Sourdough Indian Naan Breads

Today, I will prepare authentic traditional restaurant-style sourdough indian naan breads. Naan bread is a traditional Indian flat and soft bread with a low gluten network. Naan bread is usually made from a very soft raw dough (containing a lot of liquid) composed of flour, water, yogurt (which weakens the gluten network), oil, a leavening agent (sourdough or yeast), baking powder (baking powder), salt and spices. Naan bread can be brushed with butter or garlic butter before serving. Naan bread is a round bread that is baked vertically on the wall of a tandoor (Indian clay oven) and which, under the effect of gravity, takes on the shape of a drop of water. Naan bread is also found in Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan, Burma and parts of China.

Cooking can be done in two stages. To do this, remove the loaves from the oven as soon as they begin to take on a slight colour (about 5 minutes), place them in the airtight container, cover it with the second blotting paper, then close the container. Once the sweating is complete, transfer the loaves to a Ziploc bag as instructed above. The next day, heat the oven to 400 °F (200 °C), apply some butter to the breads and reheat them on the "grill" mode until they take on a nice colour.

Ingredients for 4 all purpose flour naans at 75% hydration rate

• 342 g plain all-purpose flour
• 6 g non-iodized salt
• 3 g baking powder
• 2 tps. caraway, cumin or fennel seeds (optional)
• 107 g fed ripe sourdough starter
• 158 g water
• 62 g Oikos 0% Greek yogurt
• 23 g olive oil

Ingredients for 6 all purpose flour naan at 75% hydration rate

• 512 g plain all-purpose flour
• 8 g non-iodized salt
• 5 g baking powder
• 1 tbsp. caraway, cumin or fennel seeds (optional)
• 160 g fed ripe sourdough starter
• 237 g water
• 93 g Oïkos Greek yogurt
• 35 g olive oil

Preparation

In a large bowl, place the flour, salt, baking powder and, if applicable, the spices. Mix everything well with your fingers, then set aside.

Put a small container that can hold hot water in a ramekin. Fill a bowl large enough to wet your hands with lukewarm water. Set everything aside on the work surface.

Diluting the sourdough starter: Place the sourdough starter in a large bowl, then pour in the water and add the yogurt and oil. Dilute the sourdough starter in the liquids using a wooden spoon, stirring everything well to provide the microorganisms in the sourdough with a sufficient supply of oxygen to promote their proliferation.

Mixing: Add the dry ingredients to the bowl containing the diluted sourdough starter. Start incorporating them into liquids with a wooden spoon at first, then with your hand. Using a scraper, loosen the flour stuck to the inner wall of the bowl, then incorporate it into the dough.

First bulk fermentation period: As soon as the dough is relatively uniform and homogeneous, place it, using the scraper, in a dough bin. Put the ramekin and the small container in it, then pour in some hot water. Cover the bin and let the dough rise there for the time required for the first bulk fermentation period.

First folding/stretching: Place the dough on the work surface, knead the dough briefly, then turn it upside down. Round the dough to tighten its outer membrane. Put the dough back in the bin.

Second bulk fermentation period: Change the water in the ramekin by hot water. Cover the bin and let the dough rise there for the time required for this period.

Second folding/stretching: Place the dough on the work surface, knead the dough briefly, then turn it upside down. Round the dough to tighten its outer membrane. Put the dough back in the bin.

Third bulk fermentation period: Change the water in the ramekin by hot water. Cover the bin and let the dough rise there for the time required for this period.

Third folding/stretching: Place the dough on the work surface, knead the dough briefly, then turn it upside down. Round the dough to tighten its outer membrane. Put the dough back in the bin.

Fourth bulk fermentation period (if there is still time): Change the water in the ramekin by hot water. Cover the bin and let the dough rise there for the time required for this period. If applicable, put the bin in the refrigerator and leave it there for the time required for the fourth bulk fermentation period.

