Sri Lankan Thati Paan (flat-bread)

Sri Lankan Thati paan (flat-bread) is a crusty bread variety that mainly uses to serve with curries for breakfast or dinner. It has the same height as usual bread loaves but much thinner and crusty all around. But not as thin as Sri Lankan roast pan which is another flatbread variety that is a smaller version of this Thati pan.

The Process Overview

This Sri Lankan Thati Paan (flat-bread) making process is very easy and very similar to the normal bread baking method. If you're familiar with load bread or sandwich bread making this is a few additional steps away from that method. You can use this same dough and process to make 12 Sri Lankan Roast Paan too.

Here is a brief step-by-step guide for quick reference.

1. First, you mix everything and knead the dough.
2. Let the dough rise (about 1hr).
3. Remove the gas and divide the dough and make dough balls.
4. Let the dough balls rest (for about 15 mins)
5. Shape each dough ball into rectangles and then roll it into a cylinder.
6. Apply the oil-flour mixture between each dough and arrange them in a loaf pan.
7. Let them rise again (for about 45mins)
8. Spray the top of the dough with some water
9. Bake until crusty and brown (for about 30 - 40 mins on preheated 400F/ 200 C)
10. Separate each bread
11. Apply butter on both sides and broil both sides for 1-2min each side until nice and golden

With the amount I've given here can make 6 Thati Paan (flat-bread). Which is similar to two loaves of bread/ sandwich bread in volume. Simply half the recipe if you want just 3 flatbread which is similar to one loaf of bread in volume.

Important Info

Make sure your yeast is working. What I use is rapid rise yeast/instant dry yeast. This variety doesn't need to be activated. If you know the yeast is freshly bough and out of a new pack then you can mix everything directly together. But if you're using active dry yeast or if you're not sure how good/active your yeast is then make sure to add the yeast to the lukewarm water+milk mixture first and see if it starts to make foam immediately. For active dry yeast let the yeast mixture sit there on the counter for about 10mins to activate the yeast.

Knead the dough in the machine for 8-10 mins until it becomes very soft pliable yet non-sticky. It can be slightly tacky but once it rises it should be fine. If you knead by hand, check/activate yeast first in a bowl and then add sugar, butter, salt and mix with a fork/spoon. And then add flour a little by little and mix with a fork/spoon. Don't add all the flour. Once it starts to make lumps, dump everything to a kneading bench/worktop and knead while adding flour a little by little as need to make a non-sticky dough. You may have to knead for about 15-20 mins to make it to a soft pliable, lump-free dough.

Always keep your dough covered with a plastic wrap to keep them from drying out and forming a skin on the top. Only take out the dough you're working with and keep all the other dough balls/pieces covered.

The rising time depends on the temperature of your house and also how activate your yeast is. My advice is to focus on the volume of the dough rather than time. Take the time I've given you as a guideline. It might take more or less time for your dough to rise than it would take for mine.

If the dough shrinks when you flatten it out that means gluten in your dough hasn't rested enough. Let the dough balls rest a little longer before you start to shape. Usually, 15-20 mins are enough.

Apply oil or butter to your bread pan to easily release the bread. When you place your shaped dough in the loaf pan, make sure you apply the oil-flour mixture generously on both sides of the dough as it prevents the doughs from sticking together. Press the cylinder a little bit before you place them so all three dough cylinders can fit well together.

Every oven is different and many aren't calibrated properly. So your baking time may vary. When the bread is properly baked it's brown on all sides and you can easily take out the bread from the pan. If you have an instant thermometer insert it into the bread and see if it reaches 200F to confirm. But don't worry if you don't have one. Usually, 30-40 mins are enough, and if it's browning too quickly reduce the oven temp in a few degrees. and if it hasn't browned yet after about 30 mins, leave it in the oven for a little longer and you may have to increase the oven temperature by a few degrees.

Some ovens don't have a broiling option. If so turn on the top burner/coil only and broil each side of the bread until they become golden brown and crispy. The first batch usually takes longer to broil but after that, when the coil/burner is hot it doesn't take that long to brown. So keep the oven door open slightly and keep your eyes on them they can go brown to burn pretty quickly.

How to serve Thati Paan

As I mentioned before, the traditional and most popular way to serve this flatbread is with curries and spicy sambol like Sri Lankan coconut sambol or Seeni Sambol (Caramelized spicy onion). The popular curries are red lentil curry, chicken curry, potato curry, black pork curry. And you usually cut the bread into slices before you serve.

You can also use this bread to make sandwiches too. Simply cut the bread in half or into quarters and carefully split the piece of bread into two equal sides. And then fill them with any of your favorite fillings. Since these Sri Lankan Thati Paan (flat-bread) are very crusty they go well with soup and stews too.

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