Sourdough Naan -

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Sourdough Naan is a soft and chewy flatbread which has great flavor with a hint of sourdough tang that is brushed with butter and topped with sesame seeds and fresh cilantro!

These homemade sourdough naan is so simple to put together, yet so delicious and perfect for serving with your favorite curry.

WHAT IS SOURDOUGH STARTER?

The preparation of sourdough begins with a pre-ferment , a fermented mixture of flour and water, containing a colony of microorganisms including wild yeast and lactobacilli. The purpose of the starter is to produce a vigorous leaven and to develop the flavour of the bread. In practice there are several kinds of starters, as the ratio of water to flour in the starter (hydration) varies. [WIKI]

WHAT IS NAAN?

Naan bread is an Indian-style bread usually baked in a tandoor oven, which are these cylindrical clay or metal ovens. The great thing about tandoor ovens is that the temperatures can reach 900 F degrees which means these naan breads cook almost instantly, though I don’t think I’d want to stick my hands in these ovens and slap the dough on the side of it. I’m know it tastes way better, but for now I’ll stick with my cast iron skillet.

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED?

Here’s what you’ll need to make this delicious naan:

Flour – I have used whole wheat and all purpose flour in 1:1 ratio. You can make this naan with all purpose flour alone.
Sourdough Starter – Have used matured (unfed) whole wheat sourdough starter
Yogurt – I have used thick full-fat homemade yogurt. You can use the one with less fat too.
Milk – Can use any milk, it a nice texture to the naan and makes its soft. Make sure it is luke warm.
Baking Powder – This helps the bread to fluff up and makes it soft
Salt
Sesame Seeds – for sprinkling over the naan
Butter – for brushing over the naan.
Cilantro – this is optional if you want to sprinkle some over the naan.

HOW TO MAKE SOURDOUGH NAAN?

Sourdough Naan is super easy to make , yet sooo delicious!

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, starter, milk, yogurt, baking powder and salt until it becomes a smooth dough.

Grease a deep bowl and place the dough in it. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise and let it rest for 2 hour. It might take up to 2 hours depending on the weather. The dough should double in size by then. If it has not, give it 30 more minutes.

Punch and release the air from dough and knead well for 2 minutes. Then divide the dough into 8 small balls.

Dust the floor with little flour and flatten the ball by roll it out using a rolling pin to an oblong shape.

Sprinkle Sesame seeds along with finely chopped cilantro and gently press using your fingers till it gets embedded in the rolled naan.

Heat a cast-iron pan over high heat. Place the rolled out naan in the hot pan. Cook the naan till small bumps start to form on the surface

Flip the naan to the other side and cook for 10 seconds or so until you see bumps.

Brush the naan with butter and set it aside. Repeat the process for the rest of the dough.

Serve it warm with your favorite curry and enjoy!

TIPS TO MAKE SOFT AND FLUFFY NAAN:

Some of the tips to follow:

I have used matured (unfed) whole wheat sourdough starter in this recipe.
Make sure that you are using a thick yogurt. If you are using a yogurt with a thin consistency then adjust the amount milk to form perfect dough.
You can use whole milk or less fat milk in this recipe and make sure to use luke warm milk.
The texture of the dough should be softer than the dough you make for chapati or roti. And make sure it is not very sticky.
The warmer the spot, the faster the naan will rise. I often place rising dough on top of my stove, with the oven turned on to the lowest setting.
The skillet should be very hot before you add the first piece of dough. If you add the dough before its roaring hot, it won’t cook correctly.

HOW TO STORE THESE NAAN?

After cooking the naan, make sure to let it cool completely to prevent condensation. Once cooled, keep your naan in a gallon-sized zip top bag. The naan will last 1-2 days at room temperature, or about 4-5 days in the refrigerator.

Naan can be frozen in airtight plastic bags for up to 2 months. Frozen naan bread thaws quickly at room temperature.

HOW TO SERVE THEM?

There are lots of ways to eat this garlic naan bread! It’s most natural with curry, but we have several other a recipes as well. Here are my few suggestions:

KADAI PANEER

MATAR PANEER

PANEER BUTTER MASALA

SOURDOUGH NAAN RECIPE:

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 cup sourdough starter, ripe (unfed)
3/4 cup milk, warm
1/4 cup thick yogurt
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
3 tbsp sesame seeds
1/4 cup butter, brushing

DIRECTIONS:

In a large mixing bowl, mix together the flour, starter, milk, yogurt, baking powder and salt until it becomes a smooth dough.
Grease a deep bowl and place the dough in it. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise and let it rest for 2 hour. It might take up to 2 hours depending on the weather. The dough should double in size by then. If it has not, give it 30 more minutes.
Punch and release the air from dough and knead well for 2 minutes. Then divide the dough into 8 small balls.
Dust the floor with little flour and flatten the ball by roll it out using a rolling pin to an oblong shape.
Sprinkle Sesame seeds along with finely chopped cilantro and gently press using your fingers till it gets embedded in the rolled naan.
Heat a cast-iron pan over high heat. Place the rolled out naan in the hot pan. Cook the naan till small bumps start to form on the surface
Flip the naan to the other side and cook for 10 seconds or so until you see bumps.
Brush the naan with butter and set it aside. Repeat the process for the rest of the dough.
Serve it warm with your favorite curry and enjoy!

RECIPE NOTES:

I have used matured (unfed) whole wheat sourdough starter in this recipe.
Make sure that you are using a thick yogurt. If you are using a yogurt with a thin consistency then adjust the amount milk to form perfect dough.
You can use whole milk or less fat milk in this recipe and make sure to use luke warm milk.
The texture of the dough should be softer than the dough you make for chapati or roti. And make sure it is not very sticky.
The warmer the spot, the faster the naan will rise. I often place rising dough on top of my stove, with the oven turned on to the lowest setting.
The skillet should be very hot before you add the first piece of dough. If you add the dough before its roaring hot, it won’t cook correctly.