This grilled naan is filled with melting mozzarella and pesto, requires no yeast, and can be cooked in a skillet or outdoors! You can have it ready in an hour and vary the flavors of the filling.
Cheese pesto bread
This appetizer recipe skyrocketed to the top of my starch-filled list. It is truly amazing and one you'll want to make often. We like to serve it alongside our favorite cocktail sausages and marsala olives with garlic.
This naan recipe is made with yogurt but no yeast, filled with melting mozzarella and green onion pesto and grilled on a skillet. Or outside on the grill or barbecue.
For all of you who are afraid of working with yeast or making bread, this dough is as easy as the pizza mix with baking powder that you can buy in the supermarket.
About naan
Naan means bread and is a flatbread that is very popular in Indian and other Asian cuisines. It is made with yogurt and yeast and baked in a tandoor or clay oven. But they can easily be grilled in a cast iron skillet or outdoor grill.
There are many types of naan and recipes.
Today we're focusing on this no-yeast recipe, made with yogurt and baking powder. It comes together in ten minutes and needs to rest for 1 hour. So take that extra time into account.
But even with the resting time, you can have warm cheese-filled naan bread in an hour and a half. So it's great to make it as an appetizer when grilling outside. It only takes about 30 minutes of actual hands-on time.
How to make stuffed naan
- Mix all dry ingredients in a large bowl and add wet ingredients (images 1 and 2). Start by mixing with a fork or wooden spoon until you have a rough mixture.
- Knead for about 5 minutes (with a stand mixer or by hand on a floured counter) until you have a slightly sticky but smooth dough (image 3).
- Shape into balls and let rest for 1 hour (image 4).
Fillings
- Cheese: use a cheese that melts well. Mozzarella (the one used for pizza is the best) is a good one, but whatever you use for your favorite grilled cheese sandwich will work.
- Pesto: You can go with not-so-traditional pestos like the one here - more ideas here for other Condiments & Sauces - and even use purchased ones.
- Grilled veggies are perfect too. Just remember you need the final filled bread to be flat to cook evenly. It might be a good idea to process or cut in small bits the vegetables first.
Pesto filling
The word pesto is very loosely used here, this was more a mixture of green onions, almonds, and parsley with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Maybe we should say paste?
Maybe, but pesto or paste will not change the awesomeness of the filled pieces of dough, grilled on the stove and eaten right there, almost hot to the touch.
Make your own fillings, most Mediterranean pizza toppings will go well, or something like this Chorizo Tomato filling. or the Sun-dried Tomato Pesto. The original recipe hails from this wonderful blog and uses garlic scapes, but I couldn't find any.
Use no more than a tablespoon for each piece of bread, it is enough. Using too much will hamper the correct cooking of the dough.
Type of skillet
In a very fortunate turn of events, I found a million-year-old steak iron that belonged to my grandmother.
Many electric gadgets appeared throughout the years, but it took many years for the faithful steak iron to be replaced. Nowadays, it’s still sold and used, but not as much.
Grilling the filled naan is very easy; you don't need to use oil, so there's little or no smoke.
You can drizzle some right before eating the bread and maybe sprinkle it with coarse salt.
What’s unavoidable is to use a good melting cheese, like mozzarella (the type we label pizza mozzarella), which is not fancy but buttery in flavor and great for melting. Swiss cheese also works.
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and make sure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
- Dough: make sure you take into account the resting time. The dough is somewhat sticky, so refrain from adding too much extra flour, It will be less sticky by the time you have to assemble the bread.
- Filling: Don't use more than 1 tablespoon of pesto and 1 or 2 thin cheese slices. If the final pieces of bread are too thick, they will not cook properly inside.
- Grilling: you can use a cast iron steak skillet, as I used, or a regular one, like the ones used for baking skillet cookies. And you don't need to butter or oil it. This bread produces no smoke while cooking. Or use an outdoor grill.
- Freezing: Unfortunately, these do not reheat well after freezing, probably because they’re not yeasted.
Related recipes you might like:
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Cheese Naan (no-yeast)
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Ingredients
- 5 cups all-purpose flour, you might need a little more
- 4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ cup plain yogurt, natural, unsweetened
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups warm water
- ¼ cup olive oil, + extra to brush the bread
- ½ cup pesto, any type works
- 7 ounces mozzarella cheese, or another melty one, cut into thin slices
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the mixer, mix 5 cups all-purpose flour, 4 teaspoons baking powder, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon sugar.
