Quick-Proof Naan Dough
30-minute proof using instant yeast and plain flour. Soft, blistered, and slightly charred on the Arc Lite stone. Makes rounds big enough to fold.
Prep10 min
Proof30 min
Cook each90 sec
Total~55 min
Naan
6
Dry
- Plain flourNo need for bread flourEssentials 1kg · $1.30 · using 500g → ~$0.65 500g
- Active dry yeastFrom freezer — needs blooming firstAlready have · ~$4/jar (Tandaco) · tiny amount → ~$0.10 5g
- Salt~$1/box · pinch → ~$0.05 8g
- SugarFeeds yeast, helps browning~$2.20/kg · tiny amount → ~$0.05 8g
Wet
- Full-fat yoghurtGreek or natural — or 75/25 split with milk, see tip ↓WW Greek Yoghurt 1kg · $3.80 · using 240g → ~$0.91 240g
- Warm water~40°C — split: small splash to bloom yeast, rest added afterFree 160ml
- Olive oil or gheeWW Extra Virgin 500ml · ~$8 · using 40ml → ~$0.64 40ml
Finish
- Butter or gheeBrush on immediately after cookingWW Butter 250g · ~$4.50 · using 40g → ~$0.72 40g
- Garlic (optional)Minced, mixed into the butter~$0.90/bulb to taste
- Fresh coriander (optional)~$2.50/bunch handful
💰 Cost — 6 naan (approx, Woolies own brand)
Flour, yeast, salt, sugar~$0.85
Yoghurt + olive oil~$1.55
Butter (finish)~$0.72
🔥 LPG gas (3.4kW · 12.24MJ/h · 9kg swap $35)~82g preheat + 25g cooking~$0.44
Total for 6 naan~$3.56
Per naan (inc. gas)~$0.59
🌡️ Bloom your yeast first
Active dry yeast needs to be activated before mixing. Take a small splash of your measured warm water (38–42°C), stir in the yeast and a pinch of sugar, and wait 5–10 min. It should go foamy and smell yeasty. If nothing happens, the yeast is dead — don't proceed. Coming straight from the freezer is fine, no need to thaw first.
🥛 Yoghurt + milk options
The yoghurt's acidity is what keeps naan soft at high heat — don't skip it entirely. But you can stretch it with milk if you're running low:
Full yoghurt (240g): Richest, most tender. Best result — use this if you can.
75/25 split (180g yoghurt + 60ml milk): Barely noticeable difference. Good if you're running low on yoghurt.
Don't go below 75/25 — less yoghurt means less acidity, the gluten won't relax as well and the dough will be harder to roll and more likely to puff up like a pita.
Full yoghurt (240g): Richest, most tender. Best result — use this if you can.
75/25 split (180g yoghurt + 60ml milk): Barely noticeable difference. Good if you're running low on yoghurt.
Don't go below 75/25 — less yoghurt means less acidity, the gluten won't relax as well and the dough will be harder to roll and more likely to puff up like a pita.
Method
Mix now, cook at 5:30. The Arc Lite's floor heat does the heavy lifting.
Make the dough
- Bloom the yeast first. Take a small splash of your measured warm water (38–42°C), stir in the yeast and a pinch of sugar. Wait 5–10 minutes until foamy. If it doesn't foam, the yeast is dead — stop here.
- Combine dry ingredients. Mix flour, salt, and sugar in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre.
- Add wet ingredients. Pour in the bloomed yeast mixture, remaining warm water, yoghurt, and oil. Mix with a fork until it starts to come together, then use your hands.
- Knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky — not sticky. The dough should spring back when poked. If it's too dry, add water a splash at a time.
- Proof. Cover with a damp cloth or cling wrap and leave in a warm spot for 30 minutes. It won't double in size like a long-proof dough — that's fine, you just need it relaxed and slightly puffed.
Shape & cook
- Fire up the Arc Lite. Light it and run on full flame for 15–20 minutes. Check the stone with your IR thermometer — wait for it to drop back to 400°C before loading if it's climbed above that. Dial flame to medium-low. If the stone climbs above 430°C between batches, wait a minute before the next one.
