Perfect Easy Wholewheat Sourdough Naan (with Instant Pot Proofing)

Sourdough Naan I ask, where have you been all my life? AnSourdough Naand the Sourdough Naan responds to me saying, I was waiting for the pandemic. Waiting until you needed me to cheer you up. So, yes, many of you have been asking me for recipes with that quicker sourdough starter that I had cobbled together with help from my instant pot.

My Sourdough Naan Story

But seriously, this lovely sourdough naan with it’s delicate tang and soft and chewy texture is quite the real deal. I make this with either all whole wheat or 50% whole wheat flour. The second variation is a little softer and fluffier. If you want to make this with 100% AP flour, go ahead and you will have a softer fluffier naan. Here I have taken my tested and tried naan recipe from Spices and Seasons Cookbook and adapted to use with a sourdough starter and IP proofing.

Allowing a good long cold rest

The result is quite effortless, but it does take a little bit of planning. To get the best results from your naan, you want to do a cold rise. Essentially, after the mixing/autolyze process. Your wrap and let your naan dough rest in the refrigerator overnight to 2 to 3 days.

Sourdough Naan

This allows the dough to develop a gentle rise and a soft and deep flavor. When you are ready to bake I proof this for 45 minutes in the instant pot. After that, we do some stretching and gentle rolling and I cook this on a cast iron skillet. A very hot cast iron skillet.

This recipe uses yogurt but no additional fat. After cooking, I have brushed this with some optional toasted garlic and mint infused olive oil and ghee. The whole wheat naan is left as is. Either way is fine and a great accompaniment to your favorite curry or just perfect with a bowl of fresh raita.

Sourdough Naan

So the 100% whole wheat naans are the ones featured in the basket.

Tips to get this naan going quicker.

So here are my tips:

  •  Do plan for making this, as I feel the cold rise is essential, but it needs very little hands on time.
  •  Do make sure your cast iron plan is very hot.
  •  Do not overdo the butter or olive oil at the end.
  •  You can make this vegan by using coconut yogurt.
  •  If you do not have an instant pot, the proofing once out of the refrigerator can be done in a nice warm place, it will take 3 to 4 hours.
  •  Do serve this warm.

Sourdough Naan

Can I use regular yeast for this recipe?

You certainly can, and I recommend looking at the grilled naan recipe and stuffed naan rolls to get a sense of timing.

How to Enjoy your sourdough Naan?

Honestly, you can enjoy the sourdough naan with almost any Indian dish on this website, but my absolute favorite one is my dal makhani, or creamy black lentils. I almost feel that Dal Makhani was created with naan in mind.

If you like this recipe and want more ideas, do join my Indian Instant Pot  and Air Fryer Facebook group .

Pick up a copy of my Instant pot cookbook Instant Indian  here, along with The Bengali Five Spice Chronicles and Spices and Seasons.

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Perfect Easy Wholewheat Sourdough Naan (with Instant Pot Proofing)

Prep Time: 24 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 24 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 5 naans

Perfect Easy Wholewheat Sourdough Naan (with Instant Pot Proofing)

A beautiful wholegrain naan made with natural sourdough. You will fall in love with this sourdough naan.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup active sourdough starter (100% hydration)
  • 3 cups flour (2 cups whole whole wheat and 1 cup all purpose)
  • 5 tablespoons yogurt
  • 1 egg light beaten (optional) but adds a nice softness)
  • 2 teaspoons salt
    • Optional finish
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons fresh mint chopped

Instructions

  1. Place the starter, flour, and yogurt in a mixing bowl. Add about 1/3 cup of water and mix lightly to form a shaggy dough. Set aside for 30 minutes.
  2. Stir in the salt and mix well to form a smooth (might be a little sticky dough). You do not need to do too much mixing.
  3. Gather the dough into a ball and place in a container (should be larger than the dough) and let it rise for 2 hours. Gather into a uniform ball and cover and let it rest in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 days.
  4. Bring the dough out about 1 and a half hours before you are ready to cook. It should have doubled in the refrigerator.
  5. Punch down and give it a good mix and place in the instant pot. Turn of the yogurt setting for an hour.
  6. In the meantime, if doing the olive oil finish, heat the olive oil and add the garlic slices until very gently golden. Stir in the mint.
  7. Remove the naan dough and break into 5 equal parts. Roll the dough out into circles or ovals using a light tough. Try to stretch with your hand as much as possible. Your dough should be no more than 1/4 inch in thickness. It will puff up.
  8. If you have patience let the rolled naan rest for 10 minutes, if you are like me start cooking them right away.
  9. Heat your cast iron skillet until it is very hot. Gently moisten one side of your naan and place the wet side on the skillet. Cook for about 2 to 3 minutes, you will see bubbles begin to appear on the side facing you.
  10. Gently turn the naan, you should have a good assortment of nice dark golden spots. Cook the second side for about 2 more minutes. Brush with your prepared olive oil mixture if you want.
  11. Continue the remaining naans this way and enjoy.
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