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My family has always loved Indian food. I grew up in an Indian neighborhood in South Africa and was exposed to Indian food at an early age. I loved the curries, biriyanis and the breads. After starting my software business a decade ago, my developers lived in Kolkata, India. I took several trips to India to attend all of my developers weddings. On my first trip, I went with my husband. On my second trip, I went with my daughter. On my last and most recent trip, I went alone and spent 5 weeks in India, because I jokingly said that I would only go back to India if the rest of the developers got married at the same time...and they did!
My developers, my daughter and I enjoying biriyani!
Love dressing up.
Every trip I take, I get more adventurous with where I stay and what I eat. My last trip to India, I stayed at both my developers' villages. I got to know their families, ventured into "town" with my new friends and tried to live like a local. It was the most amazing and eye opening experience. I realized why no one eats a garden salad in India and why most foods are cooked with ingredients like chili, tumeric, ginger and garlic known to boost your immune system.
India has an amazing cuisine. One thing I particular enjoy is the wide assortment of "breads" that is usually used to soak up the delicious curry gravies. From puri, chapati, roti, dosa to naan. For me, I tend to like the less greasy, non deep-fried breads. I especially like Naan because when done right, they're the best! It’s a little more labor intensive than roti or chapati, but the crisp outside texture with a soft, fluffy center that soaks up the curry sauce like an edible sponge is amazing! I’ve found that store bought naan just cannot compare. Once you’ve tasted this naan recipe, especially made with the sourdough discards, you’ll be hooked.
Tips:
There are some kitchen tools that really make a difference. One of them is my Kitchenaid Mixer. I asked for one back in college for a birthday gift so I could start making cookies. I believe that the motor had to be serviced just once, but that machine has lasted me over 30 years. So, it pays to buy a quality product! The secret to making naan is to have a quick and intense source of heat. I have found that baking this naan recipe in an oven doesn’t work as well as placing it on a stovetop. Preheat a pizza steel, cast iron griddle or cast-iron dutch oven and cover it with a large lid, like a wok lid, to create that intense heat that will puff up the dough and bake it quickly. See Helpful Tools. DO NOT use a pizza stone on the stovetop as the direct heat will crack your stone! I made my own steel which I use both in the oven and on the stove-top.
INGREDIENTS
100 gram levain
450 grams all purpose flour
3 grams salt (½ teaspoon)
5 grams baking powder (1 teaspoon)
12 grams sugar (1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoons oil plus some for oiling the bowl
150 ml plain yoghurt / kefir
1 egg
100 ml warm milk
Fresh minced garlic (Optional for topping)
Fresh chopped cilantro (Optional for topping)
Ghee (Optional for topping)
DIRECTIONS
- Sift the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the levain, 2 tbs oil, milk, yogurt and egg. Mix with the paddle attachment until everything combines and a somewhat stick dough is formed.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes and then knead with the dough hook until it looks shiny for about 10 minutes on medium speed. It will still be somewhat sticky, but don’t be tempted to add more flour.
- Form into a ball and take it out of the bowl. Brush the base of the bowl with oil and place the dough in it. Cover with plastic or damp cloth and set aside in a draft free place for about one and half hours until the dough doubles in size.
Naan dough immediately after kneading, before proofing
Naan dough after proofing
- Place the steel / cast-iron pot on the stove top on medium high heat.
- Punch down the dough and divide into 6 equal pieces depending on your cast iron pot size
- Stretch the dough into your shape and place in pot / griddle / steel. Cover with lid.
Naan on griddle. Cook with lid to create bubbles.
- Keep your eye on the cooking. Depending on the heat of your pot, turn your naan over when it gets a a few brown spots. Should should be just a few seconds.
Flip naan over to cook the other side
- Melt ghee with garlic
- Remove naan from pot and brush with melted ghee. Sprinkle with cilantro.
SOURDOUGH NAAN
Easy naan bread recipe using sourdough starter cooked on stovetop
Equipment
Ingredients
- 100 grams levain See "What is "levain" and how to make it."
- 450 grams all purpose flour
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp oil plus some for oiling the bowl
- 150 ml plain yoghurt
- 100 ml warm milk whole or reduced fat
- 1 egg
- Fresh minced garlic optional
- Fresh chopped cilantro optional
- Ghee optional
Instructions
- Sift the flour, salt, sugar and baking powder into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Add the levain, 2 tbs oil, milk, yogurt and egg. Mix with the paddle attachment until everything combines and a somewhat stiff dough is formed.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes
- Knead with the dough hook until it looks shiny for about 10 minutes on medium speed. It will still be somewhat sticky, but don’t be tempted to add more flour.
- Form into a ball and take it out of the bowl. Brush the base of the bowl with oil and place the dough in it.
- Cover with plastic or damp cloth and set aside in a draft free place for about one and half hours until the dough doubles in size.
- Place the pizza steel / cast-iron pot on the stove top on medium high heat.
- Punch down the dough and divide into 6 equal pieces depending on your cast iron pot size
- Stretch the dough into your shape and place in pot / griddle / steel. Cover with lid.
- Keep your eye on the cooking. Depending on the heat of your pot, turn your naan over when it gets a a few brown spots.
- Melt ghee with garlic
- Remove naan from pot and brush with melted ghee. Sprinkle with cilantro.
Nutrition
Calories: 137kcal
Tried this recipe?Let me know how it was or if you have any questions or suggestions!
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