I developed this sourdough naan recipe for a client who couldn’t digest commercial breads and keep baking it because it tastes so delicious. It’s an easy dough for first-time sourdough bakers or a weaker neglected starter.
Chickpea flour is naturally gluten free but has a strong flavor. Whole-wheat flour has less gluten than all-purpose flour but more bran and phytic acid. When you mix these with sourdough starter to rise for several hours, the wild yeast breaks down the gluten proteins, improving the flatbreads’ digestibility. Cut the dough into wedges, wrap each in waxed paper and refrigerate them in a zip-close bag for up to 24 hours for even longer gluten-reducing fermentation.
I haven’t tested the final gluten content of this recipe, so talk with your doctor or nutritionist before you try it if you have gluten concerns. I make it with long-fermented Homemade Small-Batch Yogurt, which further boosts the postbiotics, and often serve it with Spiced Red Lentil Dip.
Low-Gluten Sourdough Naan
Makes 8 flatbreads
200 grams (about 2/3 cup) sourdough starter (100% hydration)
120 grams (about 1/2 cup) yogurt
150 grams (about 2/3 cup) water
14 grams (about 1 tablespoon) melted butter, clarified butter or ghee, plus more for brushing
125 grams (about 1 cup) chickpea flour
300 grams (about 2-1/2 cups) whole-wheat flour
8 grams (about 1-1/2 teaspoons) sea salt
Olive oil (for rolling)
Set a large bowl on a kitchen scale. Measure in the starter and then the yogurt, water and butter, whisking until combined. Cover the bowl with a damp tea towel and let rest for 10 minutes. Feed your starter.
Mix in the flours just until the sticky dough comes together. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Add the salt and turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Knead for about one minute, until the salt is incorporated and the dough forms a ball. Place it in an oiled bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover with the damp tea towel and let rise at a moderate room temperature for at least four hours, until doubled.
When the dough has nearly doubled in size, preheat your oven and a baking stone or sheet to 550°F or the oven’s highest temperature. When hot, turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface. Flatten the dough ball slightly to an even thickness, and then cut it into eight wedges. Separate, but don’t shape, the wedges. Cover them with the damp tea towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
Use a rolling pin or your hands to roll or stretch each dough wedge into a teardrop shape about 1/8 inch thick. Add more oil to the rolling pin and your work surface as needed.
Carefully place one or two teardrops on the hot baking stone or sheet. Bake for two minutes, flip and bake one minute longer. Place the flatbreads on a plate or cutting board and continue baking the remaining dough. While the naan is still hot, brush it with melted butter. Serve warm.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger. Learn more about this month’s sourdough workshops at TwiceAsTasty.com.