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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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?
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!! 🙂
The raw dough freezes really well, and I’m sure the finished product too, as sponge cake, bread and rotis also freeze well;)
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! 🙂
Hi Nagi, thanks for the beautiful photography and simple recipe…it was a joy to come across your page whilst Googling ‘yeast free flatbread recipes’.
best regards, Rachael
Thank you Rachel!
Nagi-
So… they were really delicious. But I needed to find a way to cut the fat, I know, boo. So… made with whole wheat flour again this evening, cut out the oil, just dry fried a minute on each side as you do. I again used almond milk instead of regular, and replaced the butter with the same amount of unsweetened applesauce. I cute the recipe into 16, shaped and cooked. My Indian friends told me these are traditionally called Parantha’s and they eat these for breakfast a lot as part of a breakfast fry. They came out famously! I can see sooo many uses for them and I thank you for posting this recipe. My hummus is no longer lonely, and… I think I will be using this for sandwiches too, a much healthier take on store bought bread. Add some garlic, onions etc… kind of make like a naan, could you imagine.
Feel free to email me sometime, I am an accidental foodie… I come up with a lot of stuff in my kitchen lol.
Tony
Wow! The variation you made to this is fabulous – apple sauce instead of butter and it worked?? I’m actually kind of astounded – and you have me curious, I must try it! Your friends are right, this is pretty much a Paratha recipe – co incidentally, I just posted an Aloo Paratha recipe which is made the authentic way. You may prefer that actually because the dough has no fat in it at all and you can just use oil spray in a non stick pan to fry it. If you get this message, have a look at it, I think it will suit you! Would love to see what you come up with in your kitchen, feel free to share! 🙂
Thanks ! I always use whole wheat in my recipes as much as possible (healthier) and was concern about ruining the útcome in doing so with this one !
Now, I’m ready to follow your suggestions.
OMG…. needed something for my hummus and I have these in the making as we speak :0 )
YAY! Would love to know what you think! I am obsessed with these. I made them on the weekend and used them for breakfast wraps!
I subbed white rice flour to make it gluten free and halved the recipe. Needed a bit more milk (around 1 cup instead of 3/4 cup), but it turned out *beautifully*. So much easier than gluten free bread recipes, and cheap!
Oh wow Mevima, thank you SO MUCH for sharing that! I must add that into the notes, I’m so excited to hear that this works with rice flour!! You’re the best Mevima!! 🙂
Are you using Self-rising Flour or just All-purpose Flour? High protein flour (bread flour (extra gluten)) ? Four cups packed flour or Four cups of sifted flour?
Hi Ben! I’ve updated the recipe to clarify that it is ordinary plain all purpose flour, level cups, unsifted, not packed. There is no need to sift for this recipe, lumps mix out (unless for whatever reason your flour is particularly lumpy in which case I would definitely sift it). Hope that helps!