- In a medium bowl mix ½ cup plain yogurt, 1 egg, 1 ½ cups warm water and ¼ cup olive oil. Mix and pour into a well in the flour mixture.
- With the dough hook start mixing at low/medium speed, until a smooth dough forms that sticks around the hook, about 5 minutes. If it is too wet, add a tablespoon of extra flour. If making by hand, integrate the ingredients inside the bowl and then knead until smooth.
- On a floured counter, divide the dough into 10 equal portions.
- Form buns and put them on a plate dusted with flour.
- Lightly brush the surface of each with olive oil, cover with loose plastic, and let rest for 1 hour.
- Divide each bun into two parts.
- Flatten half of the dough portions, and put 1 tablespoon of pesto in the center, spread it a little without breaking the dough, and put a piece of cheese on top.
- Cover with another piece of dough, joining the edges well and taking care that the filling does not escape.
- Turn on the skillet or grill, brush it with olive oil and add the bread.
- Cook slowly over low heat until the dough is dry and the loaves are golden brown.
- Repeat on both sides, allowing time for the dough to cook well.
- Eat right away.
Notes
Naan recipe from Feasting at Home
Caroline Taylor says
These sound amazing, you've made me hungry!
laurasmess says
These are definitely worth the wait Paula! Is there anything better than cheesy, crispy, pesto infused bread pockets?! I think not. I've never made my own naan but now I seriously want to. Definitely with the cheese (so impressed!) xx
Karen @ Lemon Grove Cake Diaries says
You had me at the very first photo, I am hungry just looking at it. I will be trying this recipe for sure!
cquek says
Intriguing
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
There is nothing I love better than cheeze oozing out of bread. This looks worth of dying for and I love the recipe. Can't wait to give it a try!
Monet says
Paula...this looks INCREDIBLE. Combining two of my favorite things into one delicious meal/snack! Thank you for sharing and inspiring me!
The Ninja Baker says
Pesto or paste, grilled or sizzled in the skillet, your family and father's friends are going to be happy =) This is definitely going on my shared (Pinterest) board of I'd Like A Bit of That!
Anne ~ Uni Homemaker says
Oh Paula, that looks absolutely amazing! Homemade naan and pesto? It must taste out of this world! Delicious and pinning! Have a great week. 🙂
Guru Uru says
Naan has never looked better, this idea was genius my friend 🙂
All that cheesy goodness is calling my name!
Cheers
Choc Chip Uru
Kitchen Riffs says
Love the grill marks on your naan! This is a wonderful looking recipe - I gotta try it. Really good stuff - thanks.
Deb says
The melting mozzarella has captured my heart! What a magnificent naan filled with lush goodness! I agree this would be perfect for a party...even a party of two!
Stacy says
I have a LeCreuset grill pan that I think would achieve the lovely marks this bread demands. These are so lovely and oozy with all that cheese, Paula. I am drooling over here. Can't wait to try it!
yummychunklet says
What a great idea to make these sandwiches with naan!
Renee says
Oh my Paula! Now I'm wanting to try making naan bread for the first time and your stuffed version is simply heavenly!! Plus you have added yet another kitchen gadget/tool/pan to my to-get list. Off to hunt down an iron steak griddle...
Cocoa and Lavender says
What a sandwich filled with awesomeness! That is MY kind of pesto - no ajo! 🙂 I never realized that naan was so easy to make. I just made bread this morning, so it might have to wait a week. Maybe I will make Indian food for my birthday and some nice homemade naan! Gorgeous photos! I can taste everything from here. ~ David
Helene Dsouza says
I would have definitely hired you at the time when we had the tandoor chicken and nan take away here!! It's all oooozing out, such a beautiful creation Paula. People would love enjoying this street food.
Angie Schneider says
Best filled naan I have ever seen, Paula. The oozing out cheese is just irresistible.
Laura Dembowski says
The melty cheese oozing out of these little bread pockets is fantastic! Great pictures, Paula!
Jasline @ Foodie Baker says
How can anyone resist that melting cheese oozing out of the bread? This looks amazing and so delicious!
Miss Messy says
This looks awesome! And not even that difficult! 🙂 I need to get myself a griddle pan!