East African Chapati

In a wide bowl, combine 500 g of wheat flour and 1.5 tsp salt. Make a well in the center, pour in 30 ml vegetable oil and about 175 ml warm water, then mix with your fingers, adding the remaining water gradually until no dry patches remain.

Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead for 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic; if it sticks, dust in a little more flour from the same measure.

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces, roll into balls, brush them with a thin layer of vegetable oil, cover and let rest for 60 minutes.

Working one ball at a time, flatten and roll out on a lightly floured surface into a very thin circle about 30–35 cm in diameter. Brush the surface with vegetable oil, sprinkle with a pinch of flour, roll the dough up tightly into a log, then coil the log into a spiral; tuck the end underneath the spiral.

Cover the spirals and let rest for another 30 minutes to relax the gluten. Then roll out each spiral into a circle about 3 mm thick, dusting with flour as needed.

Heat a dry, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat until a drop of water sizzles away instantly. Lightly brush the skillet with vegetable oil and place one round of dough in it.

Cook for about 1 minute, until the underside is golden and bubbles start forming on the surface. Brush the top with oil, flip, cook for another minute, then flip twice more, brushing with oil each time; total cooking time per chapati is about 4–5 minutes.

Stack the finished chapati and cover with a plate or a clean towel to keep them soft. Serve hot.