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Quick & Easy Flatbread Recipe (No Yeast)
My homemade flatbread recipe is made with only flour, water, oil and salt – yes, that’s it! It’s so quick to make, and there’s no yeast used. Let’s get cooking!
Whenever I want to make a stack of homemade flatbreads, this is always the recipe I go to. The main ingredients are just flour and water, but the taste is undeniably good.
There’s no yeast or yoghurt added to the ingredients, so this recipe really is the easiest and quickest EVER! And the texture? Trust me, despite having basic ingredients the texture is just perfect! It’s soft and slightly chewy.
For a little bit of extra flavour, I like to add a sprinkling of salt and a drizzling of oil to the flatbread dough. It takes just a matter of minutes to make, and they taste so good freshly made.
No Yeast Flatbread
If you’re new to making bread, then this is a good recipe to start off with! It’s a simple recipe even for an inexperienced baker. The hardest part is kneading the dough (which I hope shows you how simple it is).
Even though there is no yeast added to this flatbread, I still rest the dough for 15 minutes as this makes it easier to roll out and shape (I wouldn’t skip this step)!
Recipe Ingredients
Below are the 4 ingredients needed to make this flour and water flatbread:
- Plain Flour: Use plain flour and not self-raising flour! Plain flour has no raising agents in it which makes this an unleavened bread recipe.
- Water: Use warm water
- Olive Oil: I used extra virgin olive oil, but this is optional.
- Salt: I add salt for extra flavour and to enhance the taste, though this addition is optional.
How To Make Flour And Water Flatbreads
Below I’ve written a summary on how to make a flour and water flatbread that’s yeast-free. You can get full recipe instructions on the recipe card at the bottom.
Step One:
I start by mixing flour and salt together in a large mixing bowl. Then I add olive oil and half of the water before mixing everything together. Then I add the remaining water and mix everything together until a dough has formed.
Step Two:
I sprinkle a small amount of flour onto my work surface and knead the dough for 2 to 3 minutes.
TIP: Knead the dough until it comes together; over-kneading will make the flatbread tough. If the dough is sticking to my work surface, I sprinkle a small amount of extra flour.
Step Three:
Now it’s time to cover the dough with cling film and leave it to rest for at least 15 minutes. I like to do this because it makes the dough easier to roll out.
I divide the dough equally into 8 and roll it into balls using the palms of my hands. I then roll each ball out until thin.
Step Four:
Last but not least on a medium to high heat I cook the flatbread for 1 to 2 minutes on both sides. The flatbread will puff up whilst cooking, you’ll want to see charring on each side of the flatbread.
If your flatbread doesn’t char or looks doughy after cooking, it’s likely that it’s not rolled out thinly enough.
My Top Tips
I like to use a non-stick frying pan or non-stick skillet; this prevents the flatbreads from sticking to the frying pan and tearing apart.
The dough will have a slight stickiness to it. However, if the dough is hard to knead because it’s too sticky, add a small tablespoon of flour.
I roll out the flatbread dough one at a time. When one flatbread is nearly finished cooking, I start rolling out the next flatbread. I find this method prevents the flatbread dough sticking to my work surface or drying out.
Adjust the heat as necessary. If your flatbreads are browning too quickly and are not fully cooked, turn the heat down. If the flatbreads are not browning or puffing up at all, then increase the heat.
Stick to the recipe as much as possible, adding too much water or too much flour can alter the texture of the flatbread.
If extra flour is burning in the pan after frying a couple flatbreads, use a kitchen towel to wipe it clean.
How To Store Flour And Water Flatbreads
These homemade flatbreads are best eaten freshly made but they can be kept for 2 to 3 days. To store, keep them in an airtight container at room temperature.
To freeze, wrap the flatbreads in foil or place in a freezer-safe container. Simply defrost when you are ready to eat!
Extra Flavour Variations
These flatbreads are as quick to make as it is to eat (talking from experience here haha). But sometimes I like to go a little further and add extra flavours such as minced garlic, oregano and grated cheese.
I find adding dried herbs the easiest to make as it alters the texture less, if you plan on adding more ingredients, I’ll recommend dicing it as small as possible.
How To Serve Flour And Water Flatbreads
I serve these flatbreads with so many different dishes like a chicken and aubergine curry or a chicken bhuna curry.
If you’re not feeling a curry, you could make this crispy chicken wrap with it. Or, make these lamb kofta wraps with this flatbread recipe – that’s my idea of complete deliciousness!
I also like to dip these homemade flatbreads into this caramelised red onion chutney, it’s absolutely delicious and is more of a light snack.
More Bread Recipes
Below are some more savoury bread recipe that taste so good too:
- Keema Naan Bread
- Garlic Tear And Share Bread
- Garlic Bread Baguette
- Coronation Chicken Sandwich
- Mayo Chicken Sandwich
- Breadsticks Recipe
- Garlic Pizza Bread