Sourdough-curious lunch planners
If you want naan in place of crusty bread, look for an explicit sourdough description. The Waitrose and M&S plain naan listings mention fermented wheat flour without describing the finished breads as sourdough naan.
Who is choosing the bread?
Plain-bread pairing shoppers
If you want cheese and pickle to lead, consider plain naan or conventional crusty bread rather than a garlic-and-coriander topping. The ploughman's recipe from delicious. magazine pairs crusty bread with Cheddar and pickled onions.
Gluten-free lunch planners
Check for a specifically labelled gluten-free bread and assess the other lunch ingredients separately. Asda's sourdough naan contains wheat; its Free From Plain Naans are a different product labelled gluten-free.
What should you check?
Choose the flavour and texture you want with cheese and pickle, then check the exact bread's description, handling instructions and ingredients.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Flavour and texture | Compare plain naan, garlic-and-coriander naan and crusty bread. The ploughman's recipe from delicious. magazine uses crusty bread with Cheddar and pickled onions. | I'd choose plain bread when I want the cheese and pickle to lead; a flavoured naan would change that pairing. |
| Sourdough wording | Check both the product description and ingredients. Asda describes its specified Bom Bahia naan as made with sourdough; the Waitrose and M&S plain naan listings mention fermented wheat flour instead. | If I'm choosing naan specifically for sourdough, fermented flour in an ingredient list alone won't answer my question. |
| Storage and serving | Read the chosen pack's storage, heating and opened-pack directions. The specified Asda sourdough naan and Sainsbury's flavoured naan require refrigeration; the cited Waitrose and M&S plain naans specify cool, dry storage before opening. | For a lunch assembled away from the kitchen, I need to know how to keep and serve the bread. |
| Ingredients and allergens | Check the exact bread label and every accompaniment. Asda's specified sourdough naan contains wheat; its separately listed Free From Plain Naans are labelled gluten-free. | When catering for someone who needs gluten-free food, I can't use the word “sourdough” as a substitute for checking the label. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming fermented flour makes a naan a sourdough naan
The cited Waitrose and M&S products list fermented wheat flour but are sold as plain naans. Asda explicitly describes its specified Bom Bahia naan as made with sourdough.
If sourdough is the reason for your choice, read the exact product description as well as the ingredients.
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Keeping every unopened naan in the cupboard
The specified Asda sourdough and Sainsbury's flavoured naans require refrigeration, unlike the cited Waitrose and M&S plain naans, which specify cool, dry storage before opening.
Check the chosen pack's storage and heating directions before planning the lunch.
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Treating sourdough as a gluten-free label
Asda's specified sourdough naan contains wheat. Its labelled gluten-free plain naan is a separate product.
For a gluten-free diner, check the bread's label and the ingredients in the rest of the lunch.
Relevant brand references
Asda
Asda describes its Bom Bahia garlic-and-coriander naan as made with sourdough and lists a separate Free From plain naan.
- The specified Bom Bahia product directly addresses a sourdough-naan choice.
- That product contains wheat and added yeast and requires refrigeration; the labelled gluten-free plain naan is not described as sourdough.
Waitrose
Waitrose lists a plain naan with kalonji seeds as an alternative to a garlic-and-coriander bread.
- The specified product gives cool, dry storage instructions before opening.
- Its ingredients mention fermented wheat flour, but Waitrose calls the product plain naan, not sourdough naan.
M&S
The M&S plain naans listed by Ocado offer another plain-bread option.
- The specified product has cool, dry storage instructions before opening.
- Its ingredient list includes fermented wheat flour, but the listing does not describe these naans as made with sourdough.
Sainsbury's
Sainsbury's lists a garlic-and-coriander naan for a flavoured variation on the lunch.
- The specified product lists garlic and coriander.
- Its listing does not identify it as sourdough naan, and it requires refrigeration.
Tesco
Tesco's naan category lists plain and mini plain formats.
- Those listed formats give shoppers different pack options to examine.
- Check an individual product listing for its ingredients, storage directions and any sourdough description.
Plain naan options on Joybuy
These Humza plain naans are options if you want naan without a garlic-and-coriander topping alongside cheese and pickle. If naan made with sourdough is essential, check the exact product description before choosing.
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Humza Plain Naan Family Pack 900g, 12 pieces
A plain naan option when you want the cheese and pickle to lead. The pack is listed as 900g with 12 pieces; check the product label if you need a sourdough or gluten-free bread.
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Humza Plain Tandoori Naan 300g, 4 pieces
A plain tandoori naan option for a cheese-and-pickle lunch. The pack is listed as 300g with 4 pieces; check the product label if sourdough or gluten-free suitability matters to your choice.
Common questions
Does fermented wheat flour mean a naan is sold as sourdough?
Not on that ingredient alone. Waitrose and M&S list fermented wheat flour in the specified plain naans, while Asda explicitly describes its specified Bom Bahia naan as made with sourdough and also lists added yeast.
Should I heat naan before serving a ploughman's lunch?
Follow the chosen pack's directions rather than applying one rule to every naan. The specified Asda sourdough naan gives oven instructions from chilled and says not to reheat; the cited plain and flavoured products also provide warming instructions.
Can I keep all these naans in the cupboard?
No single storage instruction covers them. The specified Asda sourdough naan and Sainsbury's flavoured naan require refrigeration, while the cited Waitrose and M&S plain naans specify cool, dry storage before opening. Check the pack's date and opened-pack directions too.
Is sourdough naan suitable for someone who needs gluten-free food?
Do not infer gluten-free suitability from “sourdough”: Asda's specified sourdough naan contains wheat. Check a specifically labelled gluten-free bread and assess the other lunch ingredients separately.