Can I use a pizza stone or an inverted cast-iron skillet to bake naan?

Question

Find out if a pizza stone or cast-iron pan can mimic tandoor-style naan at home.

Answer 1

Yes, you can absolutely use a pizza stone or an inverted cast-iron skillet to bake naan in a home oven, as they provide the intense, direct heat necessary to achieve the characteristic puff and slight char of traditional tandoor-baked naan.

Detailed Explanation:

The high heat of a tandoor oven is crucial for cooking naan quickly, causing it to puff up and develop a delicious crust. In a home oven, a pizza stone or an inverted cast-iron skillet are excellent tools for replicating this intense, direct heat. Both materials are highly effective at absorbing and retaining heat, allowing them to get incredibly hot when preheated.

1. Pizza Stone: Place your pizza stone in the oven and preheat it to the highest possible temperature (500-550°F / 260-290°C) for at least 30-60 minutes. Once super hot, slide the rolled-out naan directly onto the stone. The intense heat from the stone immediately cooks the bottom, creating a rapid rise and a slightly crisp base.
2. Inverted Cast-Iron Skillet: Similar to a pizza stone, preheat a heavy cast-iron skillet upside down in the oven at its highest temperature for at least 30 minutes. The flat, hot surface acts like a mini-tandoor. Place the naan dough directly onto the inverted skillet.

In both cases, the quick burst of heat from the preheated surface cooks the naan rapidly, causing it to puff up beautifully. For characteristic char marks, you can then transfer the naan to the broiler for a very short period (30 seconds to 1 minute), watching it closely.

Pro Tip:

When placing the naan onto the hot surface, lightly brush one side of the rolled-out naan with water and place the wet side down; this helps the naan stick and puff more effectively.