Sourdough Naan

Sourdough Naan, a classic Indian flatbread, is part of our collection of sourdough discard recipes. It is made with a sourdough starter, flour, plain yogurt, olive oil, baking powder and butter. It is light and airy, healthy and delicious, and will pair perfectly with all of your favorite Indian curries. We hope you love it as much as we do!

What is naan?

Naan is a traditional Indian flatbread. We’re not sure how old Indian naan is exactly but we know it dates back to at least 1300 AD when the Indian poet and musician Amir Khusrow first mentioned it.

In old Persian, naan means bread and in Iran the word is used to refer to any kind of bread. Naan has made its way into several countries apart from India, including Myanmar, Uzbekistan, Iran, Afghanistan and even the Xingjian region of China. Naan can be served simply with onions, seeds, or garlic or stuffed with a variety of ingredients, such as potatoes, cheese, nuts and raisins.

Naan is one of the most popular items to order in Indian restaurants. If you have been missing naan bread while eating at home, don’t hesitate to make it yourself! It’s easy.

Sourdough Naan

Sourdough Naan is a version of classic Indian naan prepared with a sourdough starter (or sourdough discard). Sourdough discard is simply an active sourdough starter. It is made with flour and water (and natural yeast activity). If you bake a lot of sourdough, you will end up with a fair amount of sourdough discard which is a shame to waste, so make sure you take a look at our collection of sourdough discard recipes here.

Sourdough Naan Recipe Ingredients

• Flour
• Sourdough starter
• Lukewarm water
• Plain yogurt
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Baking powder
• Olive oil
• Butter

How to make easy Sourdough Naan Bread step by step

• Step 1 – Pour the yogurt and oil into the bowl of your stand mixer.
• Step 2 – Add the flour, salt, baking powder and water and mix with the hook attachment.
• Step 3 – Pour in the sourdough and mix for 10 minutes.
• Step 4 – Cover with a clean dish towel and leave to sit for an hour.
• Step 5 – Cut the dough into 8 parts.
• Step 6 – Roll out each ball of dough on a floured surface.
• Step 7 – Heat a frying pan with olive oil on medium heat.
• Step 8 – Heat each naan between 1 and 2 minutes each side.
• Step 9 – Top each naan with butter.

Tips to make this Sourdough Naan

• Use ghee – swap out olive oil for ghee if you prefer!
• If making a wrap – you can roll out the naan more thinly if planning to wrap it for a sandwich just careful not to burn it.
• Prepare the naan more quickly – by using 2 frying pans or cast iron skillets to heat 2 naan simultaneously.
• Keep it warm before serving – you can keep the naan warm in the oven before serving.

Sourdough Discard Flatbread Variations

This simple sourdough naan recipe is perfection but if you want to add a little more flavour, here are some ideas for you

• Onion naan – mix a 1/4 cup of finely chopped onions to the dough.
• Roasted garlic naan – mix chopped and roasted garlic into the dough.
• Garlic cilantro naan – add finely chopped garlic to the melted butter you will use to top the naan flatbread.
• Cheese naan – top with Indian paneer cheese or another soft cheese or serve two naan with cheese in-between each.

What to serve with sourdough naan

Serve these sourdough naan with your favorite Indian curry or a selection of curries and rice.

Here are some Indian curry ideas for you to try :

• Chicken Karahi
• Palak Chicken
• Indian Zucchini
• Bombay Potatoes
• Vegetable Tikka Masala

More Sourdough Recipes

• Sourdough Discard Recipes
• Sourdough Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies
• Sourdough Bread (A Beginner’s Guide)

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