Chapatis

---------- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05

Title: Chapatis
Categories: Breads, Ethnic
Yield: 8 Chapatis

2 c Atta or whole wheat flour;
-sift
1 ts Salt
1 c Warm water; approx

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. Source: Bakers'
Dozen, Alford and Duguid, TVFN. MM Waldine Van Geffen vghc42a@prodigy.com.

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