200 grams Sourdough Starter (100% hydration)
120 grams Fresh Yogurt
150 grams water
1 tablespoon melted butter or ghee
125 grams chickpea flour
300 grams whole-wheat flour
8 grams (about 1 teaspoon) fine sea salt
olive oil (for rolling)
melted butter, clarified butter, or ghee (for brushing)

Set a bowl on a kitchen scale. Measure in the starter and then the yogurt, water, and butter, whisking until combined. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rest for 10 minutes while you feed your starter. Mix in the flours just until the sticky dough comes together. Cover again and let rest for 30 minutes.

Add the salt and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for about a minute, until the salt is incorporated and the dough forms a ball. Place it in an oiled bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover and set aside to rise for at least 4 hours, until doubled.

When the dough has nearly doubled in size, preheat your oven and a baking stone or sheet to the oven’s highest temperature (mine is 550°F). Once the oven is at temperature, turn the dough out onto a lightly oiled surface. Flatten the dough ball slightly to an even height, and then cut it into 8 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, adding more oil to the rolling pin and your work surface as needed.

Place 1–2 teardrops on the baking stone. Bake for 2 minutes, flip, and bake 1 additional minute. 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 immediately while still warm. Makes 8 flatbreads.

Tips & Tricks

• I call this low-gluten bread because the ingredients and process ensure it has less gluten than my other sourdough flatbreads or commercial full-wheat products. But I haven’t tested the final gluten content; if gluten is a concern for you, talk with your doctor before trying the recipe.
• Ghee is more traditional, but unless you use it often enough to keep a supply on hand, melted butter is an easy substitute. If you aren’t yet making your own yogurt, you can substitute commercial yogurt—or sign up for one of my workshops!
• If the kitchen is warm and the dough seems to rise too quickly, you can transfer it to the fridge to slow its progression. You could bake it earlier if it rapidly doubles in size, but you won’t get quite as strong of a sourdough flavor and may get a chewier texture.
• You can also postpone your baking by placing the dough in the fridge. This is easiest after you’ve cut the dough into wedges; just wrap each wedge in a piece of waxed paper, place them in a zip-close bag, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
• Because I developed this recipe to make in a low-gluten house, I wanted to limit the amount of flour I was throwing around the kitchen. Oiling your rolling surface and tools requires a heavier hand during cleanup, but it works almost as well as flouring your surfaces to prevent sticking.
• Sourdough naan is best when made fresh and served hot. It’s delicious on its own or as a base. Serve it as a flatbread topped with fresh herbs and crumbled Dry-Salted Feta. Or cut it into pieces to serve with an Indian-inspired dip (see below) at a party or alongside an Indian meal.

1 cup lentils
1-1/2 cups water
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
1 dried chili, crushed
3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried basil, slivered or crushed
2 tablespoons sunflower oil
1/2 lime

Pour the lentils into a fine-mesh sieve, remove any debris, and rinse under running water. Add the lentils and water to a medium saucepan. Bring them to a boil, skimming off any foam to ensure the pot doesn’t boil over. Turn the heat down to a simmer, and stir in the turmeric. Cook for about 15 minutes, until the lentils are tender but still hold their shape. Stir occasionally to prevent them from sticking to the pan, checking for your desired texture toward the end of the cooking time. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt; cover the saucepan with a lid and set it aside.

Prepare the remaining ingredients so that they’re ready to add quickly. Pour the oil to a small frying pan and heat it over medium-high heat until just below smoking point. Stir in the mustard seeds; wait a few seconds until they start to pop, and then stir in the chili, quickly followed by the garlic. Lower the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly to keep the mustard seeds under control, until the garlic is golden on both sides. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the dried or fresh basil.

Pour the infused oil over the lentils and stir to distribute evenly. Squeeze in the lime juice, and stir again; for a thinner dip, stir in a tablespoon or two of warm water. Serve immediately. Makes about 2 cups.

Tips & Tricks

• Red lentils don’t need soaking and cook more quickly than other beans: 10–15 minutes keeps some shape, another 10 minutes turns them to mush, and 50 minutes makes them baby food. Lentils keep cooking a bit after you remove them from the heat, so err on the side of slightly undercooked.
• You can cook the lentils ahead of time and store them in the fridge for 3–4 days. They’ll stiffen up the longer they sit, so reheat them over low heat with a bit of warm water.
• Want other flavors? Add more, or hotter, chilies, or go heavy on the fresh basil in summer. Instead of just juicing the lime, you can stir in its zest. Other flavor options include curry leaves, bay leaves, curry powder, tahini, or any spices you would add to hummus.
• Low-Gluten Sourdough Naan dips smoothly into these lentils, but it has many uses. Raw vegetables can handle this sturdy dip, or it makes a savory sandwich spread under smoked beets.