Division: Once the time for the last proofing has elapsed, invert the bin of dough onto the unfloured work surface, letting the dough detach itself from the bin. Divide the dough into equal parts with your hands or with a dough cutter.

Pre-shaping: Gently flatten a piece of dough with hand. Stretch it on the left, then fold it down in the centre. Do the same to the right, far from you and close to you. Turn the dough right side up, then shape it by rounding. To do this, wrap one hand around the piece of dough, then move it on the work surface in circles. Put the piece of dough back in the bin. Follow the same procedure for the other pieces of dough.

Resting: Put the ramekin and the small container in the bin, then pour in a little hot water. Cover the bin and let the dough pieces rest for the time required for the resting period.

Oven preparation: Place the rack on the second or third position of the upper part of the oven, place a pizza stone on it. Preheat the oven to 500°F (260 °C) for at least 30 minutes.

Once the resting time has elapsed, put white or whole wheat flour in a deep plate. Also provide a small rolling pin, a large baking sheet to place the uncooked breads on, two dry clothes to cover them until cooking. Set everything aside on the work surface.

Shaping: Remove a piece of dough from the bin, place it in the flour plate, roll it in all directions so that it is well coated with flour, then put it on the work surface. Using the rolling pin, roll it out into a round disk about 6 inches in diameter (if necessary, pass the disk through the flour plate on one side and the other to lightly flour it ) - if the dough regains its shape when you work it, put it back in the bin and let it rest for 5 minutes before continuing to shape it (in the meantime, shape another part). Gently stretch the disk with fingers to give it the shape of a drop of water or an inverted pear, place it on a baking sheet (if necessary, stretch it further), gently flatten the centre of the dough with hands (to reduce the size of the pockets of carbon dioxide), then cover it with a dry cloth. Do the same with the other pieces of dough.

Place double blotting paper in the bottom of a large plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Provide metal kitchen tongs or a heat-resistant rigid spatula as well as another double blotting paper to cover the breads once cooked. Set everything aside on the work surface near the oven.

Shape the edge of each loaf by making equidistant hollows with fingers about 1/2 inch from the edge. Then make hollows on the rest of the dough except for the edge (as shown).

Baking: Take a piece of dough with one hand and spread it on the inside surface with the other hand. Pass the sheet from one hand to the other 2 or 3 times to remove the excess flour, then place it on the stone. Place one or more other piece of dough on the stone (depending on the size of the stone) following the same procedure. Spray them liberally (to give them a burst of steam). Cook for about 6 minutes. Watch carefully at the start of cooking, because if the dough tends to separate like pita bread, it should be pricked with a toothpick or a skewer to let the gas escape (if done later, the dough will have already started to harden).

Take out of the oven: When the loaves have taken on a nice colour, remove them immediately using the tongs or spatula, place them in the airtight container, cover it with the second blotting paper, then close the container.

Close the oven, restore the temperature to 500°F (260°C). Cook the other crusts in the same way.

Airing in a close environment: Let the breads rest for at least 15 minutes in the airtight container to keep them soft and supple.

To transfer the still warm loaves to a Ziploc bag after cooling, place the loaves on a new large double blotting paper and cover them with another new double blotting paper, insert everything into the bag and put a glass near the opening to let the residual steam escape. Then, remove the blotting papers (dry them on the back of a chair) and the glass, then seal the bag tightly.

Suggested Schedules

Without Refrigeration: Mixing around 9 h / 5 h bulk fermentation period (45 min. between each of the 3 folds-stretchings) / Pre-shaping around 2 p.m. / Resting 1 h 30 / Shaping around 3:30 p.m. / No Proofing / 6 mins. baking at 500°F (260 °C)

With Refrigeration: Mixing around 19 h / Between 2 h and 3 h bulk fermentation period (30 min. between each of the 3 folds-stretchings) / Putting the dough in the fridge / Taking the dough out of fridge between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. / Pre-shaping around 9 a.m. / Resting 1 h 30 / Shaping / No Proofing / 6 mins. baking at 500°F (260 °C)