Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water (2024)

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Create delicious flatbreads easily with my 4-ingredient Quick Flatbread recipe. No yeast is needed! Just flour, water, oil, and salt. Perfect for a speedy stovetop bread.

Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water (1)

Flatbreads are considered one of man’s oldest foods.

Across cultures, flatbreads take on diverse forms and flavors, from the soft naan of India to the crispy lavash of Armenia and from the versatile pita to the unleavened matzo.

Even Italy boasts its variation – the belovedpiadina.

Growing up in an Italian household, fresh homemade bread with yeast was a daily occurrence.

That is why I’m fascinated by the simplicity of making bread without leavening agents. With just flour, water, oil, and salt, you can create a delightful, no-yeast flatbread that’s quick to prepare.

While many may associate flour and water solely with making pasta like cavatelli, these simple ingredients are also perfect for homemade flatbreads.

Today, I’m sharing a quick, easy flatbread recipe that will become a household favorite.

Jump to:
  • How to make flour and water flatbread
  • Tips
  • Serving suggestions
  • Yeast-free bread recipes
  • Recipe origins
  • Recipe
Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water (2)

How to make flour and water flatbread

Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water (3)
  • In a small bowl,whisk 200 grams of flour with ⅛ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
  • In a larger mixing bowl, place 100 mL of room-temperature water along with a couple of tablespoons of the dry ingredients.
  • Start whisking together with a fork.
  • Slowly incorporate a few more tablespoons of flour and keep whisking together.
Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water (4)
  • Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil once half of the dry ingredients are incorporated.
  • Use your hands to knead in the rest of the flour and add a few tablespoons at a time.
Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water (5)
  • Once you have a ball of dough, knead on a lightly floured wooden board for approximately 2-3 minutes.
  • Cover with plastic film and allow to rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature.
Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water (6)
  • Divide the dough into 8 sections. Roll out each section in a ball.
  • Dust your wooden board and rolling pin lightly with flour.
  • Roll out each ball of dough into a 6-inch round disc, about one-eighth inch thick.
Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water (7)
  • Continue to roll out the other dough balls (discs can be stacked and separated with a piece of parchment paper).
  • Heat a large grill pan, cast-iron skillet, or non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
  • Add the rolled-out dough.
  • Cook until light charring occurs, about 1- 2 minutes. Adjust heat accordingly.
  • Turn over and continue to cook for an additional 1 minute.
  • Transfer stove-top flatbread to a baking sheet. Cover with a clean tea towel to keep warm. Repeat the same procedure for the rest of the dough.
  • If desired, garnish with chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley.
Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water (8)

Tips

  • The idle time of 30 minutes makes the dough easier to roll out.
  • Using a nonstick skillet means no need to use butter or oil.
  • Adjust the heat to get nicely charred bread.
  • Garnish with your favorite herbs and spices.
  • This flatbread is best the day you make it.
  • Store leftover bread in an airtight container or plastic bag.

Serving suggestions

Wrap It Up: Use your flatbread as a versatile wrap or sandwich base. Fill it with grilled vegetables, falafel, chicken spiedini, or your choice of protein and veggies for a satisfying meal on the go.

Dunk and Dip: Cut your flatbread into strips or wedges and bake until crispy for homemade flatbread chips. Perfect for dipping into salsa, guacamole, or your favorite creamy yogurt sauce.

Soup and Stew Sidekick: They also make a great accompaniment to soups, veal stew or Italian ciambotta.

Open-Faced Sandwich Base: Try using your flatbread as a base for open-faced sandwiches, like this irresistible tuna melt.

Yeast-free bread recipes

Here are some easy-to-make bread options that are yeast-free.

  • Piadina – A No Yeast Italian Flatbread Recipe
  • Whole Wheat Honey Bread: Yeast Free!
  • Irish Soda Bread: Yeast-free!
Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water (12)

Recipe origins

I love collecting recipes, and one of my favorite sources has always been the local newspaper’s food section. It’s been a few years since I last added clippings to my collection, with so many recipes now easily accessible online.

This flatbread recipe dates back at least thirty years to my early days of learning how to make bread without yeast.

