With its slight chew and charred flavor, this Sourdough Naan is sure to delight as a standalone snack or a foundational flatbread. Perfect for sopping up your heartiest stews, showcasing your tastiest spreads, or supporting your tallest pile of toppings, this naan is a versatile vessel for a variety of yumminess.
Try serving your Sourdough Naan with some Jalapeno Cilantro Hummus or this Red Pepper Dip! The best part: it’ll scoop up that last sacred bite that is impossible to reach with veggies.
Sourdough Naan
The pandemic inspired a bread baking trend that we are 100% about. If you, too, want to try your hand at baking, this recipe is a labor of love that requires only milk, yogurt, sourdough starter, flour, olive oil, and salt… and a little patience.
Settle in! The most difficult part of this recipe is the anticipation.
How To Make Sourdough Naan
- Add the sourdough starter, milk, yogurt, and olive oil to the bowl of a stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment to combine ingredients.
- Add the flour and sea salt to the mixture in the bowl. Use the hook attachment to combine on low speed until a stiff, slightly shaggy dough forms (5-6 minutes).
- Form the dough into one large ball. After returning the ball of dough to the bowl, cover it with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel.
- Leave the dough to rise until it doubles in size (about 8 hours).
- Divide the risen dough into 8 equal portions, forming each one into a ball, and placing them onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Loosely cover the baking sheet with plastic wrap or a clean dish towel.
- Leave the dough to rest for about 1 hour (refrigerate overnight, if necessary).
- To prepare the dough for cooking, use a rolling pin to flatten each of the 8 dough balls until they are ⅛-inch thick sheets.
- Heat a medium-sized skillet over low-medium heat. Place a teaspoon of olive oil or ghee into the skillet, if desired.
- Add a sheet of dough to the skillet to cook until bubbling on the top, brown and charring on the bottom (3-5 minutes). Flip the naan to cook the other side until charred spots appear (another 2-3 minutes). Transfer your naan to a waiting plate while you repeat this step with each of the remaining sheets of dough.
- Enjoy your naan warm or at room temperature!
Tips and Variations
- Whenever covering dough, be sure to do so loosely to prevent it from drying out and to prevent the plastic wrap from sticky to the dough.
- If you can’t be bothered to pull out a skillet to reheat your naan, try the toaster!
- Naan is the perfect crust for your own personal pizza! Load it up with sauce, cheese, and your favorite toppings for a quick meal for one.
Storage and Reheating
Storage: We recommend eating sourdough naan fresh, as it does not store well. But if you manage to save some for later, wait for it to cool, then seal any leftovers in a Ziploc bag to keep for up to 2 days.
Reheating: Although fresh naan is delicious at room temperature, after a day or two of storage, we recommend using a skillet to best revitalize the crispiness. Heat a medium-sized skillet over high heat, then warm each side of the naan for 15-20 seconds—careful not to leave it in the pan too long.
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Recipe Card with Ingredient Amounts and Instructions
Suggested Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup(s) (227 g) sourdough starter, unfed discard
- ⅓ cup(s) (75 ml) milk
- ¼ cup(s) (57 g) plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- 2 ½ cup(s) (300 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
- Olive oil, or ghee, for cooking
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to combine the sourdough starter, milk, yogurt, and olive oil.1 cup(s) (227 g) sourdough starter⅓ cup(s) (75 ml) milk¼ cup(s) (57 g) plain yogurt2 tablespoon(s) olive oil
- Add the flour and salt, then use the hook attachment to mix on low speed until a dough forms, about 5 to 6 minutes. The dough may look slightly shaggy and stiff. Form it into a ball, and return it to the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean towel, and allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, about 8 hours.2 ½ cup(s) (300 g) all-purpose flour1 teaspoon(s) kosher salt
- After the dough doubles in size, divide it into 8 equal portions. Form each portion into a ball, and place each piece onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover loosely with plastic wrap or a towel, and allow the dough to rest for about 1 hour.
- When you’re ready to cook the naan, roll out the dough with a rolling pin until it’s about ⅛ inch thick.
- Heat a medium skillet over low-medium heat. If desired, place a teaspoon of olive oil or ghee into the pan. Add the dough, and cook for 3-5 minutes until the dough bubbles and browns on the bottom. Flip the naan and cook for 2-3 minutes on the other side. Remove to a waiting plate. Continue with the remaining dough.Olive oil
- Enjoy the naan warm or at room temperature. Store leftovers in a Ziploc bag for up to 2 days.
Yuliana says
I wish I could put a picture of how beautifully my naans turned out. Thank you for the recipe!
John says
Thank you Yuliana! We're thrilled everything turned out wonderful for you. Thank you again for commenting and rating the recipe card. Have a lovely day 🙂
Sadie says
These naan are great. They have a nice flavour, and are soft and slightly chewy. I've tried several recipes for sourdough naan and this is one of the best. It's straightforward and easy to follow. The dough initially rested at cool room temperature for 12 hours, then another 4 hours after I divided it and shaped into balls. The dough balls didn't double in the 4 hours but they were soft and puffy. I brushed one side of the rolled dough with water, sprinkled with nigella seeds, then cooked that side face down. Before flipping, I brushed the top side with melted garlic butter. The only change I'd make the next time is to divide the dough into 6 portions for bigger naan.