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
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I wanted to comment in case anyone else gluten free and dairy free decided to try altering your recipe.
I used Pillsbury Gluten Free Blend, Cashew Milk, and Earth Balance buttery sticks as substitutes. They were a little hard to roll out, as usual with gluten free dough, and they ended up firm and chewy instead of wrap-able. All of that said, they were quite delicious! We used them to make steak sandwiches with mayo and A-1 steak sauce mixed together. Yum!
haha Teri ..you completely changed the recipe and then gave the original recipe a 4 star based on your own recipe.
but no really these are very very good
I’m so glad you enjoyed them David! 🙂
Wow, another winner! This was so easy to make, just amazing! I actually cut into 12 pieces and the size of each flat bread was perfect for my little ones. We served them with pulled pork, BBQ sauce and homemade coleslaw from the garden vegetables. Thank you for such amazing recipe! It is going to be my go-to for wraps when I need them.
Hurrah! SO GLAD you loved it!! Ugh, pulled pork with this? Heaven… <3
Hi, this sounds straight forward and yummy! I have not tried the recipe, but wondered if ground flax seed could be added to increase fiber intake and to slow down carb intake. I will try recipe first to see where you are going with it, but definitely need to get the fiber intake. Please let me know if you have tried flax and what results you had. Thanks!
Hi! I’m so sorry but I haven’t tried this with ground flax seed. If you try it, I’d love to know what you think!
This bread is fantastic. I made a half batch of four to fill with chicken/potato/chickpea curry as Caribbean-style roti. Perfect.
I was going to tell you that they reminded me of paratha but see that’s already been commented on.
I will try with wholemeal flour next time and am intrigued by idea of replacing butter with apple puree (I’ve sucessfully done that with muffin recipes before).
Hey Paul… could you give me a quick version of your chicken curry recipe ? thanks…I’m from Aruba, I love Caribbean recipes …
Norma, I don’t have a hard-and-fast recipe for the curry, but usually do something like this:
Slice two medium onions and fry in sunflower oil until softened, add a couple of tablespoons of shop-bought Caribbean curry powder (I’m lucky enough to live in a very cosmopolitan area and my corner shop sells this – it is a bit different to Indian powders). Add a couple of peeled and cubed potatoes (about 1cm cubes) and turn well in the spiced onion mix and cook for on a low heat for 5 mins. Add a 400g tin of chopped tomatoes and the same amount of chicken stock (from a cube or powder – I make it up in the empty tin). Stir in a small tin of coconut milk. Add diced cooked chicken and a drained tin of chickpeas. Simmer for 15 or 20 mins.
Norma – if you love Caribbean recipes, here is my “go to” source for them 🙂 It’s my friend’s blog. I have tried many recipes from her site and every single one has blown me away! http://africanbites.com
Oooh! I’m so glad you loved it! And you read my mind actually, funny you mention potato chickpea curry because I’m sharing one in the coming weeks with this bread on the side! Thank you for taking the time to come back and let me know you enjoyed it!
2 updates from me:
I tried wholemeal flour but it was strong, breadmaking flour and the breads weren’t soft and rollable. I’ll try again with ordinary wholemeal next time
I was thinking of friends who live aboard their yacht in exotic climes for three quarters of the year who told me that finding bread was a problem in some of more out of the way places they’ve been recently. I’ve passed on your recipe as it is for when they can get butter and milk, but experimented today with using powdered milk and coconut oil (remembering that shop bought frozen parathas I had one time used palm oil).
To make 2 breads I used 90ml (6 tablespoons) water and whisked in 2 heaped teaspoons regular milk powder, pinch salt and 1 tablespoon coconut oil. I warmed and stirred this together then added 1 cup plain flour to make the dough.
They were good – not quite as delicious as those with butter, but still very good.
Hi Paul – that sounds like an exotic life your friends lead! 🙂 Sorry, I could have told you that bread flour wouldn’t work this this recipe 🙂 ordinary wholemeal should be fine though!
Hi Nagi,
sounds just what I am looking for.
How many ounces of flour? Cups are so confusing for us Brits! 😉
Hi Ken! 4 cups is 18 oz of flour. However, because I am in Australia and cups and even tbsp measures differ between Australia, UK and the US, unless otherwise indicated, all my recipes work using cups, tbsp etc in all countries because for the type of recipes I share, the difference is not enough to impact it (hence why I do not share much baking recipes!)
Yum! Just made these to have with Laksa curry tonight – can’t wait. Kids in bed…. candle light…. curry – Just about the perfect way to spend an evening 😀 Thank you for the recipe, love it.
Oh wow Elle!! Sounds like a PERFECT Saturday night to me! So glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
These are fabulous and so easy to make.
They worked perfectly with your Butter Chicken recipe. My husband would eat them every night of the week given half the chance.
Thanks for a great recipe.
Thank you Michele! I made a double batch for my Indian night and I was eating them for days afterwards – breakfast, lunch AND dinner!
