A quick and easy flatbread recipe, perfect for any occasion. It requires no yeast and no resting. It’s made with a blend of wholesome wholemeal flour along with either yoghurt or kefir, so it’s super tasty but also a healthy indulgence. When partnered with kefir, it’s soft and pliable. Alternatively opt for yogurt and experience a fluffier texture. For an extra treat and a gorgeously flaky result, consider layering with butter, garlic butter or even pesto.
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Dive Right In
- Fluffy Flatbread And Flaky Flatbread
- Why Make My Fluffy Or Flaky Flatbread?
- Yoghurt Or Kefir Flatbread
- How To Store Flatbreads
- Ingredients
- How To Make Fluffy Flatbread
- How To Make Flaky Flatbread
- What To Eat With Flatbread
- Keep In Touch
- The Recipe
Fluffy Flatbread And Flaky Flatbread
The secret to creating fluffy flatbread is to use yoghurt. Kefir works to an extent, but its not quite as good. It still makes an excellent soft and pliable flatbread though.
Flaky flatbread, on the other hand, is richer than fluffy flatbread. The best laminated flatbread is paratha, but this is a sort of cheat’s version. You layer the dough slightly which, when combined with butter, causes the dough to become, well, flaky.
I tend to use garlic butter or pesto instead. These both give a real flavour boost and the resulting flaky flatbreads are delicious eaten on their own. They’re also excellent accompaniments to all sorts of meals.
Why Make My Fluffy Or Flaky Flatbread?
Homemade flatbreads are so simple to make, yet they’re delicious and seem to impress everyone. Here are a few more reasons why you might want to make my fluffy or flaky flatbread.
- Enhanced Flavour – The addition of yoghurt or kefir not only makes the flatbread fluffy or flaky , but it gives flavour too. Wholemeal flour adds delicious nutty notes. Then there’s the addition of butter, garlic butter or pesto should you choose to use one of them.
- Family-Friendly – This recipe appeals to both adults and children, so it’s likely to be a hit with the whole family. It’s also a good recipe to get kids involved in cooking. Playing with dough is always fun.
- Great for Entertaining – Whether hosting a casual gathering or a formal dinner party, homemade flatbreads add a touch of welcoming warmth to any occasion.
- Healthier Alternative – Because this flatbread incorporates wholemeal flour as well as yogurt or kefir, it’s a healthier alternative to store-bought options. It’s both gut friendly and nutritious.
- Quick and Easy – There’s no need to knead (geddit?) or rest the dough, which makes this flatbread recipe super quick, both to prepare as well as bake.
- Soft and Pliable – Whether fluffy or flaky, these flatbreads are soft and pliable. This not only means a pleasant texture, but they don’t break when you fold or roll them up.
- Zero Waste – If you make your own kefir or yoghurt, this recipe is a great way to use up any excess before it goes off and you end up having to discard it.
Yoghurt Or Kefir Flatbread
Ready in less than half an hour, yoghurt or kefir flatbread is a great accompaniment to so many meals. Because it’s soft and flexible, it means it’s incredibly versatile. It’s perfect for scooping up delicious dips, mopping up stews and curries or wrapping around delicious fillings.
I’ve made this flatbread many a time and it’s really good in all its variations. I particularly like it made with wild garlic pesto.
Although yoghurt produces a slightly fluffier flatbread, I tend to use kefir. This is not only because kefir is one of the best probiotics for the gut, but we make our own. This means we usually have more than we need and it’s also a lot cheaper than buying yoghurt.
This flatbread recipe produces a slightly thicker flatbread than a tortilla or chapati type bread. It’s more of a Greek style flatbread.
How To Store Flatbread
The flatbread will keep in a sealed bag for a couple of days, but is always at its nicest eaten on the day of baking. Just make sure the flatbreads are completely cool before you store them. Any residual steam will make them go soggy.
You can always warm the flatbread up again in a hot frying pan if you like. It will only need a few seconds on each side.
Flatbreads also freeze really well. Just place in a sealed freezer bag and they’ll keep for three months. Defrost in the bag before opening. Again, make sure they are completely cool before wrapping.
