This buttermilk na’an recipe is a quick griddled flatbread with a slight tang and pillowy-softness. I love making a batch of these to pair with meat, bean, or veggie curries and dal. It is delicious plain, or you can slather the na’an with plain or garlic butter while they’re still hot off the griddle.

Na’an is perfect for when you’re craving carbs but it’s too hot to turn on your oven! You can cook this buttermilk na’an on a griddle or cast iron pan on your stove-top, on a baking tile or pizza iron on your grill or pizza oven. If it’s not too hot out, you can even do a quick conventional bake on a preheated baking stone in your oven, though you may want a pizza peel to handle the dough.

You don’t need any special pans (other than a griddle, large skillet, or baking stone)… just stretch out the dough, griddle or bake, stack them up and enjoy!

Serving & Pairing Ideas

These buttermilk flatbreads are a perfect pairing with lentil dal, spicy curries, or soup. They’re also great to serve as a side with tandoori grilled chicken or Instant Pot butter chicken, chana masala, vindaloo, or saag paneer.

I also love to make extra na’an just for snacking. Or have a piece of na’an instead of toast with your morning eggs or omelets!

These buttermilk flatbreads are tasty on their own, but even better with a dip. Use them like pita bread to scoop up garlic hummous or baba ganouj, spinach artichoke dip, smoked trout dip, or other savory snacks.

buttermilk naan on a griddle, topped with melting butter, and a pot of yellow jasmine rice.

Buttermilk Na’an Ingredients

Flour:

Use a good quality all-purpose white flour. You can also substitute whole wheat (regular or atta flour) for up to a third of the flour, but you may need to adjust the liquid quantity (buttermilk, or a bit of warm water).

Buttermilk or Kefir:

Use full-fat cultured buttermilk if you can get it. Whole milk kefir or filmjolk is an acceptable substitute. If you don’t have either, you can also thin plain yogurt with water or milk to a buttermilk consistency.

The acid in the buttermilk gives this na’an a fantastic tangy flavor, and makes these flatbreads extra tender and soft. If you substitute low-fat or fat-free dairy, your na’an will not be as soft, and will not reheat as well if you don’t eat them all right away.

Yeast:

I use instant yeast, but you could substitute active dry yeast if that’s all you have on hand.

Other ingredients:

A pinch of salt adds a balanced flavor, and a bit of sugar or honey to proof the yeast and add a hint of sweetness to balance the tang of the buttermilk.

Butter or ghee: You can leave the na’an plain after it comes off the griddle, but it tastes better and stays softer if you brush it with a few tablespoons of melted butter or ghee. You can also use garlic-infused butter to make these even more delicious!

labeled ingredient photo for buttermilk na'an flatbread recipe.

Kitchen Equipment Needed

griddle, large heavy skillet, or baking stones:

You can cook these buttermilk flatbreads on the stove top, or bake them in a very hot oven on preheated baking stones. I usually make these on a large cast-iron griddle or skillet.

mixing bowl and sturdy spoon or stand mixer:

I use my KitchenAid stand mixer for this dough, but you can also mix it by hand in a large mixing bowl and then knead it in the bowl. It’s a sticky, wet dough, so the mixer is easiest!

How to Make Buttermilk Na’an Flatbreads

numbered four photo grid showing proofing the yeast, mixing the dough, the risen dough, and stretching the dough pieces before cooking the buttermilk na'an.

one: proof yeast

Measure the sugar or honey, yeast, and 1/3 cup of warm water into the bowl of your stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl.
Let the yeast dissolve and proof for a few minutes, until it is creamy and beginning to foam.

two: mix dough

Measure the flour out into a small bowl, and add most of it and the buttermilk to the mixer or mixing bowl.
Add the salt, and mix with the dough hook or a dough whisk or sturdy spoon.
Stop the mixer, scrape down the horn of the bowl, and add the rest of the flour, sprinkling it over the top of the bowl.
Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture comes together into a slack, wet dough. You may need to stop and scrape down the bowl one or two more times.
- If it still seems way too soft or wet, you can add an additional tablespoon or two of dough.
- A stiffer dough will be easier to work with, but a wetter dough will make more tender flatbreads.

