Easy Sourdough Naan Bread Recipe

If you have a container of sourdough starter in your fridge and need something to do with the discard, try this sourdough naan bread recipe.

It’s quick and easy, and you can use the naan for so many things, including flatbread pizzas, paninis, and even tacos.

The Best Sourdough Naan Bread Recipe

I started making bread in earnest during the pandemic, which meant mixing up a sourdough starter and feeding it dutifully once a week.

If you’re not familiar, you can make a simple sourdough starter with nothing more than flour and water. Keep it warm for a week, and it’s good to go.

From there, you need to keep it in the fridge, then remove about half of the starter once a week and top it up with fresh.

And it’s important to note that this recipe needs 100% hydration sourdough starter. That means you’ll use the discard and not the freshly mixed starter. 

So let’s take a quick look at what you’ll need to do.

How to Feed Sourdough Starter

A good rule of thumb for feeding sourdough starters is: use a 1:1:1 ratio.

Let’s say you have 100 grams of starter in the fridge. To feed it, you’ll need to remove half, 50 grams. 

(The 50 grams you’ve removed is considered “discard” and can either go in the trash or be used to make delicious sourdough naan!)

Then, you’ll mix 50 grams of water with 50 grams of flour (that’s the 1:1:1) until it’s a smooth paste. Add that to the remaining starter, mix it up a little, then pop it back in the fridge.

That’s it. You’ve fed the starter and got 50 grams of 100% hydration sourdough starter ready to go.

Now, let’s make sourdough naan!

Foolproof Sourdough Naan Recipe

This recipe is enough for 8 pieces, though you can make them any size you like.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this recipe:

• 100% Hydration Sourdough Starter Discard - you’ll use this instead of yeast. It acts the same way but it gives the bread a really nice tang
• Warm Milk - to get the yeast moving
• Greek Yogurt - the fat to keep things soft and tender
• All Purpose Flour - for structure
• Baking Powder - to help them rise
• Salt - just a pinch
• Melted Butter- to coat the bread for frying

How to Make Sourdough Naan Bread

Like any good bread recipe, this needs to rest and rise. So it’s not something to make last minute.

Instead, make the dough when you’re feeding the starter and freeze the naans for later.

1. Mix the sourdough starter with the warm milk and yogurt.
2. Add the dry ingredients and mix until it becomes a shaggy dough.
3. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for 1-2 hours.
4. Press the air out of the dough and knead for a few minutes on a lightly floured surface.
5. Cut the dough into 8 portions and roll them flat. About 1/4 inch thick / 6 mm.
6. Brush one side with melted butter and cook butter side down in a preheated skillet. Cook for a minutes then brush the top with butter and flip it.
7. Cook for 1 minute and serve.

Sourdough Naan Bread Variations

• Add minced garlic to the melted butter.
• Add minced onion to the dough.
• Roll the dough extra thin, then sprinkle chopped chives and shredded cheese over the surface. Fold the dough over and roll until flat.
• Add roasted garlic to the dough.
• Add chopped jalapeños to the dough.

How to Serve Sourdough Naan Bread

There are a few obvious ways to serve sourdough naan bread. But if you need some inspiration, check out these fun ideas:

As a Side Dish:

1. With Curry : Serve warm naan on a platter with your favorite curry.
2. Soup Dipper: Forget crusty baguettes - use soft and tender naan to dip in your soup and mop the bowl clean.
3. Cheesy Naan: Serve cheesy naan as a side to chicken, pork, beef, and more.

As a Main:

1. Sourdough Naan Pizza: Make the naan as instructed, then top it with cooked meats, veggies, and lots of cheese. Bake for 2-5 minutes until the cheese has melted.
2. Naan Sandwich: Make naan pockets for fold sandwich faves in the middle.
3. Stuffed Naan: Cut the dough into 16 portions, then add a fun (cooked) filling to one disk. Top it with another small disc, and press the seams before cooking in the skillet.

As a Dessert:

1. Sweet Naan: Spread Nutella, Biscoff, or peanut butter over the top and add fresh fruits.
2. Berry Naan Delight: Top it with fresh berries, a dollop of whipped cream, and a drizzle of honey.
3. Sourdough Naan Bread Pudding: Got leftover naan? Use it as a base for a bread pudding! Just make a quick custard with sugar, milk, eggs, and spices, then bake until set.

Breakfast:

1. Naan Breakfast Taco: Add scrambled eggs, sautéed vegetables, bacon, and cheese, then fold it like a taco.
2. Avocado Naan Toast: Top it with mashed avocado, salt, and pepper, and a runny fried egg.

As an Appetizer:

1. Bruschetta: Top wamr naan with diced tomatoes, basil, olive oil, and balsamic glaze.