Sourdough Naan

Recipe by Tara O'Brady
1 Review 5.0 out of 5 stars

Unlike most naan recipes, this one incorporates sourdough discard, which adds a tang that’s enhanced by the yogurt in the dough. Bread flour makes the naan easy to shape and delightfully chewy to eat, and ghee brings buttery richness. While this sourdough naan is flavorful, it’s not overpowering — and that’s intentional. Like paratha and chapati, naan is a vehicle that's intended to be wrapped around whatever is being served, from dal to sabzi to grilled meat to curry.

Prep
40 mins
Bake
20 to 32 mins
Total
2 hrs 10 mins
Yield
8 flatbreads
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Sourdough Naan - select to zoom
Sourdough Naan - select to zoom
Sourdough Naan - select to zoom

Instructions

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  1. Weigh your flour; or measure it by gently spooning it into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. 

  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine all the dough ingredients. Mix on low speed until a soft, smooth dough forms, 3 to 5 minutes. If the dough is not beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl or seems too wet, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time. 

  3. Turn the dough out onto a clean work surface and knead, sprinkling the surface with flour as needed to prevent sticking, until springy, about 1 minute. Grease your palms with ghee, then use them to coat the dough. Return the dough to the bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, 60 to 75 minutes.  

  4. Gently deflate the dough, then transfer it to a clean work surface and divide into 8 pieces (about 100g each). Shape each piece into a tight ball, arrange on a lightly floured baking sheet or section of your work surface, and lightly dust the tops with flour. Cover and let rise at room temperature until noticeably puffy, about 30 minutes.  

  5. Towards the end of the rise time, preheat a 10" or 12" cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. 

  6. Working with one ball of dough at a time and keeping the rest covered, use your hands or a rolling pin to stretch or roll the dough into a 6" to 7" round, depending on your preferred thickness.  

  7. Brush the round liberally with water and place, moistened side down, in the hot skillet. Cover with a lid and cook until the edges are opaque and bubbles form all over the surface, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip and cook on the second side, uncovered, until golden and cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove the sourdugh naan from the pan, brush with melted ghee, and sprinkle with sea salt; top with additional toppings as desired. Wrap in a lint-free kitchen towel or place in a tortilla warmer to keep warm.  

  8. While one naan is cooking, shape or roll out the next, repeating until all the naan have been cooked.  

  9. Sourdough naan are best enjoyed the day they’re made. Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 2 days, or freeze for longer storage. 

Tips from our Bakers

  • To split this up over 2 days, let the dough rise at room temperature (step 3), then deflate, cover tightly, and transfer to the refrigerator for 12 to 16 hours. Once divided and shaped, the dough balls may take closer to 1 hour to become noticeably puffy (step 4).  

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