In the mood for flatbread but low on time? These discs of unleavened, flatbread-y goodness are quickly made by hand and cooked stove-top in a skillet.

Bhakri is a type of Indian, roti-style flatbread that is generally more thick and coarse than chapatti. The texture of bhakri is more forgiving than chapatti and has traditionally been made using a range of flours including wheat, millet, sorghum, and even rice across the various regions of India. This post shows a scalable way to make a Gujarati-inspired bhakri using a more commonly available off-the-shelf gluten free flour blend in place of the wheat flour often used in the region.

The keys to maximizing flavor and texture are to a) cook each bhakri as it is rolled and b) serve the bhakris immediately. Gluten free, plant-based and vegan and yeast free.

Method 1 is a little easier to make and involves puffing the bhakri up directly on the skillet with the help of a spatula and a few drops of oil.

Method 2 of this recipe works best when using 2 burners: one for the skillet and one for the jari for puffing the flatbread up to complete the cooking process.

Let’s begin! Jump to Recipe

Preheat a skillet or pan at medium-low heat.

Prepare the dough

Use Method 1 of the Roti-Style Flatbread Dough (2 ways!) recipe to create the dough as follows: Combine Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour, salt and oil in a bowl. Add boiling water. Stir with a fork until the dough starts to come together. Use clean hands to knead the dough into one large smooth ball.

Divide the larger ball into about 8 smaller balls and cover with a moistened paper towel.

Note: Depending on the batch of flour an additional tablespoon of water may be needed to help the dough come together properly.

Prepare the flatbread

Remove one small dough-ball at a time and use your palms to re-form it into a uniform spherical shape between your palms if needed. I use a tortilla press to flatten the small dough ball into the desired circular shape. Alternately, you can use a rolling pin to flatten/roll the small dough ball into the desired, uniform, circular shape.

Note: To keep the dough from sticking to the tortilla press, tear a ziplock bag at the side seams, keeping the bottom seam intact, so it folds open like a book. ‘Sandwich,’ the flattened dough ball between both sides of the ziplock bag before pressing down on the tortilla press. When hand rolling it, I sometimes have to rub a tiny droplet of oil onto the rolling surface to keep the dough from sticking.

Method 1: Skillet-fried bhakri

Raise the skillet temperature to medium-high heat. Cook each flatbread first on one side just until tiny bumps appear on the top surface, about 1 minute. Flip over and cook on the other side, about 30 seconds.

Add a little oil to the top surface and flip the flatbread over, pressing down on it with a spatula so the flatbread sizzles in the oil and starts to puff up, about 5-8 seconds. Flip over one more time, pressing the flatbread with the spatula, to complete the cooking process on the second side. Remove and repeat with a freshly rolled bhakri.

Method 2: Skillet-cooked bhakri

Preheat a jari over low heat. Raise the skillet temperature to medium-high heat.

Add the uncooked flatbread to the skillet. Cook the flatbread first on one side just until tiny bumps appear on the top surface, about 1 minute. Flip over and cook on the other side, about 30 seconds.

Raise the jari burner to high heat. Transfer the bhakri from the skillet to the jari. Puff the bhakri up being careful not to burn it, about 3 seconds on each side. Remove from heat and repeat with a freshly rolled bhakri.

Serve immediately!

Tried this recipe or just have something fun to share? I’d love to hear about it. 🙂 Your comments make my day!