Naan is leavened flatbread baked in the oven or tawa-fried. It is a popular flatbread in West and Central Asia, including the Indian subcontinent.
You can serve naan bread with a filling or use it to scoop other foods. So the bread is highly delicious. The only thing of concern is that it has a short shelf-life.
Understanding how to store your naan bread is crucial. You can extend its shelf-life via proper storage. But the question is how long does naan bread last? If you’re a regular naan bread eater, this post is for you.
Read on as we discuss all you need to know about naan bread’s storage.
How Long Does Naan Bread Last Once Open?
As earlier mentioned, naan bread’s shelf-life isn’t long. So it is best to consume the bread once opened.
When kept in the pantry, your naan bread will only stay fresh for 3 to 4 days. And consuming it earlier is the best option to avoid spoilage.
A Handy Tip: Your naan bread won’t last up to a day if placed in the pantry just like that. You have to place it in an airtight container or Ziploc bag then store it in a cool and dry place.
When stored this way, your naan bread might stay fresh and eatable for 3 to 4 days.
How Long Does Naan Bread Last in The Fridge?
Naan bread can remain fresh for 2 to 3 months when stored in the freezer. It doesn’t matter whether it’s store-bought or homemade naan bread.
However, remember to store the bread in a Ziploc bag or airtight container before freezing. This way, your bread would stay fresh for months.
Naan bread can also last indefinitely stored at zero degrees Fahrenheit consistently.
A Handy Tip: Most bread, such as naan bread, would stay fresh longer when stored in the freezer than in the refrigerator. Why? They easily become stale under cold temperatures produced by the refrigerator.
So, it is better to store your naan bread in the freezer than in the refrigerator. It would last longer in the freezer.
How To Tell If Naan Bread Has Gone Bad?
Naan bread can go bad. All bread types do. It’s safe to consume naan bread that has become stale, though most people may bluntly refuse to eat such. It also may not taste as inviting and good as the freshly baked ones.
However, there are signs your naan bread has gone bad and needs to be discarded. The signs are visible to the eyes. And here they are.
1. Change in texture
Check the bread’s texture. Is it still soft as it used to be? If the bread appears dry and rigid, you might consider discarding it. That’s a sign it’s going bad and might be unfit for consumption.
2. Change in smell
Fresh naan bread smells inviting. The smell alone can entice you to consider adding naan bread to your meal plan even though you have other options.
However, spoilt naan bread would lose its inviting smell. It would smell moldy instead.
So, if your naan bread starts smelling moldy, it’s time for you to throw it out the window. Why? It’s unsafe for consumption.
A Handy Tip: Don’t risk using your nose to smell the naan bread if the molds are visible. Why? The molds could boast harmful spores that could be dangerous when inhaled.
3. Change in appearance
You may find mold (fungus) on the bread when the loaf is bad and unfit for consumption.
The fungus clings to the bread, saps its nutrient, and produce diverse spots. The spot can be white, pink, black, or even green. So, watch out.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has stated that loaves displaying signs of mold should be thrown at the window. Such bread isn’t safe to consume even if you cut off the spot you think the mold is.
4. Change in taste
Naan bread tastes great. It’s one of the pieces of bread made with a great combination of ingredients.
So, if your naan bread doesn’t taste as it used to when fresh, you have a spoiled loaf right there. The best move would be to discard the entire loaf instead of tasting it further to see if other parts taste great.
Can Naan Bread Be Frozen?
Yes, you can freeze naan bread. It doesn’t matter if it’s homemade, store-bought, or leftover naan bread. Naan bread freezes fine as tortillas and other flatbreads.
Additionally, the taste of frozen naan bread when defrosted isn’t much different from freshly baked naan bread.
Prepping naan bread for the freezer is also a simple process. You’ll only spend a couple of minutes preparing the bread for the freezer and get it frozen.
A Handy Tip: All you have to do is place your naan bread in a freezer bag. Feel free to place several pieces of bread in the bag, as they won’t freeze together.
After placing the pieces of bread in the airtight bag and sealing it, put the bag in the freezer, and that’s it.
Can Naan Bread Be Reheated?
Yes, you can reheat naan bread. You can do it in several ways.
Let’s shed more light on various ways to reheat naan bread to return its fluffy texture.
1. Using a microwave
Heating naan bread in the microwave is quick and easy. The first step is getting a microwave-safe plate. Please, check the plate for the microwave-safe mark to ensure that you’re using the right plate.
If you plan to reheat only a slice of naan bread, spritz the bread with water and place it on your microwave-safe plate before sending it to the microwave to reheat for 1 minute on medium-high.
However, if you plan to reheat several slices of naan bread simultaneously, here’s what you have to do. Spritz some water on each slice of naan bread, and place parchment paper on the surface of each of the bread before placing another on top.
The reason for lining the bread with parchment paper is to prevent them from sticking together after reheating.
After lining the pieces of bread, put them in the microwave and heat for a minute.
A Handy Tip: Remember that microwaves heat differently. So don’t rule out reheating your bread for an extra 30 seconds.
2. Using an oven
Reheating naan bread in an oven is simple, quick, and will help return your bread’s fluffiness in a heartbeat. Here’s how to do it.
Firstly, get your oven preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. While preheating, place the bread on a baking sheet (in a single layer and sprinkled with water) in the oven.
Please, ensure the bread is moist before sending them into the oven. And heat for 3 to 5 minutes.
Just remember you’re not cooking the loaves but reheating them. So, take them off once the reheating time (3-5 minutes) elapses.
3. Using a stovetop
This is another easy way to reheat naan bread. You can consider using this method if you don’t have a microwave or oven. Or you don’t feel like using either of them.
Using a stovetop to reheat naan bread is much better, especially when using a cast-iron skillet. But if you don’t have one, don’t worry.
Just apply some olive to the pan to prevent the bread from sticking to the pan. Ensure you don’t add too much olive oil, though.
Set the stovetop to medium heat and position the pan on the stove. If you plan to reheat more than one loaf, take it one at a time.
Here’s how you reheat bread on the pan. Place each side of the bread on the pan for 2 minutes and be careful so you don’t burn the bread.
How Long Does Naan Bread Last After Expiration Date?
The truth is that naan bread or other pieces of bread don’t have an expiry date. What they have instead is “best before date.”
You can consume naan bread even if it has past its best before date. Only discard expired naan bread when you discover mold growing on it or when it becomes stale and changes its taste.
In other words, discard naan bread if you have reasons to believe it has gone bad.
How Do You Store Naan Bread?
Proper storage is crucial to extending the shelf-life of naan bread. There are diverse ways to stay naan pieces of bread too.
So, what are the ways to keep naan bread much longer?
You can store naan bread for 3-4 days in an airtight container at room temperature. Store your naan bread in a cool and dry environment.
Another way to store your bread is in the fridge. Place the bread in a Ziploc bag and then in the freezer. When stored this way, your naan bread can last for months.
Conclusion: How long does naan bread last?
Truly, naan bread boasts a shorter shelf-life. When kept in the pantry in an airtight container, naan bread can last three to four days.
When kept in the freezer, naan bread can last for 2 to 3 months. Naan bread kept in the freezer at zero degrees Fahrenheit consistently would remain fresh indefinitely.
You can reheat naan bread, and it would retain its fluffiness and taste as good as the freshly baked naan loaf. And you can use a microwave, oven, or even a stovetop. Just follow the tips discussed here to get it done satisfactorily.