Ingredients
You only need four ingredients to make this flatbread, so there’s not a lot you need to remember. This doesn’t include salt, which is an essential ingredient for any bread.
Flour
I’ve experimented with different flours and different combinations of flour over the years and I still reckon that the best is a mix of half wholemeal flour and half plain. This keeps them light, but still nutty in flavour and healthier than most.
Wholemeal spelt flour is my favourite one to use. Follow the link and you’ll find out why. However, it’s expensive, so I sometimes just go with ordinary wholemeal.
Baking Powder
Because there’s no yeast or sourdough in this flatbread recipe, it needs something else to help it rise. That something else is baking powder. Without it, the bread is heavier and doesn’t have such a nice texture.
Yoghurt Or Kefir
You want natural yoghurt or plain kefir for this recipe. I guess you could use a fruity number, but I don’t find that idea very appealing.
Either of these give additional health benefits and create a lovely soft and pliable flatbread. They also add flavour and subtle tangy notes.
If you use Greek yoghurt, water it down a bit or it will be too thick.
Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is best for flatbreads. It gives another flavour boost and is also healthier than refined olive oil. The oil helps with the elasticity of the flatbreads.
How To Make Fluffy Flatbread
With only four ingredients, not including salt and a simple process, these fluffy flatbreads are done and dusted within half an hour.
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full instructions, timings and quantities of ingredients used.
Step 1. Prepare Dough
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together to make sure everything is well mixed and any lumps are broken up. Alternatively, sift the ingredients into the bowl. Just make sure you tip any bran left in the sieve to the bowl.
Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, then pour in the kefir or yoghurt followed by the olive oil.
Using a knife or sturdy spoon, stir from the inside out until the mixture comes together in a ball. If it’s too dry, add a little more kefir or yoghurt. Be careful to only add a bit at a time or the dough will become too sticky.
You want the dough damp enough to give a light result, but dry enough to roll without needing to add additional flour.
Using your hands bring the dough together and knead briefly in the bowl, gathering up any stray bits of flour.
Step 2. Shape Dough
Divide the dough into quarters with a sharp knife. Then roll each quarter into a ball.
Place a heavy bottomed non-stick pan over a medium high heat. A cast iron pan (affiliate link) is excellent for this.
Roll a ball into a disk. Or you can pat it out with your hands if you prefer. Don’t worry about getting a perfect circle, it’s not necessary and is quite hard to achieve.
Top Tip
Lightly oil your rolling pin and work surface. If you get your dough just right however, you should be able to roll it out without the need for any oil. A neutral cooking oil such as sunflower oil is good for this.
If your dough is really sticky, you’ll need to use flour, but it’s best avoided if possible. Flour tends to burn in the pan and things can get a bit black and messy. If you do use it, try to dust as much of it off as possible before placing in the pan.
For an extra fluffy bread, make smaller but slightly thicker flatbreads. You’ll need to bake them a little longer to make sure they cook through.
Step 3. Bake Dough
Place the disc on the hot pan and let it bake until it’s cooked through on the underside and has brown spots over it. The dough may bubble up and this is fine. Conversely, it’s okay if it doesn’t.
There’s no need to oil your pan, as long as it’s hot enough, the bread shouldn’t stick. It takes a while to get a pan up to the right temperature, so the first flatbread usually takes a bit longer to cook than succeeding ones.
Flip the bread over and bake the other side for a further minute.
Place the bread in a basket lined with a clean tea towel, then flip the ends of the tea towel over it to keep it warm whilst you bake the rest. This also stops the flatbread from drying out.
Repeat the process until all the bread is baked. Roll the next dough ball out whilst waiting for the first bread to bake and so on.
For optimum enjoyment, serve whilst still warm. However, these flatbreads remain soft and pliable when cold.
How To Make Flaky Flatbread
Follow the recipe as above, up to and including step 2.
Spread the rolled out round of dough with half a teaspoon of melted butter, garlic butter or pesto. Leave a small gap around the edges, so it doesn’t spill out. But don’t worry too much if it does.
Roll the round into a tight cigar shape, then curl it around tightly to form a snail shape.
Roll this out to about 3-4mm (⅛ inch) in thickness. Some of the filling might leak through, but it doesn’t really matter. See image below.
