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1
Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Add the yoghurt and work it into the flour with the fingers until a shaggy mass forms, then add warm water in small increments, kneading continuously, until the dough is smooth, slightly tacky, and pulls cleanly from the bowl — adding water gradually rather than all at once keeps the dough from turning slack and unworkable. The surface should feel soft and give under a finger without springing back immediately.
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2
Cover the dough tightly with a damp cloth or cling film and set aside at room temperature for a minimum of 1 hour and up to 2 hours, so the gluten relaxes and the leavening has time to work through the whole mass rather than merely the outer layer. The dough is ready when it has relaxed visibly, feels noticeably softer and more extensible than when first kneaded, and a cut cross-section shows small bubbles throughout the interior.
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3
Heat the oil in a deep, heavy vessel to 180°C — this is where the dish lives or dies: oil below this temperature produces a bhatura that absorbs fat and lies flat, while oil above it darkens the surface before the interior steam has time to inflate the bread. Confirm the temperature with a thermometer, or by dropping in a small piece of dough, which should rise to the surface within two seconds without immediate browning.
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4
Divide the rested dough into 12–16 equal portions and, working one at a time, roll each on a lightly floured surface into an oval approximately 5 mm thick. Do not roll thinner, because a thin sheet will tear under frying pressure and the puff will fail.
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5
Slide one bhatura into the hot oil and immediately press the surface gently but firmly with the back of a slotted spoon for 3–4 seconds, so the compression traps steam beneath the surface and forces the bread to inflate rather than lie flat. The bhatura is done on the first side when it has puffed fully and turned pale golden on the underside; turn it once and fry for a further 30 seconds until the second side colours to the same pale gold.
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6
Lift the bhatura from the oil with the slotted spoon and hold it briefly over the vessel so excess oil falls back, then transfer it immediately to a rack or paper — leaving it in contact with the hot fat allows the puff to collapse and oil to soak into the interior. The bread should feel light and hollow when tapped.