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.
O.M.G delicious and easy. I’m never buying shop made ever again!
I added garlic and onion powder, measure with your heart 😁. I used ghee, and just like my roti this wasn’t round either and that’s ok! I used this as my roti substitute tonight with potato and channa curry and can’t wait to try it as a gyro! As noted by comments and the author, this is so versatile and did I mention absolutely delish! Give it a try, just once and you’ll be hooked!! Thanks so much!
I made these tonight as garlic naan for the first time with your butter chicken recipe. They were so easy to make and made the meal. No need to go out for Indian!!
Wahoo! Perfect Kristen! I do have an authentic naan on the way soon too! N x
I quadruple this recipe every time I make it – we have 11 people in our family. 🙂
My son requested your greek chicken gyros with homemade flatbread of course for his 11th birthday!
This recipe was easy and delicious. I made it with vegan butter and almond milk because of a dairy allergy and they were a yummy side for our soup.
Thank you for the best flat bread recipe out there. I’ve tried so many and this, hands down, tops them all!! Gratefully, from British Columbia, Canada, I thank you
I followed this recipe and I used skimmed milk. It was delicious!!! Thank you Nagi!
Super easy. Made it in an emergency as I’d forgotten naan breads. Will definitely make it again as the breads were delicious.
Is it possible to make the flat breads using gram flour.?
Hi Donna, not this recipe as written as the liquid content will be different and it will have a different texture. N x
This recipe was amazing and super easy. I used vegan oat milk and vegan butter, using exactly the same amounts. The perfect flatbread recipe!
The best flat bread recipe I’ve used by far, does exactly what it says on the tin 😍
Hi Nagi,
Just wondering if you could use a pizza stone to cook these in the oven? I have made pita bread that way before & it was really effective (although I realise that this is not a yeast-based recipe so not quite the same!)
Thanks in advance – I love everything I have made from your recipes (especially your Beef & Guinness stew + tiramisu!!)
Wow, super easy recipe. First time making flatbreads and they turned out great (and very tasty). Thank you Nagi!
Very tasty and such a simple recipe. I’ll definitely be making these again (and again!). Thank you.
Hi Nagi, this is the second time I’m making the flatbreads. Soft and flexible recipe, will make it again. Love your blog but I love Dozer’s updates more!
So good!!! And very easy to make. I used oat milk and vegan butter and they turned out great. Thinking about adding some garlic powder or other spices next time.
Making this now. I chose it because it said 15 minutes and I wanted something fast….then after starting the process it reads rest 30 minutes. Maybe you can change the time on it, and include it at the top. I hope they’re worth the wait.
Used oat milk and Earth Balance vegan butter and it turned out great! thanks for the recipe!
Is the butter salted or unsalted? If unsalted, how much adjustment to the salt is needed? Thanks!
I lived next to a Pakistani bakery in Oslo for 15 years. They made several types of flat breads every day.
These are defo on a par with them!
Nagi is the queen on scran.
Lee, did you live in Grønland? I lived in Oslo for 15 years as well. On urtegate. One block from several amazing Pakistani bakeries!
Schweigardsgt, Gamlebyen.
I live in Asker now and still go back every couple of weeks to buy pakoras by the kilo:)