Whole Wheat Chapati
The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook: Artisanal Baking from Around the World
"Lutfunnessa, who learned how to make chapatis with her mother in Bangladesh, taught me how to make these whole wheat flatbreads when she started at the bakery. Because the flour is cooked in boiling water, these chapatis stay soft and pliable for several days (rare for a flatbread) and can be served at room temperature or heated up quickly in a dry skillet." —Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez
Reprinted from The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook. Copyright © 2015 by Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez. Photos copyright © by Jennifer May and Evan Sung. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House, LLC.
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups plus 1 tablespoon (415 grams) water
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 ¼ cups (290 grams) whole wheat flour, plus more for shaping
Method
Put the water and salt in a medium saucepan, bring to a rolling boil, and remove from the heat. Add the flour all at once and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to integrate; the dough will be dry and coarse. Cover the pot with a lid and let the mixture sit for 2 minutes to let the flour fully hydrate.
Transfer the flour mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix on low until the dough is smooth, looks like thick cookie dough, and doesn’t stick to your hands when you touch it, about 4 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and knead lightly until the dough is smooth, about a minute. Roll the dough into a thick rope and use a bench scraper to cut the dough into 12 equal pieces (each should weigh about 2 ounces, or 57 grams). Roll each piece into a ball on the work surface. Press each ball into a 2-inch disk. With a floured rolling pin, roll each disk into a thin round measuring 6 inches in diameter.
Meanwhile, heat a large griddle or cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
Line a basket with a clean kitchen towel. Working with 1 chapatti at a time (or more if your griddle is large enough), cook the chapatti on the first side for just 15 seconds. Turn the chapati and cook on the second side until the underside is barely browned and the edges are dry, about 45 seconds. Turn the chapati again and cook until the first side is lightly browned, about 30 seconds to 1 minute depending on the heat.
The chapati will likely puff up as it cooks—this is a good thing! It means the water in the dough is steaming and making the chapati tender. The chapatti will deflate as it cools.
Transfer the cooked chapati to the basket and cover with the ends of the towel to keep warm while you continue cooking the remaining chapatis.
Serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight plastic bag at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat on a griddle or in a 300°F oven for a few minutes until they’re nice and warm. Don’t cook them too crisp, though, or they will lose their pliability.
Yield
Twelve 6-inch rounds
