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I have seen versions of the recipe in this video- the recipe is just flour, water, and fat (looks like a crepe) but it appears to puff up like a tortilla/paratha. See 2:30

I have never been able to make it bubble up like in the video.

ptr64
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    I don't want to steal view from the youtuber but I think I should post the ingredients for users who don't want to open a youtube link just mix the following; ✤ Ingredients (makes 6)
    • 200g All-purpose flour
    • 3g (1tsp) Salt
    • 3g (1tsp) Sugar
    • 10g (1Tbsp) Melted unsalted butter
    • 18g (1Tbsp) Minced garlic
    • 25g (2.5Tbsp) Chopped green onion
    • 380ml Water
     – ptr64 Feb 20 '24 at 03:33
  • In my experience it doesn't really matter whether it puffs up like that or not. All that puff disappears as it cools down anyway, and the end product is all that matters. If your bread tastes good then don't worry about that puff. – Jack Aidley Feb 20 '24 at 16:51
  • @JackAidley as a side, yes, but if you want to fill it like pitta, you do want one big bubble – Chris H Feb 20 '24 at 16:55
  • @ChrisH Sure, but the style of bread in that video is not one that you stuff. – Jack Aidley Feb 20 '24 at 18:09
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    @JackAidley it's not the sort you stuff. Others might, if it formed a pocket; I might depending on what I was having with it – Chris H Feb 20 '24 at 19:45
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    @JackAidley I have never been able to make it puff up like in the video but I have seen other videos that managed to make it puff. The bread does taste good- basically a thick crepe. But I was curious why mine never puffed up... – ptr64 Feb 21 '24 at 02:34

1 Answers1

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One word: Steam.

This is a rather liquid batter, so during the cooking process, the water evaporates and generates a generous amount of steam. When the pancake/flatbread outside has set, the steam has no way to escape, and thus puffs up the bread and creates first multiple pockets, that the cook then gently taps to join into one or a few large ones.

The “trick” is to get the outside set early on, to trap lots of steam. In the video, the cook starts at medium-low and turns as early as possible (-> closed skin), then increases the heat (-> steam & puffing up).

Stephie
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    The trick might well lead to needing a hot pan, to seal the first underside, then an early flip before the middle gets too hot, and possibly a second flip to finish off that first sealed face. You'll need to experiment, but a hotter pan would be a good place to start – Chris H Feb 19 '24 at 17:39
  • I will have to try to experiment with the heat more I guess, but every time I tried to make it, it just turned into a thick crepe. Still quite good, but I never managed to get any layering. – ptr64 Feb 20 '24 at 03:31
  • Try it in a hot oven. Either as hot as yours goes, or a hot as you are comfortable making yours go (and beware of using non-stick pans that either won't go that hot, or that set a limit lower than the oven's maximum temp) no flip and both sides get a skin. – Ecnerwal Feb 20 '24 at 13:22
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    Getting this to work can take a bit of practice. The way it puffs up in the video looks very similar to when I make pita bread or tortillas using a cast iron skillet. The technique I use is based on Melissa Guerra's instructions in Dishes from the Wild Horse Desert for tortillas; the full passage is too long to quote here, but the essence is that you get the skillet very hot, then put the flatbread on it for a short period of time to "seal" (e.g. 20 s.), then flip, and when you see brown dots forming on the underside (eg. 2 m.), flip it again. It will poof. Get it good and poofed; done. – Zoë Sparks Feb 20 '24 at 13:53
  • @Ecnerwal flatbreads are why I bought one of my enamelled cast iron pans (oven or hob). But in the oven a pizza stone is another option – Chris H Feb 20 '24 at 16:50