Sometime back there was a shortage of whole wheat flour or atta that is used to make Indian bread like roti, puri, and paratha. And that was the moment I decided to transition to freshly milled flour.
I tried making the flour in Vitamix but was not satisfied with the results and the loud noise. So I decided to invest in the Nutrimill Harvest and there has been no looking back. I love the rotis made with fresh-milled flour.
What wheat you will need
To make roti with freshly milled flour, I use hard white wheat flour and soft white wheat flour in a ratio of 2:1. I mill the hard white wheat berries and soft white wheat berries separately and mix them while kneading the flour for roti, also called chapati.
I buy the Palouse brand hard white wheat berries and soft white wheat berries from Amazon. The berries are very clean and make great flour.
Soft white wheat has less gluten and adding it lowers the overall gluten content of the dough which is perfect for making roti.
The freshly milled flour is slightly coarser than the store-bought one so it is best to use warm water for kneading as it helps soften the bran and makes the dough softer.
Adding oil or salt is optional and I do not add it while making roti. Hard red wheat flour can be used instead of hard white wheat. The color of the roti will be darker and have a stronger flavor.
How to make dough
The roti dough can be made by hand, stand mixer, food processor, or bread maker. First, mix the flour and warm water and let it stand for about 10 minutes. This will help soften the bran. Then continue to mix and knead the dough.
Here is a detailed post to make roti dough in a stand mixer.
Also, refer to instructions to make the dough in the bread maker.
Step 1: Combine flour and warm water and mix it gently. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
Step 2: Knead the dough into a dough ball of desired softness.
After kneading the dough, you can make roti immediately if needed. However, covering and letting the dough rest for about 30 minutes makes softer rotis.
While rolling the roti, use soft white wheat flour for dusting as it does not have coarser bran which makes it difficult for rotis to puff up.
Step 3: Roll roti using soft white wheat flour for dusting.
Step 4: Cook and puff roti on high flame.
Variations
Add a little oil, salt, and optionally nigella seeds to make dough for puri and paratha.
Equipment
I have used a KitchenAid stand mixer to make the dough. It can be made in a food processor, bread machine, or even by hand.
How to store the roti dough
It is best to use the roti dough to make fresh roti. However, if there is any leftover, it can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Before using it, reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds to get it to room temperature.
Tips and notes
- Mix the flour with warm water and let it rest for 10 minutes before kneading.
- Let the dough rest for about 30 minutes before making roti.
FAQ
Which wheat is best for chapati flour?
A combination of hard white wheat and soft white wheat flour is perfect for making soft chapati. The berries are milled separately and then mixed while making the chapati dough.
Related
If you enjoyed this recipe, you may also like Indian bread recipes.
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📖 Recipe
Roti Dough With Fresh Milled Flour
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Ingredients
- 2 ½ cup Hard white wheat berries flour (300 grams
- 1 ¼ cup Soft white wheat berries flour 150 grams
- 1 ¼ cup Water (warm) 300 ml
Instructions
- Add water in the stand mixer bowl.1 ¼ cup Water (warm)
- Weigh and add the flour to the stand mixer bowl.2 ½ cup Hard white wheat berries flour, 1 ¼ cup Soft white wheat berries flour
- Mix it with a spoon and let it stand for about 5-10 minutes.
- Place the bowl in the stand mixer.
- Attach the dough hook.
- Start kneading on setting 2 for about 3-5 minutes.
- Once the dough gets well kneaded and attached to the hook, change the setting to 0 and stop kneading.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for about 30 minutes.
- Dough is ready to make soft roti.
Notes
- Weighing the flour gives consistent results every time.
- If you do not have a weighing scale add 2 cups of flour per cup of water and then add more flour or water as needed while kneading.
- Add water or flour while kneading to get a desired consistency.
- To make paratha dough, add some oil, salt, and optionally nigella seeds.
- You can store the dough in the fridge in an air-tight container for 2-3 days. While reusing, microwave it for about 15-20 seconds.
Monica Blanton says
Can I sub hard white with hard red wheat?
Alpa Jain says
Hi Monica,
Yes you can sub with hard red wheat.
Cheers,
Alpa