By:Nagi
1,771 Comments
An easy, soft flatbread recipe that’s made without yeast, an excellent quick option when you don’t have hours for yeast dough to rise.You’ll love how soft and pliable this flat bread is, making it perfect to use as wraps forGyros,Shawarma and Doner kebabs. Or as naan to dunk into Tikka Masala orButter Chicken. The possibilities are endless!
Flatbread recipe
I love fresh homemade bread.And thoughI bake bread with yeast more frequently nowadays,I still find it easier and a general preference to make bread without yeast.
Maximum taste, most tasty outcome with minimum effort – but without compromising on the end result. That’s my ultimate goal and the ethos that underpins every recipe I share here on RecipeTin Eats.
Over the years, I have tried a lot of flatbread recipes. Flatbreads from many different cuisines, from blogs and cooking sites, by home cooks, from reality cooking shows (yes, Master Chef and My Kitchen Rules!), serious chefs and celebrity chefs.
But I always found they were too doughy (e.g. the ones that only use yoghurt as the wet ingredient) or too crisp to use as a wrapunless they were moistened with lashings of butter. Absolutely delicious, mind you. But not what I was after.So this recipe is my idea of a perfect flatbread recipe.
How to make Flatbread – with NO yeast
This flatbread recipe is made with no yeast. It is very easy to make, requiring just a minute or two of kneading.
And it honestly is beautifully soft and pliable. So soft you can use it as a wrap and it won’t crack.
And of course, it is perfectto be used as pita bread, for things like Greek Gyros and Greek Chicken Souvlaki.
And here I have used it as “naan” as a side for Butter Chicken. When I make it to be like “naan”, I cook it on a slightly higher heat to get larger and more brown bits on it – just like real naan! The crust gets slightly crispier so it’s not as suited to use as a wrap, like in the above photo. (PS If you’ve got the time to make proper naan, try my Naan recipe. It’s just like the real deal!)
If you’ve never tried homemade bread before, this flatbread recipe is a great oneto start with because it really is that easy. The worst that can happen with this flatbread recipe is that the heat is too high when you cook it so the exterior ends up a bit too crunchy and cracks when you roll it. If that happens, just spray it with olive oil or brush lightly with oil or butter and it will moisten the surface.
Try this once, and store-bought flatbreads will never be the same again. That I can promise! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
I’ve added oil but it’s not necessary. Please follow your recipe card below.
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Easy Soft Flatbread (No Yeast)
Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 5 minutes mins
Cook: 10 minutes mins
Resting: 30 minutes mins
Total: 45 minutes mins
Flatbread
Greek, Mediterranean
4.96 from 546 votes
Servings6 x 20cm / 8″ flatbreads
Tap or hover to scale
Recipe video above. The dough for this recipe is ridiculously easy to make with only a minute or two of kneading. The bread is soft and pliable so it’s perfect for using as a wrap, stuffed with whatever takes your fancy. It’s also a great make ahead recipe – the dough keeps for around 3 days. See NOTES for substitutions, including using GLUTEN FREE flour. 30 minute resting time. Recipe VIDEO below.
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain flour (all purpose flour) (level cups, unsifted, not packed), + keep 1/4 cup extra for dusting & adjusting dough
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 1/2 tbsp / 50g unsalted butter (1.75 oz)
- 3/4 cup milk
Instructions
Melt butter in milk: Combine butter and milk and heat until butter is just melted – on stove or in microwave.
Combine Dry: Combine 2 cups flour, salt, butter and milk in a bowl.
Knead 2 minutes: Sprinkle work surface with flour then knead for a few minutes until it is smooth – it doesn't need much kneading. Add extra flour if the dough is too sticky.
Rest 30 minutes: Wrap with cling wrap and rest at room temperature for 30 minutes or so.
Roll into rounds: Dust bench top with flour, cut dough into 6 pieces, roll into balls, then roll out into 20cm / 8" rounds, 2 – 3 mm thick.
Heat pan: Heat a non stick pan over high heat (no oil). (Note 1)
Cook: Place one flatbread in the pan, cook for around 1- 1 1/2 minutes – it should puff up dramatically. Once the underside has nice golden patches on it, flip and cook the other side for 45 seconds to 1 minute until the underside has golden spots and it puffs up again.
