No-Yeast Flatbread

Hey everyone- we’re getting through it, right? As we continue through these weird times, I’m getting more questions and comments from you guys as you bake more home, which I love. Please keep telling me what kind of recipes you need- I’m working hard to provide helpful info and recipes that will keep you fed! That’s where today’s flatbread comes from.

So I’m hearing from a lot of you, and now experiencing myself, that yeast is hard to come by at the moment, along with pre-made bread. So while baking bread at home was a great option for a while, if you don’t have yeast, that may be difficult now too.

Over the last week, I’ve been baking no-yeast bread options like crazy. I’ll be sharing two with you, and this one is my favorite of the two- here’s why. It comes together like dough, just like your typical bread recipe. You even knead it for a few minutes to develop a little gluten, plus the dough is SUPER easy to work with- always a plus. But more than anything, I think this flatbread recipe really gives you the normal, natural form of this type of bread.

I actually really love the simplicity of this recipe as well- you can spice it up however you prefer. I went with a bit of onion powder to give it some extra savory qualities, but it’s wonderful alone, or with garlic or curry powder as well.

How to Make No-Yeast Flatbread

Okay, we’re starting with a very simple baking powder dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or just a large bowl), stir together your flour, onion powder (or other spices), salt, and baking powder. Then, in a microwave-safe bowl, heat the water and honey for about 30-45 seconds in the microwave, or until the water is luke-warm. Remember we aren’t dealing with yeast here, so the temperature doesn’t have to be perfect. You just want it to be warm enough that you can stir the honey into water and have them mix well.

Pour the water mixture and the oil into your dry ingredients. Use a spatula to get the mixture to just start to form a shaggy dough. Place the stand mixer bowl on the mixer and use the dough-hook to knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until its fairly smooth and elastic. If kneading by hand, turn the dough out onto a clean surface and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 7-10 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 even pieces by cutting the dough ball in half, each of those pieces in half, and each of those pieces into thirds. This also doesn’t have to be perfect, just get them roughly the same size. Form each piece into a ball, and place onto a baking sheet. Lightly cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for about 20 minutes.

Use a large, dry skillet to cook the flatbread. I like to keep the pan at a solid medium heat level, closer to the high side, but you’ll get a better feel for this once you start cooking. You want the flatbreads to brown fairly quickly so they don’t dry out on the inside.

Roll the balls out on a clean surface with no additional flour. This process takes some getting used to- the dough will spring back a bit each time you pick it up. You’ll want to pick up the dough and turn it many times while rolling. Roll it very thin, about 1/8th of an inch thick. You’ll want to work with just one ball at a time.

Gently peel the dough from your counter and place it into your pre-heated, dry pan. These should only take about 1-2 minutes to fully cook. You can flip the dough several times during the cooking, and you want to keep a close eye to make sure they don’t burn!

My last tip here is that you want to stack the flatbread as they come out of the pan. The steam helps keep them soft as they cool instead of dry and crispy. I hope you guys enjoy this one- it’s actually amazing with sandwiches and as a toast replacement for breakfast!! Enjoy!

5 from 1 vote

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No-Yeast Flatbread

Servings 12 flatbreads

Ingredients

• 3 1/4 cups flour
• 2 tsp. onion powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 3/4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup + 2 tbs. water
• 2 tbs. honey
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour, onion powder, salt, and baking powder. Set aside. In a microwave safe bowl, heat the water and honey in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or until just warm enough for the honey to dissolve into the water when stirred. 

2. Pour the water mixture and the oil into the dry ingredients, and stir with a spatula to combine until a shaggy dough forms. Using the dough hook attachment, knead the dough for about 5 minutes. If kneading by hand, knead for 7-10 minutes. The dough should be fairly smooth and elastic. 

3. Divide the dough into 12 pieces that are relatively even- they don't have to be perfect. Roll each piece into a ball, and place on a baking sheet. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for about 15-20 minutes. 

4. Heat a dry, large skillet to medium heat. You may want to adjust the heat as you cook the flatbreads to ensure they are browning fairly quickly. 

5. Working with one dough-ball at a time and using a clean, un-floured surface, roll the dough very thin, picking it up and turning it several times while rolling. The dough will spring back when you pick it up, so it will take a little bit to roll it out. DO NOT use flour on your surface as this will make it much harder roll out. You want the dough to be very thin- it will thicken and spring back as it cooks!

6. Cook the flatbread in your dry, heated pan for about 1-2 minutes total, flipping every 30 seconds or so, until it has started to form little bubbles and has deep brown spots all over. You want this to happen quickly- if its not browning within 2 minutes, turn up the heat slightly to avoid drying out the bread. 

7. Stack the flatbread on a plate to cool- the steam will help keep the bread soft as it cools! Store in the fridge for 3-4 days, or in the freezer for 2 months. 

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!