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 for Gyros, Shawarma and Doner kebabs. Or as naan to dunk into Tikka Masala or Butter Chicken. The possibilities are endless!
Flatbread recipe
I love fresh homemade bread. And though I 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 wrap unless 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 perfect to 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 one to 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)
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:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Summer, autumn, spring and winter. Rain, hail or shine.
No amount given for the butter?
It says 50g butter
My 2 year old son and I made this for lunch and it was absolutely delicious. We wrapped up some tuna fish salad and my son kept making his happy food song and dance with each bite. So easy and quick! Thank you!
Maybe it was because I used my big iron skillet, but even at medium-high heat it only took 30 seconds, flip, 25 seconds, and it was scorched. Looks good, though! Nice and soft. I’m about to break out some hummus and try it.
I also added 2 tsp of tomato/basil/garlic mix. It at least looks interesting.
How does it puff up without baking powder?
Because of tiny air bubbles that get folded into the dough; as the dough cooks on the outside and the air expands on the inside it forms little steam pockets.
How is it best to reheat from frozen to keep them soft and tender
Cheers
Can you add garlic & rosemary to the dough mixture?
Simple recipe and doubled to make 12- absolutely delicious!
Can I make these the day before I need them or are they best made at the time of eating
The recipe says no oil in the pan but the video shows oil being used in the pan? Which is the best way for flat breads to be cooked if they are being used as wraps?
Tried a different recipe elsewhere and this is FAR superior. I will stick with this one!
They’re the best I’ve ever made. Thank you!
Can you use spelt flour? And can you freeze after cooking? Also, instruction say ‘Heat oil…’ but then state ‘no oil’ in brackets, so is oil used to cook them or not? Thanks in advance.
Awesome recipe. Made 6 , all ready for New Year’s Day lamb souvlakis. So easy and puffed up beautifully.
Oh Nagi why do I bother trying other recipes. These worked perfectly as pictured. Won’t be buying store bought ever again. Thank you.
Too wet for a lazy breadmaker dough cycle. Add 10% more flour, then it’s great!
I am a bit puzzled. The recipe says to cut the dough into six pieces, in the video it’s cut into four. Does that make a difference to the puffing up if I cut into four only? Also, in the video the flatbreads are fried in a bit of oil, in the recipe it says ‘no oil’ in a non-stick pan.
I cut mine in six anyway and they were perfect size! She also said you could use butter or oil or even oil and butter. I used some with nothing and some with olive oil. The one in olive oil gave a slightly different flavor but cooked up the same
These are the most amazing flat breads!!! So soft and delicious!
Hi Nagi just a bit confused with this part:
“Heat oil: Heat a non stick pan over high heat (no oil). (Note 1)”
You say to heat oil, then say no oil, but in the video you put oil. Could you please clarify ? Thank you
Have made it a number of times, so easy and much tastier than bought. Another winner.
Recipe states: 300 g plain flour (all purpose flour) (level cups, unsifted, not packed), + keep ¼ cup extra for dusting & adjusting dough.
Does the ¼ cup of flour come out of the 300 grams – or is it extra?
Video appears to make FOUR flatbreads whereas the yield is stated as 6!?
These came out great first time, so easy to make and very tasty. My toddler had great fun kneading the dough and rolling it out. But the best part was eating it with hummus and lamb kofta!
Amazing! So so good and super essy
I made these today. They puffed up. They look just like the picture. My question is why do they taste like flour or are they suppose to taste like flour? Not sure if I have done something wrong.