Fast Flour Tortillas or Chapattis

The dough keeps for about 3 days in the fridge in a Ziploc bag and rolls out just fine straight from the fridge, but you can bring it to room temperature if you like or if your dough feels too stiff.

For the dough:

Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt together in a large bowl; make a well in the center and pour in the water and oil. Stir with a fork or wooden spoon until a rough ball forms, then knead gently for a minute with your hands right in the bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for about 15 minutes to an hour.

For tortillas:

Divide into 8 to 14 balls, depending on how thick and or big you want your tortillas. For a very thin 10-inch tortilla, you need about a 1 ¼ inch in diameter ball of dough.

Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan or griddle on high heat for about 1 to 5 minutes (depending on how thick your pan is), until a little splash of water evaporates upon contact. I find that a cast iron pan works best, but a cheap old nonstick fry pan works good, too. You just need to be very careful not to get it too hot.

On a well-floured surface, roll out the ball of dough until very thin. The dough should be really elastic. I like to roll it to about 3/4 the size I want and then stretch it the rest of the way in my hands to get a better feel for the thinness I want.

Place the tortilla in the preheated pan and cook for about 1 minute per side, or until bubbled with dark brown spots. You can gently press the tortillas with a flipper to brown it more evenly. Use immediately or stack covered with foil or a kitchen towel until ready to serve.

For chapattis (you will need a gas or propane stovetop for the charring, or a gas or charcoal grill):

Divide dough into 6 or 7 pieces, shape into balls and one at a time roll to about an 1/8-inch thickness for a fairly thick chapatti. Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan or griddle on high heat for a couple minutes, and turn on another burner to medium. Quickly cook the chapatti on both sides until just cooked but not yet browned. Flip it onto the open burner with kitchen tongs, cook on both sides for a few seconds until covered with black and brown spots and very puffed, then serve immediately. You can also cook them on the grill by throwing them on the cool side for a couple minutes per side and then quickly charring them on the hot side.