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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This recipe is so awesome. I’ve been making it weekly for wraps, or to have with soup or salads at work. Being a college student with a hectic life these are so perfect to make on Sunday nights and then make into wraps for the week!
(I’m making a batch right now)
Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!
I’m a little obsessed with these myself! 🙂
do you have to add milk
Hi Henry! Yes, it is a key ingredient in this 🙂
Can you use almond milk?
Hi Michele – sorry, I haven’t tried that! 🙂 I’d love to know if you do and it works!
I substituted almond milk and olive oil. Still turned out great, and I’ve tried the original recipe.
THANK YOU so much for letting me know! That’s brilliant!! 🙂
Great! Easy! Tasty! on my second batch, y dropped a pinch of dried herbs and dried garlic into the mix…. amazing results
So glad you loved it Adrian! N x
hie m from zimbabwe. i gave your recipe a try and it was my first tym makin flatbread. it was so easy and was a hit with my family. thanx so much. i will definitely be serving wraps more in future.
Thank you for writing in!! I am so glad you enjoyed them! All the way from Sydney on the other side of the world – Nagi 😉
Can’t wait to try these. What cup measure to you use, 250ml? And is tablespoon 15ml or 20ml? Thanks.
Hi Esther! You sure know your stuff 🙂 I don’t get that question much! You can use whatever cup and TBSP measure you have – UK, EU, US, Aus. I even made this with Japanese cups (they are the most different to all of them). It will work for all – the difference is not enough to affect this recipe. 🙂
Thank you Nagi! I loved making it and I loved eating it! It was easy to make and delicious. Thank you! Will be trying other recipes soon.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Sophia!! I’ve just been testing out a naan recipe too, if you enjoyed this I think you will love that! It is SO good – no yeast, made on stove top, so easy!
Hi! I was wondering why I should let my dough rest if it does not contain yeast. Thank you!
Hi Mechee! Even though it does not have yeast, resting the dough relaxes it and makes it nice and soft and smooth. If you don’t rest, your bread will be tougher!
These look super easy and amazing! Can you please tell if the nutritional label is for one of the breads OR all 8? Thanks! can’t wait to try.
Hi Christina! I’m sorry to say that it’s for all 8 🙁 I wish it was just for one!!!
hi
Thank you for this recipe just tried absolutely easy to make and tasty.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for coming back to let me know!
Hi,
Would these work with lamb as souvlaki wraps?? I’ve never had much success with yeast-based bread but these look easy 🙂
Thanks
Hi Katie! These are BRILLIANT as souvlaki wraps 🙂 Just be roll them nice and thin! I use these as wraps all the time. I hope you love them!
They were fantastic!! The 18m old and the super-fussy 4yo both loved them – I’ll definitely be making them again 🙂 thank you!
I’m so glad you and the bubs enjoyed them Katie!!
Just made these and they are lovely, just wondering now how to freeze them into batches and how long can they be frozen for. Already thought up flavourings to use as I’m not a butter fan.
Hi Julie! Hmm, I am not sure how long they will last by imagine it will last quite a whole in the freezer. They are really no different to ordinary bread! They should last weeks and weeks, probably months. Sorry I can’t be of more specific help! And i’m glad you enjoyed them!!
Do these freeze? I need to do a huge curry cookout for about 80 people and would like to make the breads in advance then warm them through in the oven. many thanks
Woah! You want to make this for 80 people? I am mighty impressed! Yep, they sure do freeze. They freeze very well! 🙂
do you know how to make oreo milkshakes or oreo cake
can you make these a little thicker and use like flatbread for pizza? or use them like crepes?
Hi Cris! They won’t work as pizza bases because it’s soft and pliable. But if you roll them thinly, yes they will be like crepes! 🙂
I made pizza’s out of these and they were great. After they were made I put them on a pan and dressed them up like pizza’s. Then I put them in the toaster oven and baked them for a little bit until the cheese was melted. They tasted great. Yes, the bread was soft but it was still good!
Oooh, what a great idea, pizzas!!
Can these be used to make flat bread pizzas? I’m looking for a good recipe to user for pizzas?
Hi Chris! I’m sorry, these are no good for pizzas – well, at least, not if you want a crispy base pizza! Because these are soft. 🙂
amazing! it was the fastest i got wraps done and super soft 10/10
Brilliant! I’m SO GLAD you enjoyed them! 🙂
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).
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!
Hey Paul… could you give me a quick version of your chicken curry recipe ? thanks…I’m from Aruba, I love Caribbean recipes …
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
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.
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!)