FOLIC ACID), BUTTERMILK (NONFAT MILK, DRY BUTTERMILK, BACTERIAL CULTURE), WATER, SOYBEAN OIL, WHEAT BRAN, BROWN SUGAR, CULTURED WHEAT FLOUR, BAKING POWDER (SODIUM ACID PYROPHOSPHATE, BAKING SODA, CORNSTARCH, MONOCALCIUM PHOSPHATE), SALT, GHEE (CLARIFIED BUTTER), SUGAR, WHEAT GERM, WHEAT GLUTEN, DEXTROSE, DEXTRIN, CARROT FIBER, YEAST. (from their website)
Stonefire Whole Wheat Naan Calories: 390
My Whole Wheat Naan Ingredients: WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR, ALL PURPOSE FLOUR, CASHEW MILK, GREEK YOGURT, OLIVE OIL, YEAST, SUGAR, BAKING POWDER, SALT.
My Homemade Whole Wheat Naan Calories: 148
TIPS FOR MAKING THE BEST EVER WHOLE WHEAT NAAN BREAD
DO NOT MAKE YOUR MILK TOO HOT. Hot milk will kill the yeast and your bread will not rise. Ideal temperature for milk is room temperature up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit.
LET ACTIVE DRY YEAST GET FROTHY. Make sure to activate your yeast, this will give you an amazing bread flavor and a perfect rise.
WARM YOGURT TO ROOM TEMPERATURE. For a faster rise, get your yogurt out ahead of time so that when you mix it into the dough, it does not make the dough cold again. Warm dough rises faster than cold dough.
RISE DOUGH WRAPPED IN A TOWEL IN YOUR OVEN. If it is cold and drafty in your house, rise the dough in your oven where it is much warmer.
SHAKE ALL EXCESS FLOUR OFF ROLLED DOUGH. You don't want floury naan after it is done cooking because once you brush on the butter or oil the flour can make a pasty outside.
FAQ'S
Frequently asked questions about healthy whole wheat naan bread.
IS NAAN MADE OF WHEAT?
Most naan bread is made of enriched white flour. If you are looking for a healthy naan bread, choose one with whole grain wheat flour as the first ingredient.
IS NAAN BREAD UNHEALTHY?
Naan bread made with all purpose flour is not super healthy. It is good to choose whole grain products rather than bleached and refined products. For a healthy naan bread, pick whole grain or whole wheat flour naan bread, and eat white flour naan in moderation.
IS NAAN BREAD BETTER FOR YOU?
Naan is actually a very dense and flour heavy bread, despite it's thin appearance. 1 piece of naan bread can be more than double or even triple the calories and carbohydrate of 1 slice of standard bread. If you are looking for a lower carbohydrate bread, definitely pick a light and fluffy homemade loaf with a whole grain flour.
Whole wheat naan is a healthy alternative to traditional naan!
CAN YOU USE WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR FOR BREAD?
Yes! Whole wheat flour is amazing to use in bread and will give you healthy whole grains and fiber. Whole wheat flour is much higher in fiber, protein, and nutrients than all-purpose flour. Make sure to follow a recipe tested with whole wheat flour as the ratios are not always the same for the other ingredients when converting all purpose flour to whole wheat.
HOW DO I MAKE WHOLE WHEAT GARLIC NAAN?
To make whole wheat garlic naan, simply brush finished naan with butter, sprinkle with some salt, and then sprinkle with fresh chopped garlic. Make sure to chop garlic very very small.
HOW DO I MAKE WHOLE WHEAT NAAN WITH INSTANT YEAST?
The fix is simple! All you have to do, is mix all your ingredients together at once instead of proofing the active dry yeast! Instant yeast does not require activation and can be mixed right into everything immediately. The only difference is that, active dry yeast might give you more of a "bread like flavor" because of that little extra fermentation time.
IS YEAST OR BAKING POWDER BETTER FOR NAAN?
Yeast is better for naan! But, if you are in a rush, you can add in baking powder for a quicker rise. My quick whole wheat naan bread has such a short rise time because I used just a touch of baking powder.
HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY WHOLE WHEAT NAAN BREAD
Step 1: Start by proofing your yeast
My whole wheat naan is made with active dry yeast, which needs to be proofed before adding all the other ingredients. If you have instant yeast, read the FAQ's above!
You will need:
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¼ cup warm (cashew) milk
- ½ tablespoon sugar
Warm your milk until it is just above room temperature. The ideal temperature for proofing yeast is about 105-110 degrees Fahrenheit. If you make it too hot, the heat will kill the yeast and you will not see your dough rise!
Whisk your warmed milk with the sugar and the yeast. Let it sit for about 10-20 minutes. You will see a lot of activity after letting it sit!
Step 2: Mix your dry ingredients together
I like to store my whole wheat flour in the freezer. This is especially important in the summer so that the wheat doesn't spoil in the hot temperatures! It can last so much longer in the freezer and preserve the nutritional quality of it.
