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.
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
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.
wow.. We have the same recipe followed here in India and we call it chapati/roti. Its wonderful that you liked it.
Looked 2 days ago for an easy flatbread to go with eggs poached on spicy fresh veg (a type of eggs en cocotte ) and stumbles across this recipe. It was so quick and easy and so delicious that it has already been added to my cookery book. Grandchildren down next week, going to get them to make them and try it out. I am sure they will be fans too. Thank you so much
YAY! So glad you enjoyed it Maureen!! It really is my favourite flatbread recipe!
I didn’t realise that! The Indian bread recipes I have tried do not have as much butter and milk in them!
Yes, you are right . We don’t use butter and milk always as we eat them as our daily diet. On special occasions or festivals, we do use butter and milk to knead the dough
Yes Anukamp, I just came here to post that Nagi has inadvertently given my the perfect roti recipe. I’m from the Caribbean and have been trying to find the perfect roti recipe for a while. I’ve come close, but i think this has been the closest to perfection in my mind 🙂
Thank You!
I’m so glad!!! I have seen other readers comment that this was similar to roti! 🙂
So easy! Made this to have with curry instead of rice. My family voted this the best meal I’ve ever made!
Oooh! I’m so glad you and the fam enjoyed this Tezel, thank you so much for letting me know! 🙂
Hi Nagi
These worked out fantastic, my first attempt was huge success.
Thanks
Yay!! So glad to hear that Yvette! 🙂
This was first attempt at making bread. Loved it. Went perfectly with our curry and will definitely use this recipe again. Thanks.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it Dean! Thank you so much for letting me know!! 🙂
Made this flat bread tonight for our fish wraps. Absolutely a winner. Definately a recipe to keep. I only had 75g butter and use 3 tbs oil. Also only had half a cup of milk so used water to make up difference. Beautiful texture and delish. Thanks ?
So glad you loved it Josie!!! I think you may have just inspired me to make this again tomorrow 🙂 I’m craving it!!
I have some left over curry from last night’s party and no time to make Roti Canai so I am going to give these yummy sounding flat breads a try!
Oooh! Hope you love it Donna!
Can you make ahead and freeze them. If so, how would you suggest reheating them?
Hi Suzanne! You can keep the dough for a few days and roll them out just before cooking or you can roll them out and put a sheet of baking paper between each one so they don’t stick together. OR you can cook them and freeze them, just lay them out flat. Defrost and reheat in the microwave (to keep them soft) or in foil in the oven.
Sorry if this has already been covered but has anyone tried rubbing a garic clove over to make a garlic flatbread??
You sure can Amy! Or melt butter with garlic and turn it into a buttery garlic flat bread!
These look great! Could I use any kind of milk with this or replace milk with water?
Hi Marian! Other readers have used almond and soy milk with this 🙂 I am not convinced that water will work. Hope that helps!
OMG!! I made these tonight and they were a resounding success! ! They are soo soft and pliable. I used them to make wraps stuffed with ground beef and veggies for dinner.. this recipe will be tucked away in my recipe stash.
WOO HOO!!!! Thanks Natakie, I am so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This looks amazing and I can’t wait to try it for my family. However, I am gluten intolerant and was wondering if anyone has tried this with a gluten free flour blend or maybe with almond flour? I would love tbe able to enjoy it as well. Thanks!
I’m sorry, I haven’t Kathryn! I’m on my iPhone so can’t do this, but might be worth scrolling down through comments, I seem to recall someone tried it and it worked great!
Hi Nagi, I just wanted to leave an update. I did try your recipe with my favorite gluten free flour blend and added some xanthan gum. I’m sure mine weren’t as good as the original but I thought they were marvelous and my family (that doesn’t have to eat gluten free) were all happily having seconds. I now keep a container of the dough in my refrigerator at all times and just roll it out as I need it. It’s so versatile Many thanks.
I’m so happy to hear that Kathryn! Thank you for letting me know – and other readers will find this very useful too!
Great recipe and taste 🙂 It’s super easy to make. Thank you!
Thank you Secil! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!! 🙂
So I’ve prepared my dough for tonight. Can’t wait to make them. We’re having them with your Butter Chicken and Chickpea and Potato Curry.
WHAT A SPREAD!!! I do hope you enjoy them Kim!!! 🙂 You literally picked a menu that I who myself!!!! N xx
OH MY GOSH! The evening was a resounding success and the food was out of this world. Everyone went mad!
WOO HOO!!! So glad Kim!
Can you use these to make individual pizza crusts / put them in the oven to get them crispy?
Hi Nicole! Sorry to say that this is a soft flatbread recipe so it won’t crisp up well. 🙂
Could water be used instead of Milk?
That
Hi Sam! Yup, that will work fine! 🙂
Thanks a bunch can’t wait to try them. ?
Oh my gosh! These were so easy and lovely thankyou so much for sharing! We love wraps but not all the preservatives that come with them!
Thank you Melissa! I’m so glad you enjoyed them!! N x
I have just made these, they are fantastic. I also did a vegan batch swapping the butter out for coconut oil and milk for soya milk. They were also equally as good.
So glad to know it worked using soya milk, thanks for letting me know Eve!!
Ridiculously tasty ! and so simple.
Thank you 🙂
Thanks so much for coming back to let me know Joe! N x
Amazing!
Can you freeze these?
You sure can!! 🙂