Keep wrapped in tea towel: Stack the cooked bread and keep wrapped with a tea towel – the moisture helps soften the surface, making them even more pliable. Continue to cook with remaining pieces.
Brush with butter or oil (optional): Brush or spray bread with olive oil or melted butter, for a more luxurious finish. Or even with melted butter mixed with minced garlic for a garlic butter version!
Recipe Notes:
1. Higher heat and the thinner the dough = crispier crust, though still pliable inside, the thin crispy crust on the outside might crack when you roll it. This is how I make naan. The larger darker brown spots on the bread (see image in post) make it look like authentic naan, just like what you get at Indian restaurants! (If you got the time, here’s my proper naan recipemade with yeast. It’s just like you get at Indian restaurants – super soft and fluffy!)
2. STORING: Dough keeps in the refrigerator for around 3 days. Tip: Roll out the rounds, ready to cook. Just make sure you use baking paper or cling wrap to keep the pieces separated, flour will not suffice.
Cooked breads keep really well in the freezer!
3. Wholemeal flour – Works great with WHOLE WHEAT flour, does not work with almond flour. See note 4 for Gluten Free.
4. Dairy free / vegan substitutions: A reader tried the original recipe then reported back that it also worked just as great substituting the butter with olive oil and almond milk for the dairy milk to make it a vegan / dairy free version. Brilliant! Another reader has also made this with coconut oil and reported it works great.
5. Gluten free option – This works pretty well with Gluten Free flour. You may need a bit of extra flour to roll it out – just add more as required. The texture is a bit different – a bit chewy, and you may not be able to roll them out into neat rounds like pictured.
6. Use this for: Gyros, Souvlaki, as naan for curries like Butter Chicken, Chickpea Curry or Beef Rendang.
7. Recipe source:Based on this Flatbread by Julie Goodwin.
8. Nutrition per flatbread.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 125gCalories: 370cal (19%)Carbohydrates: 49.9g (17%)Protein: 8.1g (16%)Fat: 15.2g (23%)Saturated Fat: 7.6g (48%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 7.6gCholesterol: 31mg (10%)Sodium: 386mg (17%)Fiber: 1.7g (7%)Sugar: 2.2g (2%)
Keywords: easy flatbread, flatbread, flatbread recipe, flatbread without yeast, no yeast flatbread recipe
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1,771 Comments
Tom says
Fantastic recipe! Super easy, and worked wonderfully. Impressed the in-laws ;-).Reply
- YJ says
I used old yeast, exp 3 wks ago in bread machine. Didn’t rise. Looked for flat bread recipe to see how ingred compare. Fairly close so flattened into 6 and used your recipe on how to cook. Worked well and will save your recipe to make them the correct way in the future. So thanks.( Have to still give 5 stars)
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- Jake says
Never made flatbread or Naan before, and was about to attempt Naan, when I saw this. Worked perfectly, yet another faultless recipe from Nagi.
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- Kerry L Hylkema says
This is my go to recipe for naan! I love making this dough. It’s quick and easy and turns out perfect every time!!Reply
- Adriana says
this is not naan. naan is a fluffy thick bread risen with yeast. this is a flatbread like roti.
heres my go to naan recipe if you really want naan. its very easy!
https://www.halfbakedharvest.com/homemade-naan-step-step-photos/
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- Ranjan says
I’ve used several recipes for flatbread. This is the only one that is absolutely spot on. Works every time. I topped it with finely chopped garlic, French feta while on the pan and then capers, scallions and smoked salmon. Off the charts! Thanks so much, Nagi!Reply
- Ludmilla says
thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe. They are delicious…
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- Jade says
Another great recipe, thanks Nagi. My family devoured this with fresh tzatziki tonight.
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- Nagi says
Excellent Jade!! N x
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- Diane says
I made this to use for pizza crust and it works too! So simple to follow for someone who’s never baked before!
