Jowar Flour: Sorghum Flour for Bhakri and Baking
Jowar flour is flour milled from sorghum.
Jowar flour is flour milled from sorghum. It is used for flatbreads such as jowar bhakri or jolada rotti and also appears in gluten-free baking blends. It is the flour form of the grain described in our sorghum guide, not a bag of whole kernels ready to simmer.
Its flavour is mild, and its lack of wheat gluten changes the way a dough handles. It will not stretch like ordinary wheat roti dough simply because you knead it more enthusiastically.
Making a cohesive flatbread dough
Dassana Amit's jowar roti method mixes the flour with hot water, using a spoon initially, and kneads it once cool enough to handle safely. The dough is shaped by patting or rolling with support rather than expecting it to behave like an elastic wheat dough.
Her example uses about three-quarters of a cup of water for a cup of flour, but she notes that flour texture affects the amount. The dough's condition matters more than forcing every bag to accept the same measure.
For a first attempt, make smaller breads. They are easier to transfer and cook evenly than a very large, thin round.
Using it in baking
Bob's Red Mill describes sorghum flour as a mild-flavoured option for gluten-free baking. That does not make it a universal one-for-one replacement for wheat flour in every cake or loaf.
Choose a formula developed around sorghum or a reviewed flour blend. A recipe's starches, binders and liquids work together; replacing only the wheat flour can change the entire structure.
What to buy
Look for sorghum flour or jowar flour and check whether the product is plain flour or a mix. If avoiding gluten, also check the product's suitability and other ingredients. A naturally gluten-free grain does not establish the composition of every packaged blend.