@schillingly and @anon44372566 … you are not really needing a rise … or not much … for making the flatbread so 1/4 tsp should be more than enough. I make this recipe with discard starter (unfed starter). The discard still has some oomph though.
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I made this yesterday. My starter had been in the fridge for some time and was not 1:1. I keep it fairly thick. I didn’t worry about that, just fed it and waited about 4 hours. By that time it was about 4 pm and I need to take it somewhere at 6. So I made it up following the recipe and just added 1/2 tsp instant yeast. Consistency seemed fine. It rose in a warm oven within half an hour. I usually don’t oil my rolling pin, but I did and it worked like a charm. I have my mother’s cast iron skillet, vintage 1940s. I rolled the balls out quite thin,1/4 inch or less, in irregular ovals, They lifted easily off my clean laminate counter and onto the medium-hot pan. 1-2 minutes per side (easy to peak). We were out the door at 6:00, with 6 lovely naans wrapped in foil. Our hostess painted them lightly with butter and rewarmed the stack in the same foil. They were so tender and delicious that the store-bought she had as a backup went uneaten. Thanks for a great recipe. It’s a keeper.
while preparing the dough I ended up with a pretty dry dough which seemed manageable. after the fermentation/rising period the dough was sooooooo wet I really couldn’t handle it, I had to add quite some flour. I don’t know what to make of it? what does it mean? had I put wet lumps on the skillet - would I have got puffier bread?
beside this, I ended up with flat bread not so different than the pictures in the post
@SauteeBarb I’m glad you had a good experience with the recipe. I too have a vintage cast iron pan, though mine is from the 1960s : )
@minnymoony Interesting. Fermentation can soften dough, and perhaps that is what made it feel more wet. Did you track the dough expansion? If the dough overproofed, that would make it floppier and less elastic. When I roll out my naan, I oil the rolling pin because the dough IS kinda wet. I also have to peel the dough off the counter; it doesn’t shift on it’s own. And if it folds on itself during the transfer to the pan–well, it’s usually stuck that way lol.
It’s hard to advise without seeing what your dough looked like before you added more flour, but I do think your naan look lovely!
@Fermentada
OK… I didn’t know what “over-proofing” is so I looked it up and retrospectively think it makes sense as a culprit. the weather has been cool so I let the dough rest more than the recipe called for. before going to bed, I wasn’t quite sure the dough dublled in size but in the morning it was very puffy and at least double in size. once trying to deal with it it became apparent that its VERY sticky.
another point is that the dough is quite sour. a bit more than I would like.
thanks for the feedback!
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Excellent recipe with really clear instructions! Thank you!
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What sort of yogurts work?
I’ve never used non-fat plain yogurt, but I’m sure it would work fine, though fat softens the texture of the bread a bit.
I’ve had good results with low fat, full fat, regular, Greek… Also kefir milk that is full and low fat.
In India specially North India this version is very popular.
It is known as "Bhatura: and is served piping hot with a spicy side dish “Chhole” made boiled chickpeas with plenty of aromatic spices and a dash of tamarind sauce to add tanginess.
I recently made some yogurt flatbread (no yeast) with my 8” tortilla press … it was very easy and I was wondering if that might work for this naan? I just started using sourdough starter today.
I think this would work. I just got my first tortilla press a few weeks ago, and have only made corn tortillas, and 50:50.
Next time I make naan, I’ll try using it too. I imagine the gluten has to be fairly relaxed for the dough to flatten, and there’s a small risk that it flattens too thin…but I think it is worth a try.
Did you end up doing it and how did it go?
I had excellent results cooking these on a pizza stone in a gas grill, covered, 2 minutes per side. After cooling, they retained enough puffiness, so they could be stuffed like pita.
About sourdough naan bread – is there any recipe for it where I don’t have to use any dairy? I’d love to try making some flat bread at some point but my husband can’t have dairy anymore. I don’t purchase “alternative milks” so I’m hoping I can maybe make a flat bread without dairy.
Many thanks,
Leah
I think the yogurt/milk are for tenderness and pliability (flavor too, but sourdough lacto flavors and interesting wheat are still gonna be awesome).
I bet you could use water (much less) and maybe a tablespoon of olive oil and have a good flatbread. Milk and yogurt have fat and protein “solids” so the recipe total for them of 200g might be only 140g water?
I’d starter with 125g water and 14g olive oil (tablespoon). Add water until your flour is absorbed and you can knead the dough by hand.
@Fermentada Thanks, Melissa! I’ll let you know when I try to make some. You mention “interesting wheat”. In my freezer I have organic bread flour, white wheat berries, turkey red wheat berries, rye berries and some Kamut berries. What combination do you think would give me the best success, especially since I already have to go dairy-free?
Also, I don’t have a cast iron skillet because I can’t lift even an empty one, LOL! I’d just have to use my stainless steel skillet.
These days I tend to keep it really simple and am only baking my husband’s “required” cinnamon bread and a simple, basic sourdough for myself. Though I did bake a rye bread a couple weeks ago, LOL!
Leah
If you want the naan to be bubbly and chewy, make 200 of the 275 be bread flour. The other 75g, use anything but rye – for the first batch at least. Once you’re more familiar with the process, you can try rye if you want (more sticky and possibly rip-y dough).
If you have a nonstick pan, use that over stainless steel.
@fermentada Many thanks. I do have a large non-stick skillet. I wasn’t thinking of using rye in flat bread. I was just being thorough in listing what was in my freezer and wasn’t sure which of the other wheat grains I had would work best. I’m thinking perhaps the white wheat combined with the bread flour for the first try. I’m not sure when I’ll get around to it but at least now I’ve got that option, thanks to you.
Leah
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Was my first try and I loved it! I made half whole wheat and half AP flour, Saving for future use. Thank you so much for the recipe! I let it sit overnight in the fridge which made the process a lot more convenient for me
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Is the sourdough started straight form the fridge or fed/refreshed first? Didn’t seem to specify
Lively and dormant starter are both fine. You want expansion of the dough, so factor that into the starter you use and the temperature you set your dough out at.
A refreshed and peak starter with warmed milk and the dough left at room temp could double in two hours. Discard and refrigerator temp milk could take all day. Refrigerate the dough, and you might use it in a couple of days.