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.
can I use water instead of milk?
Yep 🙂 Not much difference!
thank you !
Would coconut oul work instead of the butter?
I am pretty sure it will, many readers have used all sorts of oil subs for the butter!
I love this and I am going to try it
Hope you do!! 😉 N xx
Wow fab recipe. My husband said he could live on them and your hummus for ever 🙂 Thank you so much
Fantastic to hear! 🙌🏻 So pleased you enjoyed it Maura! N xx
Sorry I have another question, which is due to the simple to make, and delicious nature of this flat bread. Please can this flat bread be used as a base for pizza topping?
Or rather, the recipe as a pizza base? Thank you for been there for us.
Hi!! I haven’t used this as a pizza base but I think I will try one of these days! I would probably roll them out a bit thinner. 🙂
This is wonderful and deliciously delicious. Thanks for sharing. Please can this same recipe be made and rolled out flatter and thinner, and be used as spring roll wrapper? Thank you for replying.
So glad you liked this! I don’t think it will work as spring rolls though, sorry!
It made lovely bread for my family, and was so easy an inexperienced cook like me could do it. Thanks!
WHOOT!!! 🙌🏻
My daughter was recently diagnosed with a yeast allergy. This very much hit the spot for ‘toast’ with an egg. We’ll be making this again and again… thank you.
I’m so pleased to hear that Shanna! Thank you for taking the time to write in and let me know 🙂 N xx
Doubled the recipe since I thought I’d get 4 small breads. Boy was I wrong. Ha ha. They are so good. I used the dough hook on my kitchen aid and it worked great. Thank you my family loved them.
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed it Joanna! Thank you very much for your message – N xx
I recently learnt i was coeliac, and i must admit GF cooking has since been the bain of my existence. I used to live in the middle east and since returning to OZ, have missed the arabic cooking, i was dreaming of sharwarma and found your recipe online along with this flatbread. i noticed in the comments it said would be GF appropriate. To be honest i was doubtful, even to the point of the cooking part, however i followed the recipe and wrapped it in a teatowel etc and OMG it worked! Hallelujah, i can have GF wraps, who would have thought it, and they didn’t fall apart and they didn’t taste floury. Thanks a million, this page is BOOKMARKED! for future.
PS the chicken sharwarma was a big hit. YUMMO!
I’m so pleased to hear that Shelley! And I KEEP MEANING to try this with GF flour! Thank you for reminding me!!
I’ve made this multiple times and relish it each time. The first time I followed the recipe, then each time I tried different combos to see if it would still be great. They never disappointed. I’ve subbed the butter for both olive oil and cocoanut oil, the flour with whole wheat and the milk with almond milk. I also started cooking them in a nonstick pan with no oil and they are even better.
Thank you VERY much.
I’m so pleased to hear you love this too Celeste! Thank you very much for your message – N xx
I am very grateful for this wonderful recipe. It worked out perfectly. The people who helped me make this bread told me that I was obliged to give the recipe 5 stars. I do not usually write reviews, but this one merits high praise.
I’m honoured Maria! So thrilled to hear you enjoyed it, thank you for letting me know! N xx
A wonderful flatbread! The best I’ve tried, and so easy, even for me, still a bit scared of yeast.
I made these yesterday for dipping at a picnic and they were such a hit.
Thank you for the wonderful recipes, so well described, tasty and easy to make.
I just love your blog and think Dozer is such a star. Xo
That’s terrific to hear Gaby! I’m so pleased to hear they were a hit. Well, YOU were a hit!!!! N xx
Hi Nagi, thank you for the recipe. This is a keeper. How many gram each flatbread of yours? Mine was 130 grams with 18 cm diameter and I was so full eating 1. Do you think it’s too heavy and too thick?
And can I make this dough into roti paratha/chanai?
Thanks
Hi Novi! I think mine are larger, I will measure it properly next time. I go by the width of the dough 🙂 This is different to roti, it has more ingredients in it and is slightly thicker. I will share a roti recipe one day!
I just finished making this flat bread. Loved the softness and crunchiness but it was too greasy
I’m sorry you thought that Cee, I can honestly say no one has ever said that before! You didn’t use too much oil in the skillet??
No, I didn’t use too much oil in the skillet. I used margarine and found it too greasy. Perhaps it was because I ate it alone with no stuffing or sauce. Otherwise, it was soft, nice and pretty easy to make. Thanks for the recipe. I would try it again with a tablespoonful of margarine.
theres your problem. butter is better for you. margarine has oils that make your recipes come out bad. and its not really good for your health
Can’t wait to try this recipe out today.
Hope you love it!
Nagi, this is absolutely the easiest and tastiest flatbread recipe I’ve tried. I looking forward to building on your basic recipe with different variations of the following: herbs (rosemary and thyme), sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, parmesan, onions, basil and so much more! Although, I must say, I used it as a naan type bread for mopping up sauce and it was delicious! Thank you for posting this, and I look forward to making some of your other recipes.
That’s so fantastic to hear Bev! Thank you for letting me know you enjoyed it! – N xx
I made this evening…using soya oil and almond milk…great taste n easy to make for my kids…thank you..
Just made these, they’re fantastic! Going to the shops is actually more hard work than making these. I made them with wholemeal flour because it’s all I had, not sure if it made a difference but they’re delicious in any case.
Cheers!
I’m so thrilled to hear that H! Thank you for letting me know! N xx
Do you know any great sandwich bread recipes? I am looking for something that I can still slice a few days later and the bread does not “crumble.”
I make my own sourdough once a week. the bread never crumbles. well worth it . esp using NON GMO , non bleached bread.. I get mine at Walmart in 10 # bags.. Wheat Montana 🙂
Hi Katy! I haven’t shared one yet but I will soon!