NIX KITCHENTHE ART OF THE GOOD STUFF
Bread maker chronicles · No. 01
NIX KITCHEN PRESENTS · THE PN100 SERIES
The Great
Naan Rise.
The secret to pillowy, golden, garlic-butter naan that rises magnificently in a fiercely hot oven — with the Panasonic SD-PN100 doing the hard work.
A NIX KITCHEN RECIPE•OVEN-BAKED•ILLUSTRATED WITH AI
Let's make the naan ↓01 — A little kitchen obsession
There is something deeply satisfying about watching a piece of dough suddenly rise into a golden, blistered pillow. One minute it is a modest oval. The next, it is doing its very best impression of a hot-air balloon.
That moment is precisely what this recipe is designed to capture. The dough is enriched with natural yoghurt for tenderness, kneaded and proved in the compact Panasonic SD-PN100, then introduced to a properly hot oven. What emerges has the tell-tale bubbles, charred freckles and invitingly soft centre that make a good naan every bit as exciting as the curry beside it.
02 — The recipe
Small machine.
Big naan energy.
Designed around the SD-PN100's 250 g flour quantity. No oversized batch, no special tandoor, and no need to wrestle with a mixer: just a handful of everyday ingredients and a hot baking surface.
Everything you need
Tap each ingredient as you measure it. Your checklist counts down automatically.
For the dough
¾ tsp instant dried yeast (Fermipan Red)
250 g strong white bread flour
1 tsp caster sugar
½ tsp fine salt
½ tsp baking powder
75 g full-fat natural yoghurt
1 tbsp vegetable oil
105 ml water, at room temperature
The finishing flourish
25 g melted butter or ghee
1 garlic clove, very finely grated
Small handful fresh coriander, chopped
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PN100 note: this is a naan adaptation, not one of Panasonic's printed recipes. Start with the stated liquid; the exact dough feel can vary with flour and yoghurt.
Let the machine do the kneading.
One crucial PN100 detailThe UK SD-PN100 instructions specify yeast first, then flour and other dry ingredients, and liquids last — the opposite of the common 'liquids first' method used in some other bread makers. Use Menu 12, Basic Dough; its programme is approximately 2 hours 20 minutes.
What should the dough feel like?Soft, elastic and just tacky, not sloshing or batter-like. During the first knead, if it is very wet, add flour a teaspoon at a time. If it is stiff and crumbly, add water a teaspoon at a time. Give each addition a moment to incorporate.
03 — Follow the journey
Four moves to
naan perfection.
The trick is to give the dough time to develop, then bake it fast enough that it puffs before it has a chance to dry out.
Step one · 2 hours 20 minutes
Wake the yeast.
Trust the PN100.
Fit the kneading blade. Put the yeast in the dry pan first, away from the shaft. Cover it with the flour; add sugar, salt and baking powder. Add the yoghurt and oil, then pour the water carefully down the side of the pan.
Choose Menu 12 — Basic Dough and start. The machine will rest, knead and prove the dough. Don't rush it: that time is what gives the naan its structure.
What you want: a smooth, soft, elastic ball at the end.
Step two · 15 minutes plus shaping
Four little
pillows of promise.
Lift the risen dough out gently onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into four equal pieces, around 110–120 g each, and form loose balls. Cover and rest for 15 minutes so the dough relaxes.
Roll or stretch each into an oval around 5 mm thick. Resist the temptation to crush every bubble. Don't prick them with a fork — those pockets of air are tomorrow's glory, arriving a little early.
What you want: supple ovals, not wafer-thin crackers.
Step three · 4–6 minutes per batch
The oven
takes centre stage.
Preheat a heavy metal baking tray upside down or a suitable pizza stone for at least 30 minutes at 250°C conventional / roughly 230°C fan, subject to your oven's limit. You can do this near the end of the dough cycle.
