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This Homemade Flatbread recipe is soft, fluffy, and super flavorful. Brush it with olive oil and sprinkle with fresh parsley on top for a warm, soft, and fresh snack or side dish.
Homemade flatbread holds a special place in my heart as a cherished comfort food, especially as a Macedonian who loves her carbs! While many might reach for a crusty French loaf as their carb of choice, for me, it’s all about flatbread.
Why You’ll Love This Easy Flatbread Recipe
- Super Simple to Make: Making my own flatbread is not only quick and easy but also simpler than baking most breads. You don’t need to wait for a long rise time, and it’s cooked on a skillet, avoiding the unpredictability of an oven.
- So Much Flavor: The secret to my flatbread’s above-average taste, tanginess, and fluffy texture is a simple but magical ingredient: plain yogurt!
- Kid Friendly: Kids always love it when I make homemade bread recipes. But they seem to have a special place in their hearts for flatbread. I can’t blame them really… Homemade flatbread is warm, fragrant, and tastes amazing!
What is the Difference Between Flatbread and Naan?
Flatbread and naan are quite similar, with the primary difference being that flatbread is a broader category. Essentially, any unleavened bread made from a simple mix of flour, water, and salt can be classified as flatbread. Various Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisines feature their own unique versions, including pita, tortilla, piadina, and of course, naan. So, while Naan is a specific type of flatbread, there are many other delicious varieties of flatbread to explore and enjoy, just like this one.
What You’ll Need
- Lukewarm Water: Warming the water (I microwave for 30 seconds) will activate the yeast, allowing it to rise the dough.
- Active Dry Yeast: If you don’t bake much, you can get small packets of yeast in the baking isle of your grocery store.
- Sugar
- Plain Yogurt: Make sure you get plain yogurt without any flavoring (even vanilla). I prefer a full fat yogurt for this flatbread recipe.
- Olive Oil
- Seasoning: We’ll be using dried basil, oregano, garlic powder, and salt.
- All-Purpose Flour
- Fresh Parsley: This is optional, but it’s a nice addition to garnish with!
How to Make Homemade Flatbread
- Prep the Yeast: In a large mixing bowl whisk together the water, yeast, and sugar. Set the mixture aside for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it’s foamy.
- Combine: Whisk in the yogurt, olive oil, salt, basil, oregano, and garlic powder. Add the flour and parsley. Stir everything together with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
- Knead: Sprinkle flour over your work area, turn the dough onto the floured surface, and then knead it for 4 minutes. Add more flour if the dough is sticky while kneading.
- Separate: Cut the dough into 10 equal pieces and form each piece into a small ball.
- Rest: Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it stand for 15 minutes.
- Heat: Preheat a frying pan over medium-low heat.
- Roll Out: Take one of the dough balls and, using a rolling pin, roll it out to about a 7-inch circle. Lightly brush the top of the rolled-out dough with olive oil.
- Cook: When the pan is hot, pick up the rolled out dough and place it in the pan, oiled side down, and cook for about 1-½ minutes, or until the top surface is covered with bubbles. While the dough is frying, brush the opposite side of the flatbread with olive oil.
- Flip: Flip the flatbread and cook it for 1 more minute, or until golden on the bottom. Remove the flatbread from the pan and transfer it to a plate. Keep the flatbread covered with a kitchen towel while working with the rest of the dough.
- Repeat: Repeat the process with the remaining pieces of dough. Make sure to keep them covered so that they stay soft while cooling down.
- Serve: Sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley and serve.
Tips and Tricks
- Activate the Yeast: Mix your yeast with lukewarm water. Using water that is too cold or too warm will affect the yeast’s activity and you won’t get a puffy flatbread. It’ll be too … flat.
- Size Matters: Make sure each ball of dough is as close as possible to the same size. I use a kitchen scale to weigh each piece so as to make sure they are all equal in size.
- No Yeast? In a pinch, you can make this without yeast but it will be less fluffy and soft.
- Brush the Dough: Make sure to brush each side of the dough with oil to avoid sticking and to create that nice crispy exterior.
What to Serve With Flatbread
- Our flatbread recipe opens up a world of delicious possibilities. It’s a wonderful alternative to rolls or sliced bread for any meal, pairing exceptionally well with mulligan stew, chicken Madeira, curries, or meat and rice dishes – try it with a Salmon BLT Salad for a delightful combination.
- For a quick snack, cut the flatbread into triangles and dip them in your favorite hummus or tzatziki sauce.
- Flatbread also transforms into the perfect base for creative sandwiches; fold it around your favorite fillings to make a satisfying meal. Enjoy Mediterranean-style tacos by topping the flatbread with seasoned meat, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes, and feta cheese.
- For a fun activity, try making mini flatbread pizzas! It’s a hit with kids as they can customize their pizzas with their preferred toppings.
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- You can store any leftover flatbread in ziploc bags and keep them at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- You can also freeze flatbreads for up to 3 months.
- If you’d like to serve them warm, I like to warm them in a skillet for a few seconds on each side.
More Easy Bread Recipes
- No Knead Dutch Oven Bread
- Challah Bread
- Homemade Cornbread
- Spinach And Feta No Yeast Bread
- Zucchini Banana Bread
- Pumpkin Swirl Bread
Homemade Flatbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups lukewarm water,, about 105˚F
- 2½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- ¾ cups plain yogurt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ tablespoon dried basil
- ½ tablespoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 3¾ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- ½ cup olive oil,, for brushing
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together water, yeast, and sugar; set aside for 8 to 10 minutes or until foamy. Then, whisk in the yogurt, olive oil, salt, basil, oregano, and garlic powder.
