|
54p
Total Cost
|
13p
Per Naan
|
4
Naan Breads
|
15 min
Active Prep
|
~85 min
Total (inc. prove)
|
Four proper naan breads — fluffy inside, slightly charred outside — for less than the cost of a single shop-bought one. The prove time is unavoidable, but the active work is about 20 minutes total. No tandoor, no special equipment needed — just a heavy pan on a high heat.
Tesco sells a pack of 2 plain naans for £1.10 — that's 55p each. This recipe makes 4 for 54p total. That's 13p per naan, and they're noticeably better than anything from a chilled packet: soft, slightly chewy, with those proper charred bubbles on the outside.
It does need about an hour of proving time, so this isn't a last-minute decision. But the actual hands-on work is roughly 20 minutes, and the results — especially if you serve them straight from the pan with melted butter — are hard to argue with.
I've made this three times now. The first attempt was fine. The second was better because I let the dough prove a full hour instead of rushing it at 40 minutes. By the third, I'd got the pan temperature right — and that makes a bigger difference than I expected.
The combination of yogurt and milk gives naan its distinctive soft, slightly tangy texture — the lactic acid in the yogurt tenderises the gluten, which is why naan feels different to standard bread. The yeast provides lift without making it bready, and cooking in a very hot dry pan mimics the intense heat of a tandoor wall. Wetting the back of the naan before it goes into the pan helps it adhere to the surface briefly, which creates the characteristic uneven bubble pattern as steam forms underneath.
You might be wondering whether homemade naan is actually cheaper once you factor in your time. At 13p per naan versus 55p in the supermarket, you're saving £1.68 for four — for about 20 minutes of actual work. Whether that's worth it depends on your situation, but the quality difference is real. Shop naans often taste of packaging after a day or two. These don't have that problem, because you eat them the same day.
Exactly What This Costs — Verified at Aldi
| Ingredient | Amount Used | Pack Price | Recipe Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain flour (Aldi own-brand) | 250g | 55p / 1.5kg | 13p |
| Dried yeast (Aldi) | 1 packet (7g) | 49p / 6 sachets | 8p |
| Milk | 80ml | Aldi semi-skimmed 2L / 95p | 4p |
| Plain yogurt | 90g | Aldi own-brand 500g / £1.05 | 19p |
| Vegetable oil | 2 tbsp (~20ml) | Aldi 1L / 95p | 2p |
| Sugar (1 tsp) + salt | Negligible | — | ~1p |
| Total (4 naan breads) | 54p | ||
Per naan: 13p. Tesco plain naans (pack of 2): £1.10. Saving per naan: 42p. Saving for 4: £1.68.
Ingredients
- • 250g plain flour — plus extra for dusting
- • Pinch of salt
- • 30ml warm water
- • 1 tsp sugar
- • 1 sachet (7g) dried yeast
- • 80ml milk
- • 90g plain yogurt
- • 2 tbsp vegetable oil — plus a little for the bowl
Step-by-Step Method
Step 1 — Activate the yeast (3–4 minutes)
Add the 30ml of warm water to a small bowl or cup. The temperature matters here — if it's too hot it'll kill the yeast; if it's too cold, nothing happens. Aim for the temperature of a comfortable bath. Stir in the sugar first, then empty in the yeast sachet. Set it aside and don't touch it.
After 3–4 minutes you should see a frothy layer forming on top. That froth is the yeast activating — if you don't see it after 5 minutes, the yeast may be too old or the water was too hot. Don't proceed with dead yeast; the dough won't rise.
Step 2 — Combine the dough
Into a large bowl, add the flour and salt. Then pour in the milk, yogurt, yeast mixture, and vegetable oil. Stir to bring it together — it will be quite wet and sticky at this stage, which is normal. Add a small handful of extra flour if it's completely unmanageable, but don't add too much; a slightly sticky dough produces a softer naan.
Step 3 — Knead for a full 5 minutes
Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface. Knead for a full 5 minutes — not 3, not "until it feels okay." Five minutes is where the gluten network develops properly. Keep flour on your hands and add a little to the board if it sticks, but try to use as little as possible. By the end, the dough should feel springy when you press it and shouldn't tear easily.
You can use a stand mixer with a dough hook on medium for this stage if you have one, but hand kneading works just as well and gives you better feedback on the texture.
Step 4 — Prove for 1 hour
Lightly oil a clean bowl — just a drizzle, swirled around. Put the dough in, cover with a clean tea towel, and leave somewhere warm for a full hour. I usually put mine near the boiler, or in an oven that's been switched off after being on for 2 minutes. It should double in size. Rushing this — 40 minutes because you're impatient — produces denser naans. An hour is the minimum.