Bake as in the previous section, step 3.
What To Eat With Flatbread
Flatbreads are incredibly versatile. There are different iterations of them in many parts of the world and they pair well with all sorts of meals. As there’s no need to slice them, they’re also really easy to use.
Serve them warm and freshly cooked, reheated or at room temperature – all ways are good.
Flatbread is perfect for scooping up dips. Give me a bowl of homemade hummus and some nice fluffy flatbread and I’m a happy bunny. To be honest I’m just as happy if it’s a bowl of roasted tomato dip, whipped feta or baba ganoush.
Hmmm, I can see a Middle Eastern theme developing here. But there are many other types of dip in which to dunk your flatbread.
One of my favourite ways to eat them is as an accompaniment to curry. They’re just perfect for mopping up sauces. You can serve them as well as or instead of rice, depending on how simple you want your meal to be. They’re pretty much essential for a curry feast. Don’t forget the raita.
I find they work particularly well with “dry” curries such as this easy paneer jalfrezi. There’s just not enough sauce in these sorts of dishes to coat plain rice.
Then of course, flatbread makes a great wrap. Stuff it with your favourite fillings, falafel is always a good bet. There I go back to the Middle East again. But you can’t go far wrong with some form of protein accompanied by salad, pickles and sauce. I probably use these carrot pickles in wraps more than anything else. They’re great for both flavour and crunch.
And, the piece de resistance, you can also use it as a pizza base. Just add your chosen topping and pop it under the grill. In fact you can use the raw dough to create a bona fide pizza.
Keep in Touch
Thank you for visiting Tin and Thyme. If you make this flatbread recipe, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Do you have any recommendations or advice for making different types of flatbread?
Please rate the recipe. If you post pictures of your creations on social media, use the hashtag #tinandthyme so I can see them.
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If you’d like more bread recipes, follow the link and you’ll find I have quite a lot of them. All delicious and nutritious, of course.
Choclette x
Fluffy Or Flaky Flatbread. PIN IT.
How To Make Fluffy Or Flaky Flatbread With Yoghurt Or Kefir
Equipment
Ingredients
- 200 g flour half wholemeal, half plain (I use wholemeal spelt flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine sea or rock salt
- 140 ml kefir (145g) or natural yoghurt – not Greek yoghurt
- 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
Flaky Flatbread
- 2 tsp melted butter garlic butter or pesto (I used wild garlic pesto)
Instructions
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a large mixing bowl.200 g flour, 1 tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp fine sea or rock salt
- Make a well in the centre, then pour in the kefir or yoghurt followed by the olive oil. Using a knife or sturdy spoon, stir from the inside out until the mixture comes together. If it's too dry, add a little more kefir or yoghurt, but be careful or the dough will become too sticky.140 ml kefir, 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- Gather the dough together picking up any bits and knead briefly to form a ball.
- Divide the dough ball into quarters, then form each quarter into a ball.
- Place a non-stick pan over a medium high heat.
- Roll a ball into a disk about 3-4mm (⅛ inch) thick. Or you can pat it out with your hands if you prefer. Don't worry about getting a perfect circle, it's not necessary and is quite hard to achieve.
- Place it on the hot pan and let it bake for 2 minutes or until it's cooked through on the underside and has brown spots over it. The dough may rise up and this is fine.
- Flip the bread over and bake the other side for a further minute.
- Place the bread in a basket lined with a clean tea towel, then flip the ends of the tea towel over to keep it warm whilst you bake the rest.
- Repeat the process until all the bread is baked. Roll the next dough ball out whilst waiting for the first bread to bake and so on.
- Best eaten whilst still warm, but they’re still soft and pliable when cold.
Flaky Flatbread
- Follow the recipe as above up to step 6.
- Spread the rolled out round of dough with half a teaspoon of melted butter, garlic butter or pesto. Leave a small gap around the edges.2 tsp melted butter
- Roll the round into a tight cigar shape, then curl it around tightly to form a snail shape.
- Roll this out to about 3-4mm (⅛ inch) in thickness, then bake as above from step 7.
Notes
Nutrition Estimate
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