- Add the flour and parsley, and stir everything together with a wooden spoon until the dough comes together.
- Generously sprinkle flour over your kitchen counter or work area and turn the dough onto the floured surface; turn it to coat with the flour and then knead it for 4 minutes. Sprinkle more flour if the dough is sticky while kneading.
- Cut the dough into 10 equal pieces and form each piece into a small ball. I use a kitchen scale to weigh each dough ball so to make sure they are all equal. Lightly sprinkle each dough ball with flour; cover them with a kitchen towel and let stand for 15 minutes.
- Preheat a frying pan over medium-low heat. Take one of the dough balls and, using a rolling pin, roll it out to about a 7-inch circle. Lightly brush the top of the rolled-out dough with olive oil.
- When the pan is hot, pick up the rolled-out dough and place it in the pan, oiled side down, and cook for about 1 ½ minutes, or until the top surface is covered with bubbles. While frying, brush the opposite side of the flatbread with olive oil.
- Flip the flatbread and cook for 1 more minute or until golden on the bottom. Remove it from the pan and transfer it to a plate; keep cooked flatbreads covered with a kitchen towel while working with the rest of the dough.
- Repeat the process with the remaining balls of dough. Make sure to keep the other dough balls covered while working.
- Serve the flatbreads warm or cold.
Notes
- Right Temperature for Water: Make sure the water is lukewarm (around 105˚F) to activate the yeast without killing it. Too hot or too cold, and the yeast won’t work effectively.
- Kneading the Dough: Knead the dough thoroughly for at least 4 minutes to develop gluten, which gives the flatbread its structure and chewiness. If the dough is sticky, add a little more flour, but be cautious not to add too much.
- Resting the Dough: Allow the dough balls to rest covered for about 15 minutes before rolling. This resting period helps the gluten relax, making the dough easier to roll out.
- Adding Herbs: Incorporate herbs like dried basil and oregano – or whatever you like – into the dough for additional flavor.
- Storage: Once cooled, store the flatbreads in zip-top bags and keep them at room temperature for 2 days; keep refrigerated for up to 5 days or freeze for 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
These are amazing! Not hard to make and everyone kept waking into the kitchen wondering what was being made. Paper amazing worth grilled chicken and asparagus.
Thank YOU! I am very glad everyone enjoyed it! ๐
I wasn’t sure if I should leave a comment since you had so many (well-deserved) compliments already, but this is an AMAZING recipe!! It honestly is the BEST bread recipe… I literally just finished making a batch of this for dinner and couldn’t resist “stealing” one of the pieces even though dinner is in an hour. I could literally just keep going back for more and skipping the rest of what’s planned for dinner tonight. Thank you for such a delicious bread that will absolutely be served many times in our home. Stay safe!
That’s great to hear! I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for chiming in! ๐
I’ve made this recipe five times already and it’s by far the best one I’ve tried! It’s a staple in my weekly meals now, and it consistently gives me better than store-bought flatbread. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, Katerina!!
That’s great to hear! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
I actually had a different recipe in mind to try, but lost it. So I had to improvise and tried this one withOUT the yogurt (just used more warm water) – and it was still really good! I liked the addition of the herbs. My family loved it. (I served it with chicken kabobs and Tzatziki sauce.) Thanks for this recipe!
That’s great! I’m very glad you and your family enjoyed it! Thank YOU!:)
Hi,I tried this recipe it was a new found favorite recipe.The bread was so soft and tasty no need to partner with any side dish๐.Just i omitted yogurt coz I donโt have it in my stocks.thank you for sharing this๐๐ป๐๐ป
I am very glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for chiming in! ๐
I will definitely do this again! I have only made non-yeast flat bread but felt like trying some real naan tonight. I subbed half whole wheat and half bread flour for the AP flour (out of flour!) and because it was to accompany Milk Streetโs Tuesday night Indian ground beef recipe, I added zaโatar instead of basil and oregano. Also added some onion powder with the garlic. And I didnโt feel like prepping fresh parsley, so I left that out! I added quite a bit of flour when kneading. I let it rise for about 30 minutes after I made the balls (14 100 g balls) then stuck the tray of floured balls in the fridge until I was ready for them (a few hours). They were fantastic! Very filling, this is the first time I have flat bread leftovers in our family of 4 (2 teens).
That’s wonderful to hear! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! ๐
Made these for the family tonight with a home made veg curry. Everyone loved them, even my 3 year old who usually hates bread!!! Awesome recipe!
That’s great to hear! I’m very happy everyone loved it! Thank you so much! ๐
Hey! I just made these and they were great!!!
For anyone wondering, I made these with soya yogurt and they turned out fab.
Thanks for the great recipe xx
I’m very glad you enjoyed these! Thank you for chiming in! ๐
Any modifications necessary to make this with instant yeast instead of active dry yeast? Thank you for any feedback!
Hi!
To use instant yeast, you just add it to the rest of the dry ingredients. There’s no need to activate or proof this type of yeast… meaning, you don’t have to add it to the sugar-water beforehand. Keep in mind that if you use the instant yeast, you will not have enough liquid, so then you’ll have to add about a cup, or more, of water to get the dough to come together.
Thank you so much!!!!
I love this recipe! Super easy to make and a great staple to have in the fridge for the week when you want something easy to make for dinner. We make little flatbread pizzas with them. So good!