Durum Atta

Submitted by Liam on June 25, 2009 - 2:00pm

I recently purchased a bag of durum atta flour, I actually picked up the wrong bag, hoping for semolina flour. Does anyone know specifically what it is. Does atta just mean "flour"? It is obviously used for something specific, what might that be?

Thanks

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Ingredients

Submitted by althetrainer on June 25, 2009 - 3:32pm.

Indian flour

I believe it's Indian whole wheat flour. I have seen them in the Oriental section of the store but have never used it.

Submitted by meryl on June 25, 2009 - 3:36pm.

Atta is

finely stone ground, durum. As such it includes the bran coat and is perfect for non-leavened Indian flat breads.

Because of the bran coat, it doesn't perform well with yeasted breads.

Does this help?

Submitted by tomsbread on June 26, 2009 - 6:07pm.

Atta - from Durum or regular wheat?

I have always wondered about what atta actually refers to. Is it a reference to any whole wheat flour regardless of wheat specie?. I get my atta from India and India produces both regular wheat and Durum wheat but I have been unable to find out which wheat specie it is made from. I'd be happy if the gurus here can answer this.

My experimentst have shown that is possible to get light yeasted bread with it and not just flatbread like chappati. (at least with the Atta from India and Australia, I not not tried American Durum atta before).

The following are some of the breads I made with Atta from India and Australia.

http://tomsbread.blogspot.com/search/label/Flour%20Test

http://www.angelfire.com/planet/artisanbread/Flour%20Test%20Pillsbury%20100%20Atta.htm

http://www.angelfire.com/planet/artisanbread/Flour%20Test%20100%20Atta.htm

Tomsbread

Submitted by Adam Redwine on June 25, 2009 - 5:50pm.

Indian flatbread flour

My wife uses this flour all the time. It is used to make Indian flatbread called chapati. You actually only need to mix a cup of flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp oil, 2 tbsp warm water (extra as needed); let it sit for an hour or so under plastic wrap, make very flat pieces about two ounces each, then "bake" them on a hot pan till they have brown spots (about 30 seconds each side). This bread is great to pick up pieces of tandoori chicken or rice and eggplant or such. If you have a bit of ghee, they are good by themselves as well.

Submitted by salma on June 26, 2009 - 1:30pm.

Atta flour

Yes it is Indian flour. After making the dough as described by Adam, make walnut size balls, roll them flat like tortillas and bake both sides on a hot griddle. Spread some butter on it when done. As kids we used to eat the chapatis with butter and a sprinkling of sugar just as they are baked (besides using it to scoop up curries).

Submitted by halfrice on June 26, 2009 - 2:16pm.

I just want to add one more

I just want to add one more step to the above. Cook the chapatti to about 80% in a hot pan (no oil), then hopefully you have a gas stove, and directly place the chapatti on a low/med fire, quickly swivel it around using tongs. This will make it bubble up and nicely charred too.

indian meal