Recently, I stumbled upon it, and I just had to share it with all of you!

Enjoy!

THANKS SO MUCHfor following and being part of theShe Loves Biscotticommunity, where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

Ciao for now,

Maria

★★★★★ If you have made this no-yeast quick flatbread,I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

Recipe

Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water (13)

Quick Flatbread: Flour and Water

This 4-ingredient Quick Flatbread recipe requires only flour, water, oil and salt. This no yeast dough takes just a few minutes to cook in a stovetop skillet.

5 from 11 votes

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Course: Bread

Cuisine: International

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes

Resting Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes

Servings: 8 flatbreads

Calories: 106kcal

Author: Maria Vannelli RD

Ingredients

  • 200 grams all-purpose flour 1½ cups minus 1 tablespoon
  • teaspoon salt
  • 100 mL water ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons, room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
  • additional flour for dusting wooden board

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk the flour with ⅛ teaspoon of salt. Set aside.

  • In a larger mixing bowl, place 100 mL of room temperature water along with a couple of tablespoons of the dry ingredients.

  • Start whisking together with a fork.

  • Slowly incorporate a few more tablespoons of flour and keep whisking together.

  • When approximately half of the flour mixture is incorporated, add 1 tablespoon of oil.

  • Use your hands to knead in the rest of the flour, a few tablespoons at a time.

  • Once you have a ball of dough, knead for approximately 2-3 minutes.

  • Cover with plastic film and allow to rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature. It can also be refrigerated overnight.

  • Cover ball of dough with plastic film. Allow to rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature.

  • Divide the dough into 8 sections. Roll out each section in a ball.

  • Dust wooden board and rolling pin lightly with flour.

  • Roll out each ball of dough into a 6 inch round disc -about ⅛ inch thick.

  • Continue to roll out the other balls of dough (discs can be stacked, separated with a piece of parchment paper).

  • Heat a large grill pan, cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium-high heat.

  • Add the rolled out dough.

  • Cook until charring occurs, about 1- 2 minutes. Adjust heat accordingly.

  • Turn over and continue to cook for an additional 1 minute.

  • Transfer stovetop flatbread to a baking sheet. Repeat the same procedure for the rest of the dough.

  • Serve immediately (while still warm) with your favorite fillings.

Scroll UP for the STEP by STEP PhotosDon’t miss the process shots and videos included in most posts. Simply scroll up the post to find them. Those were created especially for you so that you can make the recipe perfectly every single time you try it.

Video

Notes

  • The idle time of 30 minutes makes the dough easier to roll out.
  • By using a nonstick skillet, there is no need to use butter or oil.
  • Adjust heat to get a nicely charred bread.
  • Garnish with your favorite herbs and spices.
  • This flatbread is best the day you make it.
  • Store leftover bread in an airtight container or plastic bag.
  • 1 serving = one 6 inch flatbread

Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used.

Nutrition

Serving: 1flatbread | Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg

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I originally published this post on March 29, 2020, and republished it on February 15, 2024, with updated content. Thanks for sharing.

About Maria

Maria Vannelli is a registered dietitian who lives in a suburb just outside Montreal, Canada. She's the founder of the food blog She Loves Biscotti. Maria hopes to inspire you and bring you and your loved ones closer together at meal times enabling you to create some memorable moments.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Grace

    Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water (14)
    I accidentally omitted the oil, and divided into 6 instead of 8 pieces. (whoops). Still turned out great! I added more water to use up the flour and probably tripled the salt, but still wanted a little more. They opened up kind of like a pita, ready to be filled with the lentil filling I made. 😊 Super easy and delicious.

    Reply

    • Maria

      Thanks for sharing Grace!

      Reply

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Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water (2024)

FAQs

Can you make dough with flour and water? ›

You can make super simple dough with just flour and water, and cook it in a frying pan. If you use less water you can roll it out like flatbread, if you use more water you can pour it into a greased pan like a pancake. It won't have much flavor, though adding some salt will help.