Step 5 — Divide and rest (10 minutes)
Knock the proved dough back — press it down firmly to release the gas — then divide it into 4 equal pieces. The dough already has a light coating of oil from the bowl, so you won't need to flour it heavily here. Shape each piece into a rough ball and leave them to rest for 10 minutes. Skipping this rest makes the dough spring back when you try to roll it.
Step 6 — Roll and cook (8–10 minutes total)
Roll each piece into a rough naan shape — it doesn't have to be perfect. Aim for about 4mm thick; thinner and it dries out, thicker and the centre doesn't cook through properly before the outside burns. Wet the back of each naan with a little cold water just before it goes in the pan — this is what helps it stick briefly and creates the bubbling.
Get a heavy pan — stainless steel or cast iron is ideal — on the highest heat your hob will go. Let it heat up for at least 2 minutes before the first naan goes in. No oil in the pan. Place the naan in wet-side down and leave it for 60–90 seconds until you see bubbles forming across the surface.
At this point you have two options: flip it in the pan for another 60 seconds, or hold it directly over the gas flame for 20–30 seconds to get more char. The flame method produces a better result, but only do it if you're comfortable — tongs and a confident grip. Either way works.
Tips and Lessons From Testing
The single biggest improvement between my first and third attempt was pan temperature. My first batch went in too early — the pan had only been on for about 90 seconds — and the naans came out pale and slightly chewy rather than charred and puffy. Two full minutes on maximum heat before the first one goes in is not optional; it's the whole point.
Aldi's own-brand plain flour worked perfectly throughout all three tests. I couldn't find a reason to pay more. Same with their plain yogurt — any supermarket own-brand works fine here; the yogurt isn't doing anything flavour-specific, it's providing moisture and lactic acid.
If you want garlic naan, melt a small knob of butter (about 10g, approximately 4p extra) with half a clove of garlic and brush it on immediately after the naan comes off the heat. Don't put the garlic in the pan — it burns at those temperatures.
These freeze well. Once cooled, stack them with a sheet of baking paper between each one and freeze in a zip-lock bag. Reheat directly in a dry pan from frozen — about 2 minutes each side. The texture is good but not quite as good as fresh. Worth knowing if you're doubling the batch.
For UK allergen guidance, visit food.gov.uk.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make this without a gas hob?
Yes — the key is getting a heavy pan extremely hot on any hob, including electric or induction. The difference is that you can't hold the naan over an open flame to finish it, so you'll flip it in the pan instead. The result is still very good; just slightly less charred than the flame-finished version. Cast iron works particularly well on electric hobs because it holds and distributes heat evenly.
Can I double the recipe?
Straightforwardly yes — all quantities scale evenly. Doubling gives you 8 naans for about £1.08. The prove time stays the same. The only limitation is how many you can cook at once; if you have one large pan you'll cook them one at a time, which takes 12–15 minutes for 8 naans. Have them warming in a low oven (about 80°C) as you go.
Does the yogurt brand matter?
Not significantly. I've used Aldi's own-brand plain yogurt throughout. The yogurt is providing moisture and acidity rather than any specific flavour. Greek yogurt also works but produces a slightly denser result because it has less water content — add an extra tablespoon of milk to compensate if using Greek yogurt.
Can I make the dough the night before?
Yes — after kneading, put the dough in an oiled bowl, cover it with cling film (not a tea towel), and refrigerate overnight. The cold slows the yeast activity right down. The next day, take it out and let it come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before dividing and rolling. Cold-proved dough often has a slightly better flavour than a quick same-day prove.
Is dried yeast or fresh yeast better for this?
Dried yeast is what this recipe uses and it works well. Fresh yeast would also work — use about 15g instead of the 7g dried sachet — but fresh yeast is harder to find in standard UK supermarkets and more expensive per use. The Aldi dried yeast sachet at roughly 8p each is the most practical option for a budget recipe.
What's the nutritional information?
Each naan (based on these quantities) is approximately 280–300 calories, with around 55g carbohydrate, 8g protein, and 4g fat. These figures are estimates based on standard ingredient values — for verified nutritional data, the NHS Eat Well guide has general guidance on bread and carbohydrate portions.
Should You Make These or Just Buy Them?
If you're planning a curry and you have 85 minutes before dinner — which includes an hour of doing nothing while the dough proves — make these. The 42p per naan saving is real, the quality is better than anything chilled, and the whole process becomes routine after the second attempt.
If you're already running late, skip it. A flat, under-proved naan served apologetically to guests is not worth the saving. The recipe works when you give it the time it needs; it doesn't forgive impatience. Plan ahead and it's one of the most cost-effective things you can bake.
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