The Flour: Atta and Maida
Atta is finely milled whole wheat flour. It contains the bran and germ, giving it a nutty flavour and the brownish colour of everyday Pakistani bread. Atta is what you use for chapati, roti, and paratha. Outside South Asia, look for "chapati flour" or "durum whole wheat flour." Standard Western whole wheat works in a pinch but the grind is coarser.
Maida is refined wheat flour, similar to all-purpose but finer. It produces softer, stretchier doughs and is used for naan, sheermal, and bakarkhani — breads that need a lighter texture. Maida-based breads are restaurant food; atta-based breads are daily food.
The Dough Technique
Hydration
For chapati and roti, use roughly 1 part water to 2 parts atta by volume. Start with less water — you can always add more. The dough should be soft and pliable, slightly tacky but not sticking to your fingers. For naan and paratha, add a small amount of oil or yoghurt to tenderise the gluten.
Kneading
Knead for 8 to 10 minutes by hand. Use the heel of your palm to push, fold, rotate, repeat. You are developing the gluten that lets the bread stretch without tearing and puff up during cooking. The dough is ready when it is smooth, elastic, and springs back when pressed.
Resting
Cover with a damp cloth and rest for at least 15 to 20 minutes. For yeasted naan dough, rest 1 to 2 hours until doubled. Resting relaxes the gluten, making the dough easier to roll. Skip it and the dough springs back as you try to roll it thin.
Cooking Methods
Tawa (Stovetop Griddle)
The most common method at home. Heat a flat iron griddle over medium-high. Place rolled dough on the dry tawa — no oil for chapati and roti. Cook until the surface changes colour and bubbles form, then flip. For chapati, press the edges gently with a cloth to encourage puffing, or flip directly onto an open flame for a few seconds. Our chapati recipe covers the full process.
Tandoor (Clay Oven)
A cylindrical clay oven heated to upwards of 400 degrees Celsius. Naan dough is stretched into a teardrop and slapped onto the inner wall, baking in two to three minutes. The intense heat creates charred spots, smoky flavour, and the puffy texture that defines tandoori naan. Most home cooks do not have one — use the oven method below.
Oven
Preheat to the highest setting — ideally 250 degrees or above — with a baking stone or inverted heavy baking sheet inside. Slide stretched dough onto the hot stone and bake 4 to 6 minutes until puffed and charred in spots. This gets remarkably close to a tandoor. See our butter naan recipe and Peshawari naan recipe.
Essential Breads
Chapati
The daily bread. Thin, round, unleavened whole wheat, cooked on a dry tawa. Soft, flexible, eaten with every meal. Our chapati recipe covers dough to puff.
Paratha
Layered, flaky flatbread made by coating rolled dough with ghee, folding, rolling again, and pan-frying. Crispy outside, soft inside. The lachha paratha creates multiple visible layers through a specific folding technique — see our lachha paratha recipe.
Naan
Leavened bread made with maida, enriched with yoghurt or milk, brushed with butter. Traditionally baked in a tandoor. Naan is restaurant food in Pakistan — most families eat chapati at home and naan when dining out.
Roti
In Pakistan, roti and chapati are used interchangeably. Both are round, unleavened whole wheat breads cooked on a tawa. In some regions, roti is slightly thicker, but the technique is the same.
Regional Breads
Makki Ki Roti
A winter staple from Punjab, made from corn flour. Dense, slightly sweet, traditionally served with sarson ka saag. Corn flour lacks gluten so it tears easily — press it flat between your palms or use plastic wrap to roll. Our makki ki roti recipe walks you through it.
Missi Roti
Savoury, spiced flatbread made from wheat flour and gram flour, seasoned with onions, chillies, and coriander. Substantial enough to eat on its own. Popular across Sindh and Punjab. See our missi roti recipe.
Sheermal
Saffron-flavoured, slightly sweet bread from Mughlai tradition, popular in Karachi and Lahore. Made with maida, milk, ghee, and saffron, baked in a tandoor with a golden crust and soft interior. Our sheermal recipe covers this fragrant bread in detail.
Bakarkhani
A thick, layered bread from Peshawar resembling a cross between naan and pastry. Generously layered with ghee, stamped with a pattern of dots, and baked until flaky and slightly sweet. Eaten with kehwa or thick curries. Follow our bakarkhani recipe.
Phitti
A steamed bread from Gilgit-Baltistan, made from whole wheat dough and cooked in an earth oven. Dense and hearty, designed for the mountain climate. It represents an entirely different bread tradition from the flatbreads of the plains.
Troubleshooting
- Tough, hard bread. Dough was too dry, under-kneaded, or not rested. Add more water, knead until smooth and elastic, and rest at least 20 minutes covered.
- Chapati will not puff. Dough is too dry or the tawa is not hot enough. The surface must be hot enough to trap steam instantly. Also ensure even rolling — thick spots prevent uniform puffing.
- Burning outside, raw inside. Heat is too high. Drop the temperature and cook longer. Common with thicker breads like paratha and naan.
- Sticking to the tawa. The tawa is not hot enough or has residue. Heat thoroughly before adding bread. For paratha, ensure enough ghee on both sides. A seasoned cast iron tawa develops a natural non-stick surface over time.
- Bread turns stiff after cooling. Some stiffening is normal; excessive stiffness means the dough was too dry. Add a teaspoon of oil to the dough next time. Store cooked bread in a cloth napkin, never in open air.
Where to Start
Begin with chapati. Master the dough, the roll, and the puff. Then move to lachha paratha for layered technique and butter naan for leavened dough. From there, the regional breads — makki ki roti, missi roti, sheermal, bakarkhani, Peshawari naan — each teach a different skill.