Naan Sourdough is so easy to make it’s foolproof! Made with simple, throwaway ingredients, you can use dairy or vegan yogurts in the recipe and still get a delicious, super-tasty flatbread.
Don’t have a sourdough starter yet? I can teach you how to make one!
Looking for more sourdough discard ideas? These Sourdough Tortillas are my most popular recipe! And these sourdough cookies are perfect for gatherings and holidays!
This recipe makes a small batch of sourdough discard naan. If you’re looking for a larger batch, just double or triple it. It’s super easy and totally doable.
Ingredients
Too much mom Use sourdough (100% hydration) for this recipe. If desired, it is also possible to do this with an active initiator. Just make sure you use a 100% hydration starter.
- Note: If you store the sourdough in the fridge, let it come to room temperature (about 1 hour out of the fridge) before using it for this recipe.
All-purpose flour. No need for bread flour. If you want to make it whole wheat, I suggest replacing half of the white ap flour with whole wheat flour. I’ve never tried spelled flour, but as far as I know, it’s possible to substitute half of the spelled flour in this recipe.
sugar Plain white sugar is fine. You can substitute brown sugar or demerara sugar.
Sal. Use fine sea salt.
Greek yogurt Use unsalted, unflavored Greek yogurt for this recipe. You can substitute sour cream. Use vegan Greek yogurt (also unsalted and unflavored) for a plant-based version.
Olive oil. Use extra virgin olive oil for a tastier result. Avoid substituting canola, sunflower, or any vegetable oil.
water Use room temperature water, filtered if possible.
how to do it
This is an easy and quick way to make naan using sourdough.
No need to knead this dough. Just mix it until all the ingredients are incorporated, and the mass is formed.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the water, olive oil, Greek yogurt, and sourdough.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt. Add wet mixture and mix until dough forms. You can do this by hand, or you can use a stand mixer if you prefer.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a hot, damp towel to prevent the dough from drying out. Let it rest in a warm place for 2 hours. The dough won’t rise much, so don’t sweat it.
- Divide into 6 pieces. Let them rest for another 10 minutes.
- On a clean, lightly floured surface, roll each piece into circles about 1’4″ thick. It doesn’t have to be a perfect circle.
Note: You can use a rolling pin or any clean bottle to open the dough. You can also do this by hand, stretching the naan instead of rolling it.
- Preheat the pan/pan that will be used for cooking. Use high heat.
- In the pan, pour a little olive oil (I use about 1 teaspoon) and cook for about 1 minute on each side.
- You can brush the top with olive oil before flipping the bread.
time to cook
The cooking time may vary slightly depending on the pan/skillet you use.
I use a pan that is not too thick, but not too thin to cook this recipe. For me, 1 minute on high heat is enough and I don’t burn the naan.
After the naan has risen well (when you can see bubbles), check the bottom to make sure it’s not burning. If so, and if this happens before a minute has passed, lower the temperature a bit after flipping the naan. Then cook the other side for 40 seconds, check the bottom again and it doesn’t burn, cook another 20 seconds.
If the pan/pan you are using is too thick, you may need more than a minute. You’ll know if a minute goes by and there are no visible bubbles on top, or the naan is too pale. If this is the case, add 30 seconds to 1 minute on the first side and another 30 seconds after turning.
do it forward
You can prepare the dough in advance and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook. So yes, it is possible to do it overnight!
How to do it:
- Prepare the dough and let it rest for 1 hour outside the refrigerator.
- Before storing in the fridge, make sure the dough is completely covered with plastic wrap or similar to prevent it from drying out.
- You can keep it in the fridge for about 3 days.
I like to let mine sit at room temperature for 1 hour before opening and cooking, but you can do it straight from the fridge and get a good result.
Tips for success
- Deployment is easy: Be sure to flour the surface so the dough doesn’t stick when rolled out and you don’t have to aim for perfect circles. If you don’t have a roller, any clean bottle can be used instead.
- Preheat: Start cooking in a preheated pan/pan for this recipe to work. The dough needs a hot surface as soon as it hits the pan.
- Too sticky: this dough is not dry, but it should not be sticky. Watch the video to see how it should look before rising, and if your dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. I suggest adding 1-2 tablespoons, mixing/kneading until incorporated, checking and repeating if necessary.
Trying new flavors
Garlic: use garlic-flavored olive oil for batter and cooking.
Garlic and coriander: use garlic-flavored olive oil for batter and cooking. Add ½ tablespoon of dried coriander when making the dough.
Parmesan: add ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese to the batter.
Service suggestions
My top picks to have this Sourdough Naan Bread with:
Yield: 6 servings
Sourdough Naan
Naan Sourdough is so easy to make it’s foolproof! Made with simple, throwaway ingredients, you can use dairy or vegan yogurts in the recipe and still get a delicious, super-tasty flatbread.
Preparation time
5 minutes
cooking time
2 minutes
Extra time
2 hours
total time
2 hours 7 minutes
Ingredients
-
¼ cup sourdough (60 g)
-
¼ cup water (60 g)
-
1 tablespoon Greek yogurt (24 g)
-
2 tablespoons olive oil (24 g)
-
1 ¼ cup flour (160 g)
-
1 tablespoon of sugar (12 g)
-
½ teaspoon salt (3 g)
-
Olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the water, olive oil, Greek yogurt, and sourdough.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, sugar, and salt. Add wet mixture and mix until dough forms. You can do this by hand, or you can use a stand mixer if you prefer.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a hot, damp towel to prevent the dough from drying out. Let it rest in a warm place for 2 hours. The dough won’t rise much, don’t sweat it.
- Divide into 6 pieces. Let them rest for another 10 minutes.
- On a clean, lightly floured surface, roll each piece into circles about 1’4″ thick. It doesn’t have to be a perfect circle.
- Preheat the pan/pan that will be used for cooking. Use high heat.
- In the pan, pour a little olive oil (I use about 1 teaspoon) and cook for about 1 minute on each side.
- You can brush the top with olive oil before flipping the bread.
- Serve while still warm for best results.
notes
Storage:
Store leftovers after cooling in an airtight container or loaf pan at room temperature. It is good for up to 3 days.
Vegan version: substitute Greek yogurt for vegan Greek yogurt.
Do it overnight:
Prepare the dough and let it rest for 1 hour outside the refrigerator.
Before storing in the fridge, make sure the dough is completely covered with plastic wrap or similar to prevent it from drying out.
You can keep it in the fridge overnight, or for about 3 days.
Leave the dough at room temperature for 1 hour before resuming the recipe.
Advices:
Rolling pin: You can use a rolling pin or any clean bottle to open the dough. You can also do this by hand, stretching the naan instead of rolling it.
Rolling out is easy – make sure to flour the surface so the dough doesn’t stick when rolled out and you don’t have to aim for perfect circles. If you don’t have a roller, any clean bottle can be used instead.
Preheat: Start cooking in a preheated skillet/pan for this recipe to work. The dough needs a hot surface as soon as it hits the pan.
Sticky dough: This dough is not dry, but it should not be sticky. Watch the video to see how it should look before rising, and if your dough is too sticky, add a little more flour. I suggest adding 1-2 tablespoons, mixing/kneading until incorporated, checking and repeating if necessary.
Nutritional information
performance
6
Portion size
1
Amount per serving
calories 169total fat 7 gsaturated fat 1 gTrans fats 0 gUnsaturated fats 6 gcholesterol 0 mgsodium 206 mgCarbohydrates 23gfiber 1 gsugar 2 gprotein 3 g
Nutritional information is an estimate only and will vary based on substitutions made and/or brands used.