- 2-1/4 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon oil or melted fat
- 1 cup tap water
Mixing by Hand: Get out a large bowl.
In it combine the whole wheat flour and
salt. Add the oil and water. Combine
everything together to form a stiff dough.
Mix it with your hands when it gets too
stiff to mix with a spoon. If the dough
seems dry, add a little more water, if it
seems too wet, add a little more flour. Work
and knead the dough for 10 minutes by the
clock. All of this kneading is what makes a
tender finished product. After kneading the
dough, cover it with a dish towel or plastic
wrap. Allow it to rest for at least 30
minutes. This will make it easier to roll
out. You may allow it to rest over night if
desired.
Mixing by Bread Machine: Measure all
of the ingredients into the machine’s bread
pan. Start the machine and allow it to mix
and knead the dough for you. Set your timer
for 10 minutes, or watch the clock. When the
time is up, turn off the machine. You should
have a nice stiff ball of dough inside of it
with a clay-like consistency. Allow the
dough to rest inside the machine for at
least 30 minutes, or as long as overnight.
It won’t rise because it doesn’t have yeast
in it.
Rolling & Shaping the Dough: After
the dough has rested, divide it into 8 or 10
pieces. Roll out each piece into a large
thin circle. I roll mine out on waxed paper
dusted with flour, or a square piece of
clean muslin cloth dusted with flour. Make
the flat-bread as thin as possible. Roll out
all of the flat-bread before you begin to
cook them if possible. This makes the work
go faster. The thinner you can roll the
dough, the more tender the finished product
will be.
To Make Chapatis: After rolling out
the dough, heat a dry iron skillet over
medium-high heat.
 When
it is hot, place one of the prepared
flat-bread on it. Let it cook for about 10
seconds and then flip to the other side.
Cook the second side for about a minute, or
until it is brown and puffy. Flip the
flat-bread again and cook the first side for
about another minute. It will be light
brown, tender and puffed with little bubbles
all over.
To Make Fry-Bread: After rolling out
the dough, heat about 1/2 an inch of oil in
a large skillet. Get the oil very hot,
almost smoking, or about 375°. Carefully
slip a prepared flat-bread into the hot oil.
Press it down gently with a pair of tongs so
that it is submerged in the hot oil. The
bread will bubble up and puff all over. Use
tongs to turn it and brown the other side.
Remove it and place it on a paper towel
covered plate, or a brown paper bag to
drain. Continue with the rest of the
flat-bread, until all are cooked.
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