This sourdough roti is one of the quickest and easiest whole wheat flatbreads you can make. It’s perfect to eat alongside a variety of curry dishes, and it only requires four ingredients: whole wheat flour, water, salt, and sourdough starter or discard.
Why This Recipe Works
Traditionally, roti is a simple flatbread made from whole wheat flour, water, and salt. Since sourdough starter is made up of water and flour, it is an easy ingredient to add to this dough without changing the bread in any significant way. So if you’re looking for a great recipe to use up some sourdough discard, sourdough roti is a great option!
What Type of Pan to Use
I used a 10″ cast-iron pan for this recipe, but any cast-iron pan 10″ or larger will work great. You could also use a comal or a tawa.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Whole Wheat Flour: 100% whole wheat flour works great in this recipe; I used the Bob’s Red Mill brand of whole grain wheat flour. If you can find it, use an Indian whole grain wheat flour called “atta.” This is what is traditionally used to make roti. Since I can never find this, I stick with standard super market whole wheat flour.
- Water: Filtered tap water or un-chlorinated bottled water is best.
- Sourdough Starter (active or discard): I don’t usually have a lot of sourdough discard, so I fed my sourdough starter and then waited over 24 hours to use it. It had sunk back down in the jar by that time and was loaded with tangy flavor.
- Salt: I used Kosher salt, but any plain salt or sea salt will work fine.
- Butter, melted: This is an optional ingredient that is recommended for brushing onto the sourdough roti after they are done cooking.
Note: Check recipe card below for full ingredient amounts and quantities.
How to Make Sourdough Roti
Ingredient Amounts
- Whole Wheat Flour – 225 grams
- Water – 150 grams
- Sourdough Starter, active or discard – 50 grams
- Salt – 5 grams
- Butter, melted – 14 grams (1 Tbsp) For brushing onto the finished flatbreads
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making the Dough
- Using a digital scale to weigh your ingredients, add the water, sourdough starter, and salt to a mixing bowl. Stir thoroughly to combine the liquid ingredients together.
- Add the whole wheat flour into the mixing bowl along with the liquid ingredients. Stir everything together with a fork or a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough is formed.
- Turn the dough out onto an un-floured counter and knead the dough by hand for 5 minutes, or until it forms a smooth ball of dough.
- Cover the dough with the upside-down mixing bowl and let it rest on the counter for 5 minutes.
Shaping the Sourdough Roti
- Uncover the dough after it has rested for 5 minutes and divide the dough ball into six equally-sized pieces with a knife or a bench scraper. If you want to have each piece be exactly the same size, weigh out each piece to around 71 grams.
- Stretch and fold each piece of dough into a ball, and then roll the dough into a smooth ball on the counter.
- When you have shaped six individual dough balls, let the dough balls rest on the counter for 5 minutes before rolling.
- After the five minute rest, roll each dough ball into a circle that is roughly 1/8″ thick. Dust one side of the flattened dough with whole wheat flour and place the floured side down on the counter so that the dough doesn’t stick to the counter while you are rolling out the other dough balls.
Cooking the Sourdough Roti
- Five minutes before cooking, preheat a 10″-12″ cast-iron skillet on medium-low heat. When all of the dough balls are flattened, you can begin cooking right away.
- Lay one flattened piece of dough onto the hot cast-iron pan. No oil is needed to cook these flatbreads as they should release from the pan on their own as they cook. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side, then flip with a spatula and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on the other side.
- When each roti is done cooking, transfer it to a wire rack to rest while you cook the remaining flatbreads.
- Using a pastry brush, brush all of the finished sourdough roti with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
- Enjoy the sourdough roti while they are still warm from the pan alongside your favorite curry dish and basmati rice.
Yield: 6 flatbreads
Sourdough Roti
This sourdough roti is one of the quickest and easiest whole wheat flatbreads you can make. It's perfect to eat alongside a variety of curry dishes, and it only requires four ingredients: whole wheat flour, water, salt, and sourdough starter or discard.
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
24 minutes
Additional Time
20 minutes
Total Time
49 minutes
Ingredients
- Whole Wheat Flour - 225 grams
- Water - 150 grams
- Sourdough Starter, active or discard - 50 grams
- Salt - 5 grams
- Butter, melted (optional) - 14 grams (1 Tbsp)
Instructions
Making the Dough
- Using a digital scale to weigh your ingredients, add the water, sourdough starter, and salt to a mixing bowl. Stir thoroughly to combine the liquid ingredients together.
- Add the whole wheat flour into the mixing bowl along with the liquid ingredients. Stir everything together with a fork or a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough is formed.
- Turn the dough out onto an un-floured counter and knead the dough by hand for 5 minutes, or until it forms a smooth ball of dough.
- Cover the dough with the upside-down mixing bowl and let it rest on the counter for 5 minutes.
Shaping the Sourdough Roti
- Uncover the dough after it has rested for 5 minutes and divide the dough ball into six equally-sized pieces with a knife or a bench scraper. If you want to have each piece be exactly the same size, weigh out each piece to around 71 grams.
- Stretch and fold each piece of dough into a ball, and then roll the dough into a smooth ball on the counter.
- When you have shaped six individual dough balls, let the dough balls rest on the counter for 5 minutes before rolling.
- After the five minute rest, roll each dough ball into a circle that is roughly 1/8″ thick. Dust one side of the flattened dough with whole wheat flour and place the floured side down on the counter so that the dough doesn’t stick to the counter while you are rolling out the other dough balls.
Cooking the Sourdough Roti
- Five minutes before cooking, preheat a 10″-12″ cast-iron skillet on medium-low heat. When all of the dough balls are flattened, you can begin cooking right away.
- Lay one flattened piece of dough onto the hot cast-iron pan. No oil is needed to cook these flatbreads as they should release from the pan on their own as they cook. Cook for 2 minutes on the first side, then flip with a spatula and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes on the other side.
- When each roti is done cooking, transfer it to a wire rack to rest while you cook the remaining flatbreads.
- Using a pastry brush, brush all of the finished sourdough roti with about 1 tablespoon of melted butter.
- Enjoy the sourdough roti while they are still warm from the pan alongside your favorite curry dish and basmati rice.