Roti Prata
Authentic Singaporean Layered Flatbread Featuring Paper-Thin Stretchy Dough, Ghee Lamination, and a Shattering Crisp Crust
This classic Singaporean roti prata features shatteringly crisp, flaky layers that you can easily replicate at home by resting, stretching, and lamination.
The secret is incorporating semolina flour for a structural crunch, subjecting the dough to multiple oil rest phases for elasticity, and performing the final chef clap to fluff the internal layers. Enjoy the recipe!
Recipe
- Knead & First Rest: Whisk together plain flour, semolina, sugar, and salt. Rub in melted ghee, gradually add lukewarm water to form a soft dough, knead for 5–7 minutes until smooth, and rest coated in oil under plastic wrap for 1 hour.
- Portion & Second Rest: Divide the dough into 9 equal orbs, submerge in a pool of oil in a tray, and rest for another hour so the gluten becomes fully extensible.
- Stretch, Fan-Fold & Coil: Roll and stretch an orb until paper-thin and transparent. Brush with ghee/oil, give a ghostly flour dust, accordion-fold into a long ribbon, and coil into a spiral snail shell. Rest spirals for 30–60 minutes.
- Pan-Fry & Fluff: Flatten a spiral into a thin disc, pan-fry dry on a hot skillet with continuous flipping, then brush with ghee and sear until golden-brown. Transfer to a board and clap the sides firmly to shatter and split the flaky interior layers!
💡 Chef Notes & Tips
- Freezing Prata Coils: Form the spiral coils, wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw completely at room temperature before flattening and pan-frying.
- Vegan Adaptation: Replace the ghee entirely with high-quality virgin coconut oil or neutral vegetable oil across all kneading, brushing, and pan-frying stages.
