In a large bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups of the flour, salt and the oil. Additional flour will be used when kneading. Add 1 cup water and knead for about 5 minutes until the dough comes together. It will be very soft and sticky. Cover with a tea towel and leave to rest for 10-15 minutes. This will allow gluten to develop and make the dough easier to knead.

On a lightly floured surface, knead for 10 minutes. Set a timer. You need to knead for that long to get a very soft dough, the signature characteristic of the African chapati. Add more flour as necessary while kneading, if the dough starts to stick to the surface, not more than 1 tablespoon of flour. Cover with damp towel and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the rested dough to a large circle, about 12" in diameter. Brush the top with oil. Roll the dough into a cylinder. Stretch it to 18" by knocking it against the work surface like a jump rope while holding each end and gently stretching. Divide it into 4 equal pieces.

Do the same jump rope technique to stretch each of these 4 pieces until it is about 10" long. Roll into coils, using a little oil at the end just to make the dough stick.

Heat a skillet. Roll each coil into a circle about 8" in diameter.

Place the circle on the hot skillet. After 1 minute, brush the top side of the bread with oil. Let it cook for about 2-3 minutes. Flip over. Brush the top with oil. Cook the other side for another minute. Remove from heat and cover while you cook the rest.