How to Make Easy Sourdough Naan Bread

Naan is a type of flatbread that is soft, airy, and absolutely delicious! You can use this bread for wraps, as a side dish, or as a vessel for hummus. Either way, you are going to love this sourdough naan bread recipe!

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To me, summer is all about fresh food that’s easy to prepare yet still full of flavor. This sourdough naan bread makes meals a snap.

Simply add a filling of your choice of veggies, meat, cheese, and sauce for a delicious meal on it’s own. Or, top with fresh hummus and have as a side dish to your favorite meal!

This bread is very similar to flatbread however the addition of milk makes for a much softer, pillowy bread. Using simple ingredients you can make this delightfully puffy bread right in your kitchen!

Seriously, these are great on their own!

Why Sourdough?

Sourdough is a process of fermenting your bread dough with a sourdough starter. This process breaks down the gluten and proteins that can sometimes be hard to digest for gluten sensitive people. In order to get the most benefits of the fermentation process, you need to let your dough ferment for at least 12-24 hours.

As you can see, the process of sourdough can be very helpful for many people. If you’ve never made a sourdough starter https://therosehomestead.com/how-to-make-a-sourdough-starter/ it’s easy and fairly quick to do. The great news is that once you have an active starter, as long as you maintain it, it will last for as long as you want it. There are starters that have been handed down through generations!

For this recipe you will need

Flour

For this recipe, you can use all purpose flour, bread flour, or whole wheat flour. You can also use a combination of any of these. I love using Spelt flour for this recipe.

Milk

You can use whole milk, milk kefir, or a milk substitute.

Greek Yogurt

The Greek yogurt gives this sourdough naan recipe a light and airy texture.

Sourdough Starter

This recipe is made with active sourdough starter meaning it was fed within the last 24 hours and is bubbly. The starter doesn’t have to come to room temperature if you store your starter in the fridge.

You can use sourdough discard as well. It may take a bit longer to rise using discard. Sourdough discard if hungry starter that hasn’t been fed in the last 24 hours and may have a liquid on top signaling it needs to be fed. It will still work just at a slower pace than active starter.

Salt

Baking Powder

The baking powder is an added leavener for the recipe. This recipe does not use commercial yeast.

Step by Step Instructions:

Mixing the dough

Warm the milk slightly. You don’t want the milk to be hot just about 100 degrees F. Add the milk, yogurt, and sourdough starter to the bowl of a stand mixer. This is the one I use and love: https://collabs.shop/xmipvy

Give it a pulse to incorporate the milk and starter.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, salt, and baking powder.

Add the dry ingredients to the mixer and mix well.

Knead for 2-3 minutes. Just until the dough is a cohesive ball and somewhat smooth.

Place in a large mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise in a warm place for 4-8 hours.

Making the Naan:

Once the dough has risen, divide it into 8 equal pieces.

Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium to high heat.

Roll out each dough ball into an oval shape with a rolling pin. Naan bread is a rustic flatbread. Don’t stress over getting these perfectly rolled out.

Cooking the Sourdough Naan Dough

Drizzle the hot pan with 1 tsp of olive oil or melted butter.

Place a piece of dough in a hot skillet and cook on the first side for 2-3 minutes and turn. Cook on second side for 2-3 minutes or until it starts turning golden brown.

Cool cooked naan on a cooling rack. For best results, cover with tea towel to maintain softness.

These naan breads are so delicious with fresh veggies, dressing, and cheese on top. The perfect summer meal!

Another great way to serve the sourdough naan is topped with garlic butter for a fantastic bread component to your meal!

I love making sourdough bread, but in the summer I will make recipes like this to keep from heating up the oven.