I made a chicken curry soup and needed a bread to accompany it. What better to pair with it than a freshly made sourdough naan bread. This is a quick and easy recipe to make, and uses such simple ingredients. I do not eat out often, but I do think this recipe would give Indian restaurants a run for their money. They are bubbly, chewy, and oh so soft. Once brushed with all that butter they are so much more than just a dry sad flatbread. They can also easily be long fermented, made in advance, or frozen.
Sourdough
Any time I can get extra gut benefits from fermenting a recipe, I do. Especially when it is as simple as leaving a bowl of dough to sit for a few hours (or days…). I have been adding sourdough to everything I can for years now, and it honestly brings me so much joy. We love adding it in place of yeast in recipes such as donuts, bagels, jalapeno cheddar sourdough bread, and dinner rolls.
We also long ferment recipes using sourdough discard. Some of our favorites are tortillas, pumpkin sweet bread, scones, and cornbread. If you are overwhelmed or confused by all things sourdough, check out my e-book. In “The Art of Sourdough” I cover how to make a starter and maintain it, some amazing recipes, and some tips and tricks to make it low stress and fool-proof. I was very overwhelmed when I first started, and this is the resource I wish I had. Learning how wild yeast works is fascinating and so fun!
Tools
Bowls
Food scale
Whisk
Tea towels
Bench scraper
Rolling pin
Skillet – I like to use a cast iron skillet like this one. A large stainless steel or cast-iron pot would also work; it is just more difficult to flip and remove the bread. I do not recommend using a non-stick pan.
Spatula or pancake flipper
Small saucepan – I use this for melting the butter.
Pastry brush
Ingredients
Water – This is the main wet ingredient in the recipe. use filtered water whenever possible.
Greek yogurt – Yogurt has lactic acid which breaks down the gluten. This results in a dough that is soft and tender and has a nice slight tangy flavor to it.
Flour – Simple all-purpose flour is perfect for this recipe. I like using organic and unbleached to get more nutrients and less chemicals into what I make.
Salt – No recipe is complete without a little salt. Especially when it is a high-quality sea salt from a place such as crucial four.
Sourdough – Since we are not using yeast in this recipe, we need to have something to provide a rise in the dough. Using very active sourdough starter will yield better results.
Butter – Brushing melted butter over the sourdough naan bread as soon as they are pulled from the skillet keeps them soft and supple. Garlic, salt, or herbs can be added into the butter for extra flavor if desired!
Additional ingredients and substitutions
Herbs and garlic – If you want to customize the bread a bit, add in some freshly chopped herbs and minced garlic to the butter that gets brushed across each bread. It is a simple addition but makes such a difference. Dried herbs or garlic powder can work as well.
Olive oil – I do prefer the flavor of butter, but olive oil also works well to brush over and seal in that moisture.
Bread flour – This can totally be used! It is going to be higher in gluten so it will not need to be kneaded as long. The dough should stay soft and tender.
Let’s make sourdough naan bread!
Making the dough
Pour the water into a pan and warm it, not quite to boiling.
Add the water to a large mixing bowl with the yogurt and whisk until fully combined. The water should be warm, so it is at least room temperature after being combined with the cold yogurt.
Add in the sourdough starter and mix in.
Mix in the dry ingredients, the salt and flour, until fully incorporated.
Knead the dough for 1-2 minutes. This can be on a lightly floured surface or in the bowl.
Place the dough ball in a bowl, and cover with a tea towel and set aside to rise for 4-8 hours. It should be soft and puffy once risen.
Shaping and cooking
Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces for large naan, or 8 pieces for small naan breads.
Shape them into balls and cover, allowing them to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Place a skillet over medium-high heat and leave it to get very hot.
Lightly flour the work surface, and roll the large naan to 9 inches across, and the small naan to 6 inches across.
Brush off any extra flour off, then place the dough onto the hot skillet.
Cook for 1 minute on the first side, then flip and cook for another 30 seconds on the second side. A few drops of warm water can be added to the pan while cooking to create a bit of steam if needed.
Remove from the pan and brush with melted butter.
Enjoy!
Storing
Store any leftover naan bread covered or in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezing
To freeze this recipe, allow the cooked naan to fully cool. Then place a piece of parchment in between each and stack them. Place them in a freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Long ferment sourdough naan bread
This recipe is so simple to long ferment! As soon as the dough has been mixed and kneaded, cover it with plastic wrap, a tea towel, or a beeswax wrap, and place it in the fridge. Leave it overnight or up to 48 hours. Then place the bowl on the counter and let it finish rising. Shape and cook as normal.
Tips for success
Hot pan – If the pan isn’t hot enough, they will be undercooked, or dry if left to finish cooking. The high temperature pan causes more steam which results in a puffy sourdough naan bread. When it is hot it also leaves those nice brown bubbles on the surface which add flavor and texture.
Flour – If there is too much flour it can get overly toasted or burn. For best results, brush off as much of the flour as possible before placing onto the hot pan.
Crispy naan- If you like your naan bread a little bit more on the crunchy or crispy side, then cook for an extra 15-45 seconds on each side. Just watch them closely. The pan is so hot and they can overcook and burn very easily if left for too long.
Thank you
I hope you love this sourdough naan recipe as much as we do. It is always such a delight hearing about how much you enjoyed a recipe or what you think could be improved. So, thank you for leaving a comment! Don’t forget to share with friends and family so they too can enjoy making sourdough naan bread. Thank you!
Sourdough Naan Bread
Ingredients
- 125g Water
- 115g Greek yogurt
- 75g Active sourdough starter
- 8g Sea salt.
- 200g All-purpose flour
- Butter to brush over them
Instructions
- Pour the water into a pan and bring it to a boil.
- Add it to a boil with the yogurt and whisk until fully combined.
- Add in the sourdough starter and mix it in.
- Mix in the salt and flour until fully incorporated.
- Knead the dough for 2 minutes.
- Cover it with a tea towel and set aside to rise for 4-8 hours. It should be puffy and soft once risen.
- Divide into 4 pieces for large naan, or 8 pieces for small naan breads.
- Shape them into balls and cover, allowing them to rest for 5-10 minutes.
- Allow a skillet to get very hot over medium high heat.
- Roll a large naan to 9 inches, or a small naan to 6 inches.
- Brush off any extra flour and place it onto the hot skillet.
- Cook for 1 minute on the first side, then flip and cook for another 30 seconds.
- Remove from the pan and brush with melted butter.
- Store any leftover naan bread covered or in an airtight container for up to five days.
- Enjoy!
This simple recipe for sourdough naan bread contains affiliate links. To learn more about how we use them, click here.
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