If you want to make tasty Indian roti and chapati kneading is a crucial preparation step. It this process that helps alter the dough into a soft and fluffy form. If the dough is not kneaded enough, it hardens and crisps up if baked into bread which most people don't find very palatable. This is why kneading the dough properly is important to produce the best results.
There are a few basic ingredients needed in order to make the perfect dough for your roti or chapati. And they are water, salt, and flour. The water must be at room temperature, not too hot nor too cold. Add salt to make the dough taste good and be seasoned. The flour you may use everyday, made by grinding whole wheat, is called atta. It is what makes the bread porous and flavorful.
The key to delicious Indian roti is how they are textured. It must be kneaded until it is soft and smooth. This softness is due to a protein in the flour, which lets the dough puff up when you knead it. The softer and fluffier the roti comes out, the more you knead the dough. So, when you knead, you are basically exercising the dough!
After you’ve mixed the dough together, it’s time to begin kneading it. Flour a clean counter or surface. Then just put the dough onto that floured area. Work the dough for at least 10 minutes. That means you need to knead and stretch it until it feels smooth and elastic. Push the dough away from you with your palm, and then pull it back toward you. Then keep doing this until you think the dough is well kneaded.
No matter how you knead the dough, it is important no matter what! In kneading certain recipes, you’ll have to use ghee or oil. This additional fat softens and leavens the bread, which many people find pleasing. This is one of several ways to do this: use hot water instead of room temperature water. The hot water helps soften the dough, making it easier to knead. But be careful! If the water is too hot it can destroy the dough and kill the yeast.
Ensure that you do not use too much water. Water is essential, since it activates the gluten in the flour. Add too much water, and your dough will be sticky and unwieldy, which is something to be avoided.
After kneading, though, allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out. The resting time lets the gluten relax, which makes it easier to roll the dough into the desired shape.