Thankyou for the recipe 🙂 I have the dough resting now. We are having lamb kebabs tonight, I have the lamb marinating in red onion juice and spices. I cannot wait for dinner tonight
Oooh! What a spread! I just had this flatbread yesterday for an Indian spread! Much easier to make than Naan. 🙂
Hi Nagi! These are so much easier and faster to make than pita bread! I will be making these instead. 🙂 When I make lamb stew I like to have it with pita bread – not anymore! These would be so good with jam spread on them, don’t you think?
These are good even plain! Especially fresh off the stove 🙂 You’ve inspired me to make some today, I’m out of bread but can’t be bothered to go to the store just for bread!!
I cooked this tonight and I am SO impressed. Served them with some slow cooked lamb shoulder (not your exact recipe, but your cooking method with the foil), Jimmy Grants Cypriot Grain salad & a Greek salad for a group of 7. Was a total hit. Will do again! Thank you
Wow! What a spread! Your friends are so lucky. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know you enjoyed it!! I actually made this flatbread on the weekend too! For a Middle Eastern BBQ 🙂
Hey loved your recipe for flat bread i used it for burritos turned out well
Thanks Matt! I just responded to another reader saying that I’ve been inspired to make a batch today!!! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for coming back to let me know!!
Just made your flat breads so easy to make and they where lovely thank you
Hi Cherie! I’m so glad you enjoyed them and found them so easy to make!! I’m actually making another batch of these today!!! N x
Hi , Was just wanting to know if I can vary the size of the dough, as in make a smaller or larger batch if needed.
Instead of making 8 large pieces, as a first time I tried to make maybe 2 large pieces.
So I quartered the size of the ingredients. The dough turned out kind of hard after I took it out of the fridge and turned out harder after I cooked it in the pan. What did I do wrong?
Is it not right to just quarter the ingredients to make a smaller batch. Please help.
Hmm, that’s odd. I haven’t made a smaller quantity of this but there is no reason why a smaller batch shouldn’t work, at least, that I can think of. Did you bring the dough back to room temperature after taking it out of the fridge?
Do these freeze well as I like to make ahead of time for lunches,and has anyone tried roasted red peppers in them?
The raw dough freezes really well, and I’m sure the finished product too, as sponge cake, bread and rotis also freeze well;)
Hi Phyl! I’m sorry, I haven’t frozen them. But I will try it next time I make them! They will still taste nice, I am just not sure if they will remain pliable. 🙂 With the red peppers, do you mean in the bread itself? If so, no I haven’t but if you chop them up, it will be great!! 🙂
Wow. I just used this recipe to make a large flatbread to go with a salad, I stuffed the mix with pumpkin seeds and it’s turned out beautifully. Added some courgettes fried in sweet chilli and a dash of grated cheese half way through cooking. Really impressed at how simple this was. Thank you! I’ll be using this all the time. Plus, I’m really keen to try the apple sauce trick too, that sounds like a great workaround for the butter. Just found your site and I have a feeling I’ll be checking it out regularly from now on. Thanks Nagi for your great recipes! Great presentation, writeup and layout too. 🙂
Hi Oli, so glad you enjoyed this! It’s incredible isn’t it? I can’t even remember where I got the recipe from, but I’ve seen many variations of it “around”. Glad you are seeing things here that appeal! Hope you do try more recipes 🙂
what kind of milk do you use? powdered?
Hi Michael! It’s ordinary milk. 🙂
Never left feedback before but felt I had to as these flatbreads are truly awesome. followed the recipe exact but kneaded for 5 to 10 minutes (force of habit) and I will never buy flatbreads or wraps again. So simple and easy to follow. Didn’t cook all dough balls at once and kept in fridge and still good 2 days later. Thank you for sharing. I may add a few herbs next time.
Thanks Mike! So glad you enjoyed these and very honoured that this is the first comment you’ve ever left 🙂 Herbs are a great addition, as is cooking in butter + garlic (yummy garlic flavour! Be generous with the garlic and add the garlic just before adding the bread so it doesn’t get too browned). Thanks again for your feedback!
Thank you for sharing your recipe! If I wanted to use yeast, how much would be needed using your recipe?
Hi Ed! Unfortunately you can’t sub with yeast, it would be a very different recipe! 🙂
I only have vegetable oil and canola oil. Could I use one of those instead of olive oil?
Hi Destiny! You absolutely can. The flavour won’t have that hint of olive oil but it won’t affect the texture. 🙂
I have been looking for these recipes for so long they are great thank you so much.
I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks!
Have you ever tried these with bean or chickpea flour instead of wheat flour? I’m trying to increase the non-meat protein in my diet, and this looks like a possible way to do that. (I’m not worried about gluten.)
Hi Deb, I’m sorry, I haven’t tried it with chickpea or bean flour but I will update the recipe if I do! 🙂 If you try it, I would love to know if it works! 🙂