- Divide the dough into 6 equal balls (~150g each). Cover with a cloth and rest for 10–15 minutes — this is important. The gluten needs to relax or the dough will spring back when you roll it. The first ball you roll will always be the hardest; by the last one it'll be easy.
- Roll each ball on a lightly floured surface into a teardrop or oval shape, roughly 5mm thick. Thinner than you think — it puffs significantly on the stone. If it keeps springing back, leave it another 2 min and try again.
- Load onto the stone. Lay the naan directly on the stone. Close the door if your Arc Lite has one, or just let it cook open. Watch for charred spots and bubbles forming — that's exactly what you want.
- Cook 45–60 seconds on the first side, then flip with tongs for another 20–30 seconds. Total time is under 90 seconds. Don't walk away.
- Brush immediately with melted butter or ghee the moment it comes off. Add minced garlic and coriander if using. Serve straight away — naan is best eaten within minutes.
⚡ Arc Lite note
Dial the flame down lower than you think before loading — medium-low, not medium. The stone is already hot enough to do the work; the flame just maintains it. Too high and the top chars before the inside is cooked.
The lateral flame heats the back of the stone hardest. Rotate your naan 180° every 20–30 seconds, not just once. Two or three rotations per cook is normal for even colour all over. Use tongs or your peel edge.
The lateral flame heats the back of the stone hardest. Rotate your naan 180° every 20–30 seconds, not just once. Two or three rotations per cook is normal for even colour all over. Use tongs or your peel edge.
Variations
Same base dough, different toppings and finishes. All work well at Arc Lite temperatures.
Garlic Butter
Classic. Melt butter with 2 cloves of minced garlic, brush on straight off the stone. Add flat-leaf parsley.
Za'atar & Olive Oil
Brush with olive oil before cooking, press a pinch of za'atar into the top. Goes well with dips.
Cheese Naan
Press a tablespoon of grated mozzarella or paneer into the dough before cooking. Fold it over like a parcel, seal, flatten and cook.
Peshwari-style
Fill with a spoonful of desiccated coconut, ground almond, and a little sugar. Seal and flatten. Brush with ghee after.
Chilli & Nigella
Press dried chilli flakes and nigella (kalonji) seeds into the top before cooking. Simple and addictive.
Plain + Dip
No topping — just a good blister from the stone. Serve with hummus, labneh, or a simple raita.
Arc Lite Tips
Naan is more forgiving than pizza on the Arc Lite — but a few things matter.
Stone temp
🌡️ Target: 380–420°C
Heat on full for 20 minutes then check with your IR thermometer. 380–420°C is the sweet spot — hot enough to puff and char, slow enough that the inside stays soft.
Below 350°C: Won't puff, dries out before softening.
380–420°C: ✅ Load the naan now.
430–460°C: Pizza territory — works but you need to be very fast and flame very low.
Above 460°C: Too hot — bottom scorches before dough cooks through. Wait it out.
Check between batches too — the stone can climb back up while you're rolling the next naan.
Below 350°C: Won't puff, dries out before softening.
380–420°C: ✅ Load the naan now.
430–460°C: Pizza territory — works but you need to be very fast and flame very low.
Above 460°C: Too hot — bottom scorches before dough cooks through. Wait it out.
Check between batches too — the stone can climb back up while you're rolling the next naan.
Flame management
🔥 Lower than you think
Crank to full to heat the stone, then dial back to medium-low — lower than feels right — before loading. The stone is storing all the heat you need. At full flame the top chars before the inside cooks. Medium-low flame + hot stone = charred spots without burning.
Rotation
🔄 Rotate multiple times
The lateral flame heats the back of the stone significantly hotter than the front. Don't just rotate once — turn it 180° every 20–30 seconds throughout the cook. Two or three rotations is normal. If you only rotate once you'll end up with one end pale and one end burnt.
Thickness
📏 Roll thinner than you think
At 500°C the dough puffs fast. Roll to about 5mm — it'll come off the stone at 8–10mm with good bubbles. If you leave it thick it takes longer and dries out before the inside is soft.
Timing
⏱️ Cook to order
Naan is best eaten within 2–3 minutes of coming off the oven. If you're cooking for a group, do them in batches as people are eating — don't pre-cook and stack them or they go soggy and chewy.