Naan’s at home can be challenging, mainly due to the fact they’re usually made in a tandoor which generates up to 480c. I’ve heard of standalone domestic pizza ovens that can reach 350c, but haven’t seen one in action.
I make naan and roti fairly often, the breads from Indian restaurants here are pretty abysmal, if you’re used to the real thing. It’s curious, as we have one particularly good Indian restaurant, their food is excellent, but their breads are very poor. I suspect they don’t actually have a proper tandoor oven. Occasionally, we’ll order a home delivery and I’ll make some naan or roti instead of ordering theirs!
I made these last week, pretty straightforward and while not as “puffy” as a traditional naan, they had a decent flavour and weren’t doughy or tough. They have some dried oregano and dehydrated garlic in them, this is totally optional as they taste good enough on their own.
As regards the “sourdough” element, I think you’ll know your starter better them me, so I’m just going to suggest around 50g or so of active starter, and adjust the flour to keep it from being too wet. You’re not looking for the same rise as bread. When I’m doing these I use fast action yeast, as opposed to fresh or the dehydrated bakers yeast I normally use.
This enough for four small, roughly 10" diameter, or two larger naan. The old pan I use is perfect for the 10" size.
300g flour (half and half plain/bread flour)
35g Butter
165ml Milk and yoghurt mix (60/40)
5g fast action yeast
Teaspoon of salt
Some melted butter for brushing
Add the butter to the milk/yoghurt mixture and either in a pan or microwave, heat till butter is melted. Let it cool then add to the dry ingredients, mix well then knead for a few minutes.
Give it a thirty minute or so first prove and then portion it out, roll into discs approx 5mm thick and let them rest for 15/20mins covered with a tea towel.
Heat a pan as high as you dare, brush a little bit of butter over the bread and slap it in the pan, buttery side down. Once it starts to puff in places, check the bottom and if it’s cooked enough flip it over and let the top char.
I suspect it’ll be trial and error to get them right using a sourdough starter, it took me a few attempts to get this recipe right as it’s essentially an amalgam of other folks recipes. It suits us as it’s minimal work for maximum flavour and eatability
JF