Homemade Roti Requires A Special Stone-Ground Flour

While making your own roti at home requires only water and flour — some cooks may also add salt or oil — you’ll need a specific type of flour that may be challenging to find.

The flour you need is called atta, a finely ground whole wheat flour milled using heavy stones. It contains a higher level of “damaged starch,” which yields a denser final product.

Additionally, atta is made with a “harder” type of wheat than the one that is standard in U.S. bread flour. Therefore, it has more gluten and as a result, is stretchier.

If you can’t find atta, use white whole wheat flour. Made with a relatively hard type of wheat, it’s higher in gluten for a stretchy dough that lends itself well to roti.

Alternatively, mix the white whole wheat flour with all-purpose flour (a half-half mix is fine). This mix boasts a closer flavor profile to atta, which has a slightly nutty taste.