Sourdough Naan
If you’ve been keeping sourdough starter on the counter you likely have a surplus of sourdough discard. I’ve been working my way through mine with a variety of delicious recipes. First up, homemade naan bread. We enjoy Indian food several times a month; butter chicken, korma and tikka masala are a few of our favorite dishes because they are super flavorful. Of course I serve them with a heaping bowl of jasmine rice and a pile of naan. Since I’m not frequenting the grocery store as often, I thought it would be fun to make flatbread from scratch.
It’s not difficult to make, just a bit of time and patience (sensing a trend with bread making?). Anyhow, this dough is a bit sticky, so be aware and keep it and your hands lightly covered in flour while working with it. This will save you frustration. (Trust me)
These flatbreads are tasty as is, but feel free to make them a bit extra with melted garlic butter and fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley. Another fabulous use for naan is preparing personal pizzas. Let your family and friends top them and bake per usual. What’s better than your own mini pizza? Not much I say!
Sourdough Naan- Adapted slightly from The Gingered Whisk
Ingredients:
1 cup sourdough starter discard (That means unfed)
1/2 cup warm milk
1/4 cup full fat sour cream (or plain yogurt)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
4 TBSP melted butter
Directions:
In a large mixing bowl stir together the sourdough starter, milk and sour cream until smooth.
Add the flour, baking powder and salt on top of the liquid ingredients and stir to combine. (Your dough will look shaggy)
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lint free towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2-3 hours. The dough is finished proofing when you can gently press the dough with your finger and it springs back to shape. The temperature of your home will determine how long this process takes. Colder; expect longer to rise. Warmer; expect a quicker rise time.
Place the dough on a lightly floured counter and knead for a minute or so, until smooth. This dough can be sticky so I suggest a light sprinkle of flour overtop of the dough and your hands so it’s easier to work with.
Divide the dough into 8 balls and roll each one into about 1/4″ thickness. Use some flour on your counter and the rolling pin to prevent sticking. Add another sprinkle overtop of the dough ball too.
6. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. (Naan requires a very hot skillet in order to get a crispy outside and soft inner texture.) Melt your butter at this time too.
7. Brush one side of the rolled out dough with melted butter and place butter-side down on the hot skillet.
8. Cook for one minute, or until you notice the dough starting to bubble.
9. Brush the other side with melted butter and flip gently. Cook for another minute or so keeping a close watch so you don’t burn the bread.
10. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel and cover with a dishcloth to keep warm.
11. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Serve warm or let cool and store covered for up to three days. (I like to freeze any remaining naan in a ziplock freezer bag.)
I love the hint of sourdough flavor the discard leaves behind. This recipe is perfect for utilizing your fridge full of sourdough toss out. I’ll be sharing a few more ideas on how to use up your discard, so stick around. I’d love for you to share what you do with leftover discard.
Thanks for reading!