Sourdough naan is a delicious, soft, and chewy flatbread that's super easy to make with your unfed sourdough starter.
Mix the dough in the morning and enjoy fresh, homemade naan in the evening!
Serve with hummus, soups and stews, sandwiches, and even flatbread pizza.
Sourdough naan has got to be the easiest flatbread to make from scratch EVER! This recipe is so simple, anyone can make it. Even sourdough beginners.
Don't worry about turning on your oven because naan is cooked on the stovetop. That means you can make sourdough any time of the year without having to heat up the kitchen. Yay!
Just take a look at the sample schedule below to see how easy it is to make homemade sourdough naan!
Sample schedule
We test our recipes in a 68°F (20°C) kitchen. Warmer kitchens will need less time for the dough to double and colder kitchens will need more time.
- 8 AM: Mix dough, cover and let rest until doubled.
- 4 PM: Divide the dough and shape it into balls. Prepare the cast iron skillet.
- 4:30 PM: Cook the sourdough naan.
Ingredients needed
- All-purpose flour: All-purpose flour is what we use in this recipe but you can add some whole wheat flour if you are looking to get a little more nutrition in your flatbread. If you decide to use whole wheat flour in this recipe, just replace up to half of the all-purpose flour and make sure to adjust the water amount. You will need to add more water than called for, about 25-50g more.
- Unfed sourdough starter: Use your unfed sourdough starter right out of your fridge. There is no need to feed your starter for this recipe. However, you can use an active starter if that's what you have on hand.
- Yogurt: Choose from either plain dairy yogurt, greek yogurt, or plant-based yogurt.
- Milk: Choose from cow's milk or plain, unsweetened plant-based milk. We love using oat milk or soy milk.
- Olive oil: Or any neutral flavored oil of your choice. Avocado oil or coconut oil works great.
- Salt
Step-by-step instructions
This sourdough naan dough only takes a few minutes to put together. Mix it up in the morning and you'll be making sourdough naan to enjoy with dinner the same day!
Mix the ingredients together by hand, cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise at room temperature until doubled in size.
Turn the dough out onto your work surface and use a bench scraper to divide it into 8 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball and keep them covered with a kitchen towel to prevent the dough from drying out.
Preheat a cast iron skillet or a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Working with one dough ball at a time, use a rolling pin to roll it into a round shape with a â…›" thickness.
- Lay the rolled out piece of dough onto the hot skillet and allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes. Bubbles will start to form on the surface of the dough when it's ready to flip.
- Flip the dough over with a spatula and allow it to cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Flip the naan back over to the first side of the pan. The naan should start to expand and quickly become very puffy. Once the entire naan is full of air, remove it from the skillet and place it on a platter.
- Repeat these steps with the remaining dough.
Tips for Success
- If your starter is new, your dough may or may not double in size. That's ok! Go ahead and cook it anyway. The sourdough starter is used to ferment the dough making it easier for us to digest, not to make it rise. This is a very forgiving dough!
- If you'd like to cook the dough at a later date, after you divide and shape the dough balls, you may store them covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring the dough to room temperature before cooking for the best results.
- If you find the dough is sticky when you go to roll it out, use a little flour on the rolling pin and the work surface to prevent sticking.
- If the naan does NOT puff up during cooking, do not fret. This usually happens during the first one or two that go onto the skillet. Sometimes this happens if you roll the dough too thin or if the pan is not hot enough. The naan is still good to eat, I promise!
- A non-stick skillet can be used if you do not have a cast iron skillet. I recommend lightly spraying the non-stick surface with a little cooking spray before placing the dough in the skillet.
How to store and freeze
Store the sourdough naan at room temperature, in a plastic bag for up to 3 days. It can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
More easy sourdough recipes
Check out these other easy sourdough recipes!!
