How long does Sourdough Naan take to bake?

Bulk ferment 3.00h at 76°F, proof 1.00h, bake 3 minutes at 500°F in a tandoor or cast iron skillet.

South Asia · lean

Sourdough Naan

Name: Sourdough Naan
Prep time: 180 min
Cook time: 3 min
Total time: 243 min
Yield: 1 loaf (12 servings)
Cuisine: South Asia
Ingredients: 500g bread flour; 350g water (70% hydration); 9g salt (1.80%); 75-100g levain (15-20%)

Target 70% hydration · tandoor or cast iron skillet · bake at 500°F

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Sourdough naan uses yogurt (20% of flour weight) for tenderness + tang enhancement. Traditionally baked in a tandoor (clay oven) at 900°F but adapted to home skillet or 550°F oven. Charred spots, puffy texture, brushed with butter/ghee after cooking.

Hydration: 70%
Salt: 1.80%
Levain: 15–20%
Bulk @ 76°F: 3.00h
Proof @ 76°F: 1.00h
Bake temp: 500°F
Bake time: 3m
Vessel: tandoor or cast iron skillet

Flour mix

bread flour — 100%

Technique

Mix dough with yogurt + water. 3h bulk. Divide into 100g pieces, short 1h proof. Stretch into teardrop shape. Cook on very hot cast-iron skillet (or under hot broiler) 90 sec per side. Brush with melted butter/ghee, optionally sprinkle fresh herbs (cilantro).

Calculator pre-set to Sourdough Naan's target (70%)

Adjust the slider for personal preference within the workable 65–75% range.

Total flour(g)

Target hydration(%)

Salt(%)

Levain of flour(%)

Levain hydration(%)

Flour to add: 450 g
Water to add: 300 g
Salt: 10 g
Levain @ 100%: 100 g
Total dough: 860 g
Effective hydration: 70%

How the math works

Total water = flour × hydration %. Your levain contributes 50 g flour + 50 g water — both count toward the totals. You add only the remainder as fresh flour and water.

Salt % is computed on total flour weight, not final-dough flour.

Open 70% hydration guide →

70% hydration reference page — crumb structure, technique notes, other recipes at this hydration
Flour spec: bread flour — protein, ash, absorption — 100% of this recipe's mix
Hydration deep-dive for this recipe — workable range 65–75%
Timing by kitchen temperature — bulk + proof times at 60-90°F using Modernist Bread multipliers
Guide: baker's percentage explained — the math underlying every formula on this page
All 25 recipes — grouped by category (lean, enriched, hearth, pan)

The gear that makes the math work

A short, honest baking kit. The scale matters most — every weight on this page is in grams. The Dutch oven is what turns a good crumb into a great crust.

Digital kitchen scale (0.1 g)
Baker's percentage is by weight, not volume — a 0.1 g scale is what makes the math on this page accurate.
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Dutch oven / combo cooker
Traps steam for the first bake phase — the single biggest factor in oven spring and a blistered, glossy crust.
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Banneton proofing basket
Wicks moisture and holds shape during the final proof, so high-hydration dough doesn't spread flat.
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Bread lame + bench scraper
A sharp lame scores clean ears; a steel bench scraper handles wet, sticky dough without tearing the gluten.
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High-protein bread flour
The math assumes ~12–14% protein. Real bread flour absorbs the hydration you calculate — all-purpose won't.
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Danish dough whisk
Mixes shaggy, high-hydration dough in seconds without the gluey mess of a spoon or your hands.
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🎧 Or learn the craft by ear

The numbers here are the what; a good baking book is the why. An Audible trial gets you any title free — Michael Pollan’s Cooked(the “Air” chapter is the best story ever told about why bread rises) is a perfect first listen.

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Gear guides — what actually matters

Flour mix

Technique

Calculator pre-set to Sourdough Naan's target (70%)

Related references on this site

The gear that makes the math work