Roti Sai Mai

Method

1. Put 60 g of plain flour and 0.25 tsp of salt in a bowl, add 1 tsp of vegetable oil and 60 ml of water, and work it with your hand into a very soft, sticky dough. Slap and stretch it against the side of the bowl for 5 minutes until it is smooth and elastic and pulls back cleanly. Rub the surface with a little of the oil, cover, and rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
2. While the dough rests, toast 30 g of plain flour in a dry frying pan over low heat, stirring constantly, for 8 to 10 minutes until it turns the colour of pale sand and smells nutty. Tip it onto a plate and let it cool completely — this is what keeps the sugar threads separate.
3. Combine 70 g of caster sugar, 20 g of maltose and 30 ml of water in a small heavy pan. Stir once over medium heat until dissolved, then stop stirring and boil for about 8 minutes to the hard-crack stage, 150–155C on a sugar thermometer, or until a drop in cold water snaps cleanly. Off the heat, stir in a few drops of colouring.