Carefully transfer one or two naans to the hot surface. Bake until they puff, blister and develop golden-brown freckles — typically 4–6 minutes. Watch closely; heat varies from oven to oven.
If the tops need colour, finish briefly under the grill using an oven-safe tray in a suitable position. Never leave them unattended.
What you want: big soft bubbles and a cooked base, never brittle bread.
Step four · The delicious finale
Paint it with
garlic butter.
Stir the finely grated garlic and chopped coriander into the melted butter or ghee. The moment each naan leaves the oven, paint on that fragrant finish. Let the butter settle into the bubbles and brown patches.
Stack the naans and cover loosely with a clean tea towel for a few minutes. This final little rest softens the crust while you get the curry to the table.
What you want: glossy edges, buttery aroma, and a wonderfully flexible naan.
04 — The delicious science
Why does naan
suddenly puff?
Not magic, exactly. Better: a tiny bit of food science happening rather quickly in front of your eyes.
Before baking
Relaxed dough
Yeast fermentation leaves gas pockets in an elastic gluten network.
High heat begins
The lift-off
Trapped gases expand and water rapidly turns to steam.
Minutes later
The great puff
Big blisters or one magnificent hollow pocket form as the crust sets.
Animated illustration of the process, not a scale drawing or measured rise.
The secret isn't simply more yeast.It's the combination of a well-developed, properly rested dough and rapid heat transfer from the preheated surface. Too cool an oven means the naan cooks slowly, often drying out before it can puff.
05 — The baker's notebook
Five details that
make the difference.
🌾
Use strong flour
Good gluten development helps stretchy dough hold expanding pockets of gas.
🥣
Keep the yoghurt
Full-fat natural yoghurt contributes tenderness and a lovely soft bite.
⏳
Respect the rise
Menu 12 develops the dough. A short rest after dividing makes shaping much easier.
🔥
Heat the tray
A thoroughly heated baking surface encourages rapid lift and blistering.
🧈
Butter at the end
Fresh garlic butter on hot bread delivers flavour without burning garlic in the oven.
06 — The reward
Now bring
on the curry.
Pull one apart while it's still warm. You should see an irregular, airy centre, soft fibres of dough and a thin, blistered surface. Tear off a generous piece and send it straight into a rich madras, a creamy tikka masala or a bowl of spiced lentils.
That is the moment when the naan stops being a side dish and becomes rather the point of dinner.
Make-ahead magic: freeze fully cooled naans individually for up to about 2 months for best quality. Thaw, warm briefly in a hot oven or frying pan, then brush with fresh garlic butter just before serving.
07 — Kitchen questions
What if it
doesn't puff?
My naan stayed almost flat. What went wrong?
Usually the heat was too low, the tray wasn't fully preheated, the dough was rolled too thin or the dough lost too much gas during shaping. Check that your yeast is active and that the finished dough had clearly risen in the machine.
Can I use plain flour instead?
Yes, though strong white bread flour is the first choice here for structure. Plain flour may give a more tender naan but sometimes less dramatic air pockets.
Must I use a pizza stone?
No. A sturdy, flat, upside-down metal baking tray works very well. Only use cookware rated for your selected temperature, and be careful with the extremely hot surface.
Will every naan balloon like a football?
No — and that's completely normal. Some form one spectacular dome, others develop several lovely blisters. A tender interior and good browning matter more than a single huge air pocket.
Can I make the dough in advance?
Yes. After the dough programme, refrigerate the dough in a lightly oiled covered container and use it the next day. Allow it to warm slightly and relax before shaping. Watch for overproofing if leaving it for too long.
NIX KITCHEN · THE PN100 CHRONICLES
Flour. Fire. A little patience. An extraordinary naan.
A good recipe ought to be worth repeating. This is my go-to blueprint for soft, spectacular oven-puffed naan — made easier by a little black bread maker and finished the old-fashioned way, with proper heat and a generous helping of butter.
NIX DRONES · RECIPES & STORIES
