Recipe hydration
Sourdough Naan — Hydration Guide
Target 70%. Workable range 65–75%.
Why this hydration for Sourdough Naan?
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.
Flour mix: 100% bread flour.
What 70% hydration does for Sourdough Naan
At its 70% target, Sourdough Naan bakes up with an open, custardy crumb with irregular holes and a glossy interior — the water gives lift and chew. That's why the style sits where it does on the scale — push it much drier and it tightens toward a sandwich loaf; push it much wetter and it slackens past what the lean structure can hold.
Worked water math for a 500 g batch
| Flour | 500 g (100%) |
| Water | 350 g (70%) |
| Salt | 9 g (1.8%) |
| Levain | 90 g (~18%) |
The levain already carries some of that flour and water. The calculator below subtracts its contribution so the numbers you actually weigh at the bench hit 70% exactly.
How this flour mix drinks
Sourdough Naan uses 100% bread flour. That's straight white bread flour, which handles predictably at 70% — add all the water up front and adjust only if a new bag of flour behaves differently.
Technique at 70%
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 70%
- 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.
Sourdough Naan hydration — FAQ
What hydration is Sourdough Naan meant to be?
Target 70% — that's 70 g of water per 100 g of flour by weight. The workable range is 65–75% depending on your flour and handling skill.
How much water do I need for Sourdough Naan?
Multiply your flour weight by 0.7. For a 500 g flour batch that's 350 g water, plus about 9 g salt (1.8%). The calculator on this page also subtracts the water your levain already contributes.
Can I make Sourdough Naan at a lower hydration?
Down to about 65% gives a tighter crumb and much easier, less sticky handling — a good starting point if you're new to this style. Below 65% the open, characteristic Sourdough Naan texture is largely lost.
Can I make Sourdough Naan at a higher hydration?
Up to about 75% opens the crumb further but demands confident wet-dough handling (more folds, a well-floured bench, decisive shaping). Above 75% the structure usually slackens and the loaf spreads instead of rising.