SOURDOUGH NAAN FLATBREAD

Sourdough Naan Flatbread image

This is a stovetop and sourdough-leavened variation on Indian naan flatbread. This dough is easy to mix up, has a non-traditional cooking strategy of using a hot cast-iron pan. The flatbread is delicious when served with traditional Indian lentils (e.g. masoor dal) or used to dip in hummus or even make personal toaster-oven pizzas. They freeze well and you may find yourself doubling the batch to have more in stock.

Provided by Melissa Johnson

Categories Recipes

Time 43m

Yield 8

Number Of Ingredients 8

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Ingredients

275g organic all purpose flour (2 heaping cups) I often substitute in a portion of whole grain flour.
200g sourdough starter (2/3 cup stirred down)
125g milk⁠ (~1/2 cup) Add more or less milk to accommodate different yogurt styles.
75g yogurt⁠ (1/4 cup)
5g salt⁠ (1 tsp)
Flour for your countertop
Oil or butter for your rolling pin
Optional: Minced garlic and cilantro or other herbs to add to the dough before rolling it flat, or to combine with melted butter and brush on the flatbreads after they are cooked.

Steps:

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and then hand-knead for a few minutes. Add extra flour if the dough is too sticky or more milk if it's too dry. ⁠
Cover the dough and let rise by 70-100%. This can take several days in the refrigerator or 4-8 hours at room temperature (or more), depending on the temperature and starter ripeness.
Scrape the dough onto a floured countertop, de-gas and divide it in eight pieces. I cut the dough like it is a pie. This is a good time to add minced garlic, chives or herbs if you want. Keep the pieces small, though, to not break the dough when you roll it flat.
Roll the triangles into eight balls, keeping track of which ball you made first so this can be the dough you fry first. I no longer do a final proof, finding that the bread is more bubbly this way. You simply need about 10 minutes between making the first ball and trying to roll it flat for the gluten to relax again.
On your stovetop, preheat a 10-inch or larger cast iron pan to "medium." You'll arrive at the perfect temperature for your pan and burner via trial and error.
Roll out your first ball to a little less than 1/4 inch thick . I very lightly flour my counter and very lightly oil my rolling pin.
Transfer the dough to the hot frying pan and cook each side for 1-2 minutes. Flip when the top of the dough bubbles and the sides curl under.⁠ You're aiming for brown spots, so adjust your heat accordingly.
Place the cooked naans on a rack to cool. You should have time to roll one dough while frying another. When all the naans are cooked and cool, cover or wrap them so they don't dry out.⁠ You can also brush them with melted garlic-and-herb butter while they're warm if you want.
You can freeze and reheat the naans in the toaster.