I take my flour out about an hour before I use it so that it can warm up to room temperature. I like the yeast to have a warm and friendly environment to grow in and help the bread rise. If you are using all-purpose flour, there really is no need to store it in the freezer, because there are no whole grain fats that will spoil very quickly.
Sift together the following ingredients in a bowl:
- 2 ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt
Form a well in the middle of the bowl. Basically form a hole in the middle!
Step 3: Make your whole wheat naan dough
Add the yeast mixture and Greek yogurt to the center of the flour mixture.
Begin by mixing it with your spoon. You will need to mix it with your hands and knead it after awhile.
You will notice that the dough is a bit stickier than your typical bread dough. This is good and how it is supposed to be! Knead it for ~2 minutes so that it has all come together.
Coat a medium sized bowl with olive oil:
Cover your bowl with a towel and let it sit somewhere warm. I usually use an old towel, if you think this is dirty it is just stained LOL.
Step 4: Roll the Dough
Now that your dough has doubled in size (see the before and after below), it is time to make your whole wheat naan! Heat an iron skillet over medium heat. You will probably turn the heat down to low after the iron has heated up. Fun fact, cooking in an iron skillet helps to increase the iron in your food! So, if you don't eat a lot of red meat or have low iron then this is for you!
Divide your dough into about 10-12 equal shaped balls. Well, if you want different sized naans, you could make them bigger and smaller. Up to you.
I like to form them into round patties before I use the rolling pin on them. This really just helps to prevent any cracks and uneven edges.
Next, lightly flour your counter. Don't use too much because if you are brushing them with oil after, you don't want the oil to be soaking up excess flour.
Roll them out very thin. The thicker they are, the more chewy or "doughy" they will be. The classic naan is quite thin. And, when it is thinner it bubbles much nicer! I sprinkled some arabic spices and seeds into the dough as I was rolling so that the rolling pin would press them in.
Step 5: Cook Naan on an Iron Skillet
Shake off the excess flour and place it flat on your iron skillet. Flip the naan with a pair of tongs after bubbles have formed on the surface. Cook the other side until golden brown. It will generally take less than a minute to cook on each side.
Find the iron skillets I use on Amazon
You can brush your finished whole wheat naan with extra olive oil and sprinkle it with seeds if you like
I sprinkled fresh Arabic Za'atar on top of my whole wheat naan, it is super delicious and flavorful!
For a classic whole wheat garlic naan bread, bush cooked naan with melted butter and add minced garlic and sea salt.
Store it in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature. For longer storage, keep it in the freezer.
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Whole Wheat Naan Bread with Yogurt and Za'atar
Equipment
- Old towel
- cast iron skillet
Ingredients
- ¼ cup cashew milk
- 2 ¼ teaspoon active dry yeast
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup all-purpose flour for 100% whole wheat naan, use ½ cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder (aluminum free)
- 1 ½ tsp sea salt
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt or any type of plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- butter or high heat oil for cooing naan on cast iron
- sesame seeds or mixed arabic spices
Instructions
- Start by warming your milk. It should be just warmer than room temperature. If it is too hot, it will kill the yeast! (it should be ~105-110 degrees F)
- Whisk the yeast and sugar into the warm milk. Let it sit for ~10-20 minutes to activate.
- In another bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Form a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Add the yeast mixture and yogurt in the middle. Stir to combine. You may have to use your hands to work in all the flour.
- Knead the dough until it has come together. It will be sticky & this is good!
- Place the dough in a bowl coated with olive oil. Flip once to coat both sides. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rise ~1-2 hours. It should be approximately double in size.
- Once it has risen, divide the dough into 10-12 balls. Heat an iron skillet over medium heat (you will likely reduce it to low once it has heated up).
- Roll each piece of naan bread with a rolling pin. You can flour the surface, but make sure you shake off the excess flour before cooking it. The thinner you roll it the less chewy it will be. So, experiment with thickness!
- Melt some high heat oil like avocado oil or butter.
- Place your naan on the skillet. Once the bubbles have formed (usually takes less than 1 minutes), flip it and cook the other side just until it is browned (30 seconds- 1 minutes).
- Remove it from the skillet and brush it with olive oil and sprinkle with seeds if desired.
- These store well covered at room temperature for up to 2 days. Store them in the freezer if you want to save them for later!
Christie
Oohhh i love naan and I love how you made this whole wheat! it looks sooo delicious Rosemary
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Ahhhh thank you Christie!! I was worried the taste would be very.. wheatey.. or hearty LOL! But, it came out so good, and even the man liked them!!
S
Wow this was soooo good! I love naan bread but it can get a bit heavy for me with all the white flour so this was just perfect! Light fluffy and healthy is my kinda bread !!
Rosemary
I'm so glad you loved it! We love making so many breads with half of 75% wheat here too 🙂