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CHAPATIS
Recipe By : BAKERS' DOZEN (ALFORD AND DUGUID) SHOW #BD1A27
Serving Size : 8 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : Breads
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
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2 cups Atta flour (or whole wheat -- sifted)
1 teaspoon salt
Approximately 1 cup warm water
You will need a medium-sized bowl, a rolling pin, a castiron griddle or
heavy skillet, and a small
cotton cloth or a paper towel.
In a medium-sized bowl, mix together the salt and the flour. Make a well
in
the middle and add
just less than 1 cup warm water. Mix with your hand or with a spoon until
you can gather it
together into a dough (depending on the condition of your flour, you may
need a little extra water
or a little extra flour to make a kneadable dough). Turn out onto a
lightly
floured bread board and
knead for 8 to 10 minutes. Cover with a damp cloth or a plastic wrap and
let
stand for 30 minutes
or for up to 2 hours. The longer the dough stands, the more digestible
the
breads.
Divide the dough into 8 pieces and flatten each with lightly floured
fingers. Continue flattening
with a rolling pin until each piece is 8 inches in diameter. Once you
have
started rolling, roll out
each bread without flipping it over. To keep the bread from sticking to
your
bread board, make
sure that the bread is lightly floured underneath. Cover the breads with
the
damp towel or plastic
wrap as you roll out others (make sure not to stack the rolled out
breads;
if you don't have
enough counter space for the breads, roll out just a few and begin
cooking,
rolling out the others
as the breads cook).
Heat a cast iron griddle or skillet over medium-high heat. When the
griddle
is hot, place a
chapati on the griddle, top side of the bread down first. Let cook for
only
10 seconds and then
gently flip to the second side. Cook on the second side until small
bubbles
begin to form,
approximately one minute. Turn the chapati back to the first side and
finish
cooking (another
minute approximately). At this stage, a perfect chapati will start to
balloon. This process can be
helped along by gently pressing on the bread. The bread is hot, so we
find
the easiest method is
to use a small cotton cloth or a paper towel wadded up to protect your
finger tips. Gently press
down on a large bubble forcing the bubble to extend itself wider. If the
bread starts to burn on the
bottom before it has ballooned, move the bread (with the help of your
paper
towel) across the
skillet, dislodging it from the point at which it is beginning to burn.
When you are satisfied with your chapati, remove it and wrap in a clean
towel. Continue to cook
the other breads, stacking each as it is finished on top of the others.
Yield: 8 chapatis, 7 to 8 inches across, thin and supple.
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NOTES : Making chapatis can be a very relaxing thing to do. In quite a
short time you can
produce eight or ten breads, each one turning out a little bit different
from the others, but all of
them attractive, nutritious, and good. We've grown so accustomed to
making
chapatis that they
now feel almost like a convenience food, a household staple of the best
kind.
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