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- Amber says
Made these (as i’m a celiac) using gluten free plain white flour, and they turned out nearly perfect! first batch i made a little too thick (long day) but they were still good, next batch was a food-life changer for me! I don’t eat much bread so buying a loaf is a waste of money but this does everything and more! Going to try so many variations; pizza, cheese&bacon maybe? So much to explore with these! Delicious and amazingly easy!! Thank youu
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- Crystal says
Fab accompaniment to the butter chicken recipe! I don’t think I used enough salt, and I rolled them a bit thick/I undercooked them (tasted a bit floury) but stoked with my first attempt! Might try and make a cheesy and garlic version nextReply
- Nagi says
Cheesy garlic is next level, there’s no stopping you now!! 😂
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- Erica Ellis says
I made these with your chicken shawarma recipe (my favorite!), but I messed it up somehow. They came out really doughy. Maybe I didn’t roll them thin enough?
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- Nagi says
Hi Erica, sorry you had trouble here – if they were doughy, it sounds like they need to be thinner and cooked slightly longer. N x
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- Sapphire says
My flatbread was hard and not pliable. What do I do?
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- Nagi says
Hi Sapphire, sounds like they may be overcooked if not pliable. I would cook over a lower heat and then remove from the pan, cover in a tea towel so they don’t dry out and stay pliable. N x
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- Laura G says
Made this to eat with homemade hummus and it turned out perfect! So easy I don’t think I’ll ever need store-bought flatbread or pitas again!Reply
- Brenda says
I made one large but it didn’t puff up. First one so maya be too thick, I then decided to make smaller ones instead and these puffed up and look great. Like this and will make afainnReply
- Ann says
I made these twice now and they are amazing!!! I used a mix of white, whole wheat four, butter and olive oil. So delicious.If I want to eat them the next day (already fried up), should I freeze them or keep in the fridge?
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- Nagi says
Hi Ann, store int he fridge and I usually microwave just before I eat 🙂 N x
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- Ngai says
Hi, I wonder how long can I keep the flatbread(after I make it) or can I refrigerate the dough to keep it for how many days?
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- Nagi says
Hi Ngai, you could freeze up to 3 months or fridge for up to 4 days, just microwave to soften. N x
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- Chelsea says
Just made this with dairy free/vegan butter and milk and it turned out excellent!Reply
- April Lee says
I also made this vegan, using avocado oil butter and almond milk. I used all-purpose flour. It was definitely fast and easy! I have learned with experience if the dough feels too sticky, just add a dash of flour until it starts to feel workable. So that’s what I did. My only issue is, I would get these rolled out nice and thin and shaped well, but then when I picked them up off the counter they immediately started shrinking! So when I got them to the pan I felt like they were much smaller than what I wanted them to be. The consistency was ok, I think on the first few it was a little thick, and as another commenter mentioned, that made it a bit doughy of a texture. However the last 2 I made I feel like I go them thin enough and it was much crispier and satisfying of a texture. I added some onion salt to the dough when I was frying it, and made a sandwich, which was pretty tasty!
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- Rachel says
Thank you Chelsea! I was wondering how the vegan version would turn out!
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- Nagi says
I love hearing this!!! Thanks so much Chelsea! N x
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- Sharryl Whiting says
I’m planning on making your flatbread tonight to serve with several curries. I know they will be a great success as all of your delicious recipes have been a hit. Thank you for sharing, wonderful woman!
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- Nagi says
Enjoy Sharryl!! N x
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- Lorrie says
This sounds amazing, I’m planning to make this Recipe this weekend with your schawarma recipe. I’m wondering if these can be made a day in advance, or are they best served immediately?
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- Nagi says
Hi Lorrie, you can definitely make in advance, just store in the fridge and reheat in the microwave before serving 🙂 N x
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- Ann says
I’m going to try this!
1/When you said it can be pre-made, did you mean rolling out the 4 pieces into circles, then overlap them with plastic wrap or parchment paper, and then keep in fridge for up to 3 days?
2/Does it lose it’s shape, or would I need to roll it again,
3/ Do I need to let it come to room temp before frying?
Thanks!Reply
- Nagi says
Hi Ann, Just make the dough and wrap it in cling wrap then store in the fridge. When you’re ready to use it, remove it from the fridge 15 minutes prior to portioning it and rolling it flat. N x
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