- sourdough butter crackers
- slow cooker sourdough bread
- sourdough tortillas
- sourdough english muffins
- sourdough pancakes
Sourdough Naan Flatbread
INGREDIENTS
- ½ cup (125 g) sourdough starter discard (unfed)
- 2 ½ cups (300 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (120 g) milk (dairy or plant based)
- ¼ cup (60 g) plain yogurt (dairy or plant based)
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) olive oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons (7 g) sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix the dough: Mix the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and salt to the bowl. Use your hands to incorporate the ingredients until they are well combined and there are no dry bits left in the bowl. The dough will be stiff. Cover the bowl with plastic and let rest at room temperature until doubled in size. In my 68°F ( 20°C) kitchen, it takes roughly 8 hours. Warmer kitchens will take less time, colder kitchens will take more time.
- Divide and shape: Turn the dough out onto your work surface and use a bench scraper to divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 78g each. Shape each piece into a ball and cover them with a kitchen towel. (At this stage the dough balls can be stored in a covered container, in the fridge for up to 3 days before cooking.)
- Preheat skillet: While the dough is resting, preheat a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 10-15 minutes. If you are worried about sticking, feel free to oil the skillet, but I find it's not necessary.
- Roll dough: Working with one ball of dough at a time, use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a round shape with a â…›" thickness. Use a little flour if necessary to prevent sticking. The dough rounds should be about 6" in diameter.
- Cook naan: Place the rolled dough into the skillet and cook for 2 minutes. Flip the naan over and cook on the second side for 1-2 minutes. Flip the naan one more time and watch for the dough to puff up with air. Once it is full, remove it from the skillet and repeat with the remaining dough. Serve hot or at room temperature.
NOTES
- Store the cooked naan at room temperature in a plastic bag for up to 3 days.
- If you store the dough in the fridge to cook later, allow the dough to come to room temperature before cooking for best results.
- Freeze the naan in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
Chloe says
These are incredible. I subbed sour cream for the yogurt, and they turned out perfect. I roll them super thin then throw them onto an ungreased hot cast iron pan to make each one bubbly, chewy, and toasted in all the right places.
Mila says
I live in South Africa, so I am always hesitant to try non-SA recipes because our flour, temperature etc are very different to yours. However, I love love LOVE these naan. 10/10. Easy to make, I like the idea that I can keep it in the fridge for a few days before cooking. Best to eat after cooking when still warm and yummy. Sourdough is a new journey that I enjoy... thank you for helping me to get more confident at sourdough. Big fan! x ps still looking for focaccia recipe PLEASE! 🙂
Amy says
Here you go! sourdough focaccia
Lisa says
This is the best naan recipe I’ve tried so far! It was so delicious! The suggested timeline and temperatures were super helpful and worked well with my kitchen conditions
Marylin Cooper-Jenkins says
Directions easy to follow and all steps progressed as described. Naan turned out tender, tasty and the perfect vehicle for our kabob.
Colin Tuck says
5 star ✅
Elle says
I can't get my naan to puff up after the second flip, but I'm guessing the dough is just a little under-proofed. I used a slightly starving and the house is only in the mid-60s today (we live in pain and don't have central heating). I had to eat the first one (obviously) and much to my delight it still tasted great. Hoping it's a bit warmer next week so I can give it another go! Thanks for a great (and super easy!) recipe.
Debz says
Elle I have had problems with my kitchen being too cool. You can try warming your milk slightly, no hotter than 90 degrees. You can also put your dough in your oven with the light in. I’ve had great results with both techniques.
Michael Martin says
I didn't have any yogurt and so substituted humus. Turned out great. I also used an infrared thermometer to take the temperature of the pan. (Just point it at the pan and it reads the temperature instantly.) 500 degrees seemed to be right.
Josie Paxton says
Delicious! I have made these naan many times since discovering the recipe. Perfect bubbles and soft bread.
Dolores says
Made this for the first time. Delicious! I used a non stick skillet as I do not have a cast iron pan. My first was flat as was stated my pan was not hot enough. The rest came out perfectly! Will be making this again.
Wendy Brule says
I am wondering if there's anything else I cn use instead of sour cream. Im diary free and don't really use an yogourt or sour cream and don't want to go buy it for one recipe.
Franchesca says
I've made this several times subbing more milk for the yogurt, and it turns out great.