What is a mixture of flour and water that is made into bread? ›

Mix the dough

Add 3 cup bread flour, 1/2 tsp dry yeast, and 1 tsp kosher salt to a mixing bowl and mix well. Add the warm water and by hand, mix to create a soft, sticky dough. Do not knead the dough, the less you knead the more airy the bread will turn out.

What is the ratio of flour to water for bread? ›

Water. Different flours absorb different quantities of water, but for a strong white flour the rule of thumb is to take the amount of flour you are using in grams, work out 60% of that and add that amount in ml. For example, if using 1 kilogram of flour, add 600ml water.

Why does flour and water make dough? ›

This is because wheat flour contains two proteins, glutenin and gliadin , which, when combined with water, form gluten. As you knead the dough, the gluten becomes more and more stretchy. This gum-like substance fills with thousands of gas bubbles as the yeast goes to work during rising.

What happens if you cook flour and water? ›

Flour is made from wheat and is starch with a small amount of protein. Starch is composed of sugars linked together so that they don't taste or act like sugars. When mixed other water and heated, the starch molecules swell and become gel-like or sticky.

What happens if you put flour and water together? ›

When flour and water are mixed together, water molecules hydrate the gluten-forming proteins gliadin and glutenin, as well as damaged starch and the other ingredients. The hydration process is achieved when protein and starch molecules create hydrogen bonds and hydrophilic interactions with the water molecules.

What is a simple mixture of flour and water? ›

Batter is a simple mixture of flour and water is used to make crepes and pancakes. It is also used to coat fruit for fritters.

What baked food is made of flour water and yeast mixed together? ›

bread: food made of flour, water, and yeast or another leavening agent, mixed together and baked.

What is a thick mixture of flour and water called? ›

Batter is a flour mixture with liquid and other ingredients such as sugar, salt, and leavening used for cooking. It usually contains more liquid than dough, which is also a mixture of flour and liquid.

How much water do I add to 2 cups of flour for bread? ›

Combine the 1 1/4 cups warm water with the butter or oil and add to the yeast mixture after it has expanded. Combine the salt and flour and add 2 cups of flour to the yeast / water mixture and mix well.

How much water does it take to make 1 loaf of bread? ›

It takes approximately 240 gallons of water to produce a loaf of bread. A small soda requires 46 gallons of water to produce. 12 gallons of water are used to produce a small serving of potato chips. To brew a gallon of tea, it takes 108 gallons of water.

How much water do I use for 1 cup of flour? ›

For volume measurements you use a 1:1 ratio of flour to water for feeding your starter. This can be one cup of flour to one cup of water or 1/2 cup of flour to 1/2 cup water etc.

Is it better to make dough with milk or water? ›

The fat and lactose in milk help with tenderizing the crumb of the bread making it softer and sweeter. The crust of the bread also gets more caramelization. Be aware that bread made with milk should not be baked at too high of a temperature to prevent it from browning too much too soon.

What happens when you add too much water to dough? ›

If you have a high hydration dough, it's going to be sticky. That's all there is too it. If you add more flour, you'll end up with a really tough, dry loaf, so don't add more flour! First thing you can do is set the dough aside after you've added your water and mixed it together.

Do you put water or flour first in dough? ›

If your recipe has you start with the yeast in the water (needed for cake yeast, but some converted recipes also suggest it for dry types of yeast) then you should be adding flour to the water and not the other way round.

Does flour and water rise without yeast? ›

If you want to successfully substitute the yeast called for in a recipe, you just need to swap in the right amount of baking soda and acid to make the dough rise. You can use lemon juice, buttermilk, or milk combined with an equal part of vinegar as your acid.

Does flour and water make yeast? ›

To make your own natural yeast, all you need is flour and water, along with time and attention. Yeasts and bacteria in your kitchen and on the grains seek out the sugar naturally present in the flour, and the amalgamation begins.

How long does flour and water dough last? ›

Preserving Non-Yeast Dough

For example, flatbread dough typically consists of salt, water, sugar, and a combination of all-purpose and white flour. The non-yeast dough can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week, though it is recommended to use it within 3-4 days after mixing.

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