How to make flatbreads without yeast
Making a flatbread without yeast is super easy and saves time as you don’t have to wait hours for the dough to rise.This recipe uses baking powder as a speedy leavening agent that reacts with the natural yogurt to help the dough rise. It requires only a few minutes of kneading into a rough dough, before cooking in a frying pan over a high heat.
Tips for making quick flatbreads
- Combining the dough: Mix the dough using your hands to ensure everything is fully combined. Adding the baking powder at the same time as the flour means it will be evenly distributed throughout the mix.
- Cooking temperature: Cook the flatbreads over a high temperature to get a golden, slightly charred finish. The dough should bubble up during cooking.
- Cooking options: For the quickest results, roll out the dough pieces into rough ovals, then cook for 1-2 minutes. For a more luxurious finish, brush the dough with a little melted ghee or butter, and scatter over cumin seeds, garlic, coriander or chillies, before folding and rolling out the dough again into ovals for cooking.
- Storing cooked flatbreads: After cooking each flatbread, stack and keep wrapped in a tea towel – the trapped moisture will help keep them soft and pliable whilst the rest of the flatbreads are cooking.
Can flatbreads be made gluten-free?
You can make flatbreads using gluten-free flour but it will need more liquid. 300g of gluten-free flour will need around 250g of yogurt. It will change the texture slightly as gluten-free flour has a more powdery consistency but won’t change the flavour.
Can flatbreads be frozen?
Freezing flatbreads is easy – stack them and separate each flatbread with sheets of baking parchment so they don’t stick together. It’s important to cover them completely to avoid freezer burn.
To re-heat rolled-out raw flatbreads, put them in a hot frying pan from frozen and fry on each side for 3-4 minutes. If you’ve frozen them cooked, splash them with a little water and put them in the microwave for 30 seconds or in a hot oven for around four minutes to defrost.
What to serve with flatbreads
They can be used like naans or pitta bread – serve with creamy chicken or veggie curries, kebabs and souvlaki. They make the perfect addition to a grazing board with dips like hummus, tzatziki or our avocado & cannellini bean dip.
