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.
Made this flat bread tonight for our fish wraps. Absolutely a winner. Definately a recipe to keep. I only had 75g butter and use 3 tbs oil. Also only had half a cup of milk so used water to make up difference. Beautiful texture and delish. Thanks ?
So glad you loved it Josie!!! I think you may have just inspired me to make this again tomorrow 🙂 I’m craving it!!
I have some left over curry from last night’s party and no time to make Roti Canai so I am going to give these yummy sounding flat breads a try!
Oooh! Hope you love it Donna!
Can you make ahead and freeze them. If so, how would you suggest reheating them?
Hi Suzanne! You can keep the dough for a few days and roll them out just before cooking or you can roll them out and put a sheet of baking paper between each one so they don’t stick together. OR you can cook them and freeze them, just lay them out flat. Defrost and reheat in the microwave (to keep them soft) or in foil in the oven.
Sorry if this has already been covered but has anyone tried rubbing a garic clove over to make a garlic flatbread??
You sure can Amy! Or melt butter with garlic and turn it into a buttery garlic flat bread!
These look great! Could I use any kind of milk with this or replace milk with water?
Hi Marian! Other readers have used almond and soy milk with this 🙂 I am not convinced that water will work. Hope that helps!
OMG!! I made these tonight and they were a resounding success! ! They are soo soft and pliable. I used them to make wraps stuffed with ground beef and veggies for dinner.. this recipe will be tucked away in my recipe stash.
WOO HOO!!!! Thanks Natakie, I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it for my family. However, I am gluten intolerant and was wondering if anyone has tried this with a gluten free flour blend or maybe with almond flour? I would love tbe able to enjoy it as well. Thanks!
I’m sorry, I haven’t Kathryn! I’m on my iPhone so can’t do this, but might be worth scrolling down through comments, I seem to recall someone tried it and it worked great!
Hi Nagi, I just wanted to leave an update. I did try your recipe with my favorite gluten free flour blend and added some xanthan gum. I’m sure mine weren’t as good as the original but I thought they were marvelous and my family (that doesn’t have to eat gluten free) were all happily having seconds. I now keep a container of the dough in my refrigerator at all times and just roll it out as I need it. It’s so versatile Many thanks.
I’m so happy to hear that Kathryn! Thank you for letting me know – and other readers will find this very useful too!
Great recipe and taste 🙂 It’s super easy to make. Thank you!
Thank you Secil! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
So I’ve prepared my dough for tonight. Can’t wait to make them. We’re having them with your Butter Chicken and Chickpea and Potato Curry.
WHAT A SPREAD!!! I do hope you enjoy them Kim!!! 🙂 You literally picked a menu that I who myself!!!! N xx
OH MY GOSH! The evening was a resounding success and the food was out of this world. Everyone went mad!
WOO HOO!!! So glad Kim!
Can you use these to make individual pizza crusts / put them in the oven to get them crispy?
Hi Nicole! Sorry to say that this is a soft flatbread recipe so it won’t crisp up well. 🙂
Could water be used instead of Milk?
That
Hi Sam! Yup, that will work fine! 🙂
Thanks a bunch can’t wait to try them. ?
Oh my gosh! These were so easy and lovely thankyou so much for sharing! We love wraps but not all the preservatives that come with them!
Thank you Melissa! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!! N x
I have just made these, they are fantastic. I also did a vegan batch swapping the butter out for coconut oil and milk for soya milk. They were also equally as good.
So glad to know it worked using soya milk, thanks for letting me know Eve!!
Ridiculously tasty ! and so simple.
Thank you 🙂
Thanks so much for coming back to let me know Joe! N x
Amazing!
Can you freeze these?
You sure can!! 🙂
How many calories PER piece?
Hi Amy! The nutrition is per piece 🙂
Not sure how to post comment, so I’m replying to one. Made this recipe and to say that it is delicious is an understatement. I can’t believe how easy it is, and it was the best flat bread I’ve ever tasted. I certainly will be making it again and again. I topped it with my homemade kale pesto & pastrami. Cut the recipe in half, but I think I’ll try just making a quarter of the recipe next time so I’m not tempted to eat so much. Wish I could post photo of what I made. Thanks for the great recipe!
WOO HOO!!! So glad you enjoyed this Jeanne, THANK YOU!!! If you post the photo on Instagram and tag me, I’ll see it! I want to see it!!!
Hi, do you need to cool down the hot milk and butter before mixing with the flour?
Hi Noreen! Nope, just add them 🙂
This made my day. Got some lovely hummus at the store earlier and just felt like there was something missing. Didn’t feel like going back to the grocery and paying outrageous money for pita or pita chips (here in my state of WI it’s considered a specialty item and the stores feed off of people buying their bakery because many people in this demographic do not cook.) I noticed I didn’t have yeast and panicked a little…. then remembered people in the Middle East and Mediterranean didn’t always have yeast yet had been making flatbread for ages…. Then I stumbled upon your recipie via google. Thankyou for such a simple staple food recipie. Things like this mean alot to those of us trying to avoid unnecessary chemicals in our food and save a few dollars in the process. Peace <3
YOU ROCK EM! Thank you for your wonderful message, so glad you liked it!!! 🙂
i hope this works i’m just about to make it
It will work!!! It’s EASY! 🙂
We are getting a rare blizzard this weekend and could lose power. I have a gas stove but had planned on baking bread to go with my soup. I can do this on top of the stove. Yay!
YES YOU CAN!! 🙂