• Place the yeast and sugar in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Add ½ cup lukewarm water and let the yeast stand five minutes so it "blooms" and becomes frothy.
• Add the flour, vital wheat gluten, baking soda and vegan yogurt. Use the dough hook attachment on your stand mixer or knead with your hands and drizzle in the water until you get a soft, pliable dough. I needed a total of 1 ¾ cups water on a dry, cool day. You might need more or less water depending on the weather where you live. Continue kneading for five minutes until the dough is very smooth. Add the oil and continue kneading until the oil is absorbed, which should take another minute. The finished dough should stick very slightly to the bottom of the bowl but should come off easily and should not feel too tacky (see photo).
• Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough once so the top is coated with oil. Cover tightly and place in a warm spot in your kitchen.
• In about an hour the dough should have doubled. Knead it very briefly to deflate, then cut into eight pieces. Roll each into a ball, coat each ball lightly with flour, and set aside, covered with a kitchen towel, for 10 more minutes. Resting the dough this way makes it easier to shape the naans.
• Shape the naans. I find it easiest to create a teardrop shape by first using the rolling pin to roll the naan into an oval. Then I pick up the dough and use my fingers to pull the edges out gently, creating a teardrop shape. Be careful as you can tear the dough when you do this. If you do, patch it up and continue shaping. You can also just roll the naan into a round or an oval and roast it.
• Once you've got your naan in the desired shape, place it back on a flat surface and use your fingertips to gently make indentations in the naan.
• Heat a griddle until it's very, very hot. Don't oil it. Place the naan on the hot griddle and wait a minute until bubbles appear all over. Check the bottom of the naan and if there are nice char spots on it flip it over and cook another minute. Flip over one more time and quickly brush on oil or vegan butter or cilantro-garlic butter and remove to a plate lined with a kitchen towel. Wrap the hot naan immediately in the towel to keep it soft.

Make the optional garlic-cilantro-butter topping

• Place all ingredients in a saucepan and melt the butter over low heat. Continue to infuse over low heat for five minutes. Turn off heat.
• Brush the garlic-herb topping over the hot naans as soon as they are cooked.