Sourdough (Garlic) Naan

So one of the benefits of COVID has been the ability to try out making foods I wouldn’t have tried much before. Naan is one of them. I’ve done it before, but having a sourdough starter sitting in the house means I’m much more likely to throw together some naan for dinner than ever before. This is a surprisingly easy recipe and quite delicious. And when I say easy, I do mean it. There is no need for a stand mixer, no kneading the bread, just dump, mix and wait!

I like to make my naan garlic naan (because really, it’s the best kind of naan, but you know, if you are weird and don’t like garlic, it is optional). Onward to deliciousness!

Ingredients

(yields 8 naan, adapted from the gingered whisk)

• 1 cup 100% hydration sourdough starter discard (unfed) (227g)
• ½ cup warm milk
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 cups all purpose flour (~265g)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• pinch of kosher salt
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced (optional)
• 5 TBSP melted butter (for cooking, salted is best here)

Instructions

1. In a large bowl mix together the sourdough starter, milk and yogurt until smooth.
2. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and garlic (if using) and stir to combine to a shaggy, somewhat tacky dough.
3. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm place for 2-4 hours. You will know that it is done proofing when you can gently dent the dough with your knuckle and it springs back. If your house is warmer, this could take less time. If your house is colder, it may take more time. I find sticking the dough in a slightly warmed but off oven is the best bet.
4. Preheat a heavy cast iron skillet over medium-high heat or heat your grill. Both work well, though I find the grill is a bit better and has less clean up involved (win!).
5. Dump dough out on a floured counter and into 8 pieces.
6. Roll or flatten with your hand each piece into about ¼″ thickness. Use a small amount of flour on your counter and on your rolling pin/hands/top of each piece to help you flattedn the dough out. The dough will be tacky to slightly sticky, but you should be able to easily work with it with the additon of a little flour.
7. Brush one side with melted butter and place butter-side down on the skillet .
8. Cook for about a minute, or until the dough starts to bubble and release from the skillet/grill.
9. Brush the other side with melted butter and flip.
10. Cook for an additional minute.
11. Transfer to a plate and cover with a cloth to keep warm. If you used unsalted butter, I recommend hitting each piece with a bit of salt as it comes off the skillet/grill. Trust me, this salt makes it heavenly.
12. Repeat with remaining pieces of dough and Enjoy!