Sourdough Semolina Puri

Deep fried Indian Bread with a Sourdough twist

Course Breads, Chutney, Snack

Cuisine Indian

Keyword Chutney, Sourdough, SourdoughBread, Vegan, Vegetarian, Wholegrain

Ingredients

Ingredients for Whole Wheat Sourdough Semolina Puri -

– Whole wheat SD Discard or even freshly fed starter - 150 gm - See Notes
– Butter - 25 gm
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Chilli flakes - 2 teaspoon optional
– Chiroti Rava 100 gm fine semolina, or enough to get a firm and non sticky but supple dough
Oil - sufficient for deep frying approximately 300 - 500 gm

Ingredients for Maida (APF/refined flour) Sourdough Semolina Puri -

Maida/APF SD Discard or even freshly fed starter - 150 gm - See Notes
– Butter - 25 gm
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Chilli flakes - 2 teaspoon optional
Chiroti Rava (fine semolina) - 150 gm or enough to get a firm and non sticky but supple dough
Oil - sufficient for deep frying approximately 300 - 500 gm

Equipment that I used –

Wok for deep frying
Slotted spatula for draining the oil

Instructions

Method (the same method applies for both flours) –
You can take fresh starter or use your old discard and weigh it out into a bowl.
In another bowl, melt the butter. Add the salt and chilli flakes and mix everything thoroughly with a spatula. I prefer a Silicon spatula.
When the butter comes to room temperature, mix in the starter/discard thoroughly.
Add in the fine semolina a little by little and knead it into a dough. The dough should be firm but supple enough not to crack while rolling.
Cling wrap the dough and place in an airtight box and chill it overnight. This resting time is needed or else the semolina stays hard and this does not result in a smooth texture.
Take out the chilled dough and use it right away.
Divide into small balls and roll them individually into moderately thick discs (approximately 3 mm). If you roll them too thin, they will not puff up while frying.
You can also roll out one large rectangle and cut out circular puris using a bottle lid.
You can roll the puris into small or medium circles. 4 inches in diameter is a convenient size.
If you are an expert, you can roll out puris simultaneously as you fry or roll them all out first and then fry one by one. Keep the dough circles covered with a cloth to prevent them from drying out.
Heat oil in a wok and test the temperature by dropping a small bit of dough. The dough should rapidly come to the surface, indicating that the oil is ready.
Gently slide a disc into the oil (be very careful of splashing hot oil). Using the back of the slotted spatula, gently press the circle into the oil, while moving it around with the spatula. The disc should puff up almost immediately. Flip it over for a few seconds and immediately remove it from the oil.
Place it in a box or vessel lined with a kitchen paper towel.
Continue one by one with all the discs. Constantly monitor the oil temperature as you fry. If the oil gets cold, the puri will not puff up well and will also absorb a lot of oil. If the oil is too hot, the puris will burn very fast.
The puris are best eaten fresh but if you have excess, you can also store them for several hours at room temperature or even refrigerate for a couple of days. Of course they will lose their original texture but will still be edible. You can reheat them on a pan or in the microwave.

Notes

A day before baking, remember to feed and build up your SD starter to the required weight. If you want a stronger sour flavor, then build up the starter even a week before baking. A fresher starter will have a milder flavor.