three: first rise

Scrape down the bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap or another airtight cover to keep it from drying out.
Place it somewhere warm to rise until roughly doubled (30-60 minutes).
- You can retard the dough and do a cool rise in the refrigerator (up to a day or two ahead of time).
- If you do a cold ferment, bring the dough out and let it warm to room temperature before shaping.

four: portion dough

Using a bowl scraper, roughly divide the dough into 4-8 portions.
Smaller pieces will be easier to work with, though big pieces of na’an make a nice presentation and will have more of a soft center to crust ratio.
The dough will be sticky… you may want to divide the dough as you stretch and cook the flatbreads.

five: stretch & griddle

Griddle Method:
Preheat your cast iron griddle or large pan on the stove-top over medium-high heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low before cooking the na’an.
Working with one piece of dough at a time and wet hands, hold the dough up in the air and stretch it into a long rectangle or circle (to fit your pan). You’ll have to play with the dough to get the hand of it, but try to handle it quickly and minimally, rotating the dough and letting the weight of the dough gently stretch it, working from a ball into a flat disk or oblong shape.
Toss the dough onto the hot griddle or pan, trying to spread it into a thin layer. It’s okay if there are small holes, tears, or uneven pieces… these add to the homemade charm!
Flip the na’an with a metal spatula, tongs, or your fingertips (carefully!) and cook briefly on the other side to bake them through. For the first flip, you’ll want to use a thin metal spatula. Afterwards if you need to flip them again, tongs or your fingertips may be easier.
Oven Method:
Alternately, to bake your buttermilk na’an, preheat the oven, preferably lined with baking stones, to 475F, and generously oil several half-sheet pans or cookie sheets. Do this while the dough is almost done proofing.
To bake them, stretch the dough out onto the oiled surface of the baking sheet, and use your fingertips to pebble-out and stretch the dough to flatten it, rather than rolling it.
- If you’re using this method, I recommend stretching the dough once, letting it rest for 10 minutes in the baking pan, then stretching it again on the pan before baking, but gently, so as not to flatten any bubbles.
Place the baking sheets on the preheated baking stone and bake until they’re puffed and bubbly. You may want to flip the breads half-way through, and rotate the pans if you are baking more than one.

buttermilk na'an cooking on a cast iron griddle.

six: butter & serve

As you take the hot flatbreads off of the griddle, brush them with melted butter or ghee, or garlic butter for even more flavor.
Stack them up and keep warm before serving, or let them cool and then wrap them for later.

Storage & Serving Ideas

Your homemade buttermilk naan are at their best piping hot off the griddle, but you can wrap up any leftovers and save them for a later meal or snack. It keeps well, especially if you brushed them with butter.

I refrigerate or freeze any na’an that I’m not going to eat in the next two days. Well wrapped, you can refrigerate these for a few days, or freeze them for a month or two.

Thaw either at room temperature, or pop them in the oven or a preheated pan to warm them quickly. Avoid microwaving them, which can make them tough or dry, but if you must, use a low-power setting for 10-15 seconds at a time and check them often.

Buttermilk Na’an Flatbread

Alewyfe

This buttermilk na'an recipe is a quick griddled flatbread with a slight tang and pillowy-softness. It is delicious plain, or you can slather the na'an with ghee, melted butter, or garlic butter while they're still hot off the griddle.

You can make these large or small, and will get 6-8 flatbreads of an average size for this recipe.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 10

Rising Time 1

Course Appetizer, Bread, Breakfast & Brunch, Side Dish, Small Bites & Snacks

Cuisine Contemporary, Indian

YIELD flatbreads

Calories 322 kcal

Equipment

1 stand mixer or large mixing bowl and dough whisk or sturdy spoon
cast iron griddle or large skillet (you can also bake these on a stone or baking sheets but it takes a lot of coordination to toss the sticky dough onto the stone while keeping it flat)

Ingredients

2 ¼ tsp instant yeast (one packet)
1 tbsp honey or white sugar
⅓ cup warm water
3 ½ cups all purpose flour (16 oz, plus an additional 1-2 tbsp if needed)
1 ¼ cup buttermilk (full-fat) (you can substitute kefir, or plain yogurt thinned with water or milk)
2 tsp kosher salt

Instructions

one: proof yeast

Measure the sugar or honey, yeast, and 1/3 cup of warm water into the bowl of your stand mixer, or a large mixing bowl.
Let the yeast dissolve and proof for a few minutes, until it is creamy and beginning to foam.

two: mix dough

Measure the flour out into a small bowl, and add most of it and the buttermilk to the mixer or mixing bowl.
Add the salt, and mix with the dough hook or a dough whisk or sturdy spoon.
Stop the mixer, scrape down the horn of the bowl, and add the rest of the flour, sprinkling it over the top of the bowl.
Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture comes together into a slack, wet dough. You may need to stop and scrape down the bowl one or two more times.
If it still seems way too soft or wet, you can add an additional tablespoon or two of dough.
A stiffer dough will be easier to work with, but a wetter dough will make more tender flatbreads.

three: first rise

Scrape down the bowl, and cover it with plastic wrap or another airtight cover to keep it from drying out.
Place it somewhere warm to rise until roughly doubled (30-60 minutes).
You can retard the dough and do a cool rise in the refrigerator (up to a day or two ahead of time).
If you do a cold ferment, bring the dough out and let it warm to room temperature before shaping.

four: portion dough

Using a bowl scraper, roughly divide the dough into 4-8 portions.
Smaller pieces will be easier to work with, though big pieces of na’an make a nice presentation and will have more of a soft center to crust ratio.
The dough will be sticky… you may want to divide the dough as you stretch and cook the flatbreads.

five: stretch & griddle

Griddle Method:
Preheat your cast iron griddle or large pan on the stove-top over medium-high heat. Turn the heat down to medium-low before cooking the na’an.
Working with one piece of dough at a time and wet hands, hold the dough up in the air and stretch it into a long rectangle or circle (to fit your pan). You’ll have to play with the dough to get the hand of it, but try to handle it quickly and minimally, rotating the dough and letting the weight of the dough gently stretch it, working from a ball into a flat disk or oblong shape.
Toss the dough onto the hot griddle or pan, trying to spread it into a thin layer. It’s okay if there are small holes, tears, or uneven pieces… these add to the homemade charm!
Flip the na’an with a metal spatula, tongs, or your fingertips (carefully!) and cook briefly on the other side to bake them through. For the first flip, you’ll want to use a thin metal spatula. Afterwards if you need to flip them again, tongs or your fingertips may be easier.
Oven Method:
Alternately, to bake your buttermilk na’an, preheat the oven, preferably lined with baking stones, to 475F, and generously oil several half-sheet pans or cookie sheets. Do this while the dough is almost done proofing.
To bake them, stretch the dough out onto the oiled surface of the baking sheet, and use your fingertips to pebble-out and stretch the dough to flatten it, rather than rolling it.
If you’re using this method, I recommend stretching the dough once, letting it rest for 10 minutes in the baking pan, then stretching it again on the pan before baking, but gently, so as not to flatten any bubbles.
Place the baking sheets on the preheated baking stone and bake until they’re puffed and bubbly. You may want to flip the breads half-way through, and rotate the pans if you are baking more than one.

six: butter & serve

As you take the hot flatbreads off of the griddle, brush them with melted butter or ghee, or garlic butter for even more flavor.
Stack them up and keep warm before serving, or let them cool and then wrap them for later.

Notes

I refrigerate or freeze any na’an that I’m not going to eat in the next two days. Well wrapped, you can refrigerate these for a few days, or freeze them for a month or two.

Note on Nutritional Information:

Nutritional values shown are an estimate for dividing the dough into six equal portions, and calculated with whole-fat buttermilk and the amount of flour shown. If you need to add additional flour, or use low-fat or non-fat buttermilk, these values (and the texture of your bread) will change.

If you brush your breads with melted butter or garlic butter, this will also add calories and fat to these estimated values, so adjust your estimates accordingly.

Nutrition

Calories: 322kcalCarbohydrates: 63gProtein: 11gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.4gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 832mgPotassium: 190mgFiber: 3gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 84IUVitamin C: 0.03mgCalcium: 71mgIron: 4mg

Keyword baking, bread basket, budget bites, budget-friendly recipes, comfort food, easy, flatbread, frugal, griddle, quick, savory baking, simple, yeast breads

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a plate with homemade Indian food including palak paneer and dal over rice.

BAKE: Buttermilk Na’an

Serving & Pairing Ideas