Making homemade flatbread is easy and ready in under 20 minutes! Turn it into your favorite flatbread pizza or serve alongside Cauliflower Kale Curry, dip it into Broccoli Cheddar Soup, or turn it into Mediterranean Nachos. You'll love this no yeast recipe that's made with simple ingredients and can be cooked into crispy or soft flatbreads.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
1 ½ cups (182g) all-purpose flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ¾ tsp fine sea salt
Add in the wet ingredients and stir with a spatula or your hands until a shaggy mess forms, then begin using your hands to knead the dough together. It may seem dry, but keep kneading and the pieces will all come together. If it is too sticky, add sprinkles of flour as needed. Knead for two minutes until the dough is soft and supple, then cover and let rest for 15 minutes.
2 Tablespoon olive oil, ½ cup lukewarm water
Stovetop Method
Divide the dough into two equal portions and flour your work surface. Use a rolling pin or your hands to form ovals that are approximately 7x9 inches and ⅛ inch thick. The dough will puff up when it cooks, so you want it to be thin, and as evenly pressed as possible. You can also divide the dough into 4 smaller flatbreads.
Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat on the stove, you want the skillet hot and a little pan-smoke is ok. I prefer to cook the flatbreads dry, but you can brush 1/2 teaspoon of oil on the surface if you prefer.
½ tsp olive oil, for cooking
Once the skillet is hot, carefully place one flatbread on its surface. Let the flatbread cook for about 2-3 minutes, until bubbles have formed on the surface and the downside is starting to turn golden brown. Reduce the heat slightly if the pan begins to smoke too much from any excess flour. Flip the flatbread and cook for an additional 2 minutