Sourdough Naan

Many sourdough bread makers are familiar with how sourdough discard can easily take on a life of its own. After each feeding, some of the unfed discard is repurposed for another recipe or simply thrown away.

I prefer to use unfed discard whenever possible and that means coming up with lots of new recipes. We already love these overnight sourdough discard pancakes, sourdough discard cinnamon rolls, and sourdough discard waffles. Since we make hummus from scratch a couple times a week, I decided to make some simple discard naan bread.

Our recipe uses only 6 ingredients and makes a soft naan flatbread with beautiful char marks. It tastes great with our cilantro jalapeño hummus, red pepper dip, or as a side to some shrimp curry!

How to Make Sourdough Naan

1. Add the sourdough starter, milk, yogurt, and olive oil to the bowl of a stand mixer and combine the ingredients using the paddle attachment.
2. Add the flour and salt to the mixture in the bowl, using the hook attachment to combine on low speed until a stiff, slightly shaggy dough forms (5-6 minutes).

3. Form one large ball from the dough. Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel, and let the dough rise until it doubles in size (about 8 hours).
4. Divide the risen dough into 8 equal portions, form each one into a ball, and place them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Then, loosely cover the portioned dough with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel.
5. Let the dough rest for about 1 hour or refrigerate overnight, if needed.

6. Use a rolling pin to flatten each of the 8 dough balls until they form ⅛-inch thick rounds. Heat a medium-sized skillet over low-medium heat. Place a teaspoon of olive oil or ghee into the skillet.
7. Add a piece of dough to the skillet and cook until it bubbles on the top and turns brown and charred on the bottom (3-5 minutes). Flip the flatbread to cook the other side until charred spots appear (another 2-3 minutes).
8. Transfer your naan to a waiting wire rack while you repeat this step with each of the remaining pieces of dough.
9. Enjoy your naan bread warm or at room temperature!

Kim’s Tips

Storage Information

• Room Temperature: Store leftover naan bread at room temperature for up to 2 days in an airtight container, plastic, or paper bag.
• Refrigeration: For longer storage, keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days. It may become chewy and a bit dry the longer it’s stored.
• Freezing: You can freeze sourdough naan for up to 2 months. Thaw before reheating.

FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

My naan didn’t puff up while cooking. What went wrong?

There could be a couple reasons for this, such as not rolling the dough thin enough or not heating the pan adequately. It’s similar to making pancakes. The first one or two might resemble “duds,” but they still taste delicious.

If the dough is too thick, roll it out a little more before cooking the remaining naan.

Is it necessary to use a wire rack for cooling?

You don’t need to transfer the cooked sourdough naan to a wire rack. That’s my personal preference. Cooling the naan on a wire rack prevents the bottoms from becoming soggy, maintaining a nice texture. If you don’t have a wire rack, you can also use a dinner plate lined with paper towels.

How do I reheat sourdough naan to keep it soft?

To reheat, lightly sprinkle water over the discard naan bread and heat it in a 350°F oven for about 5-7 minutes or until warm. You can also reheat it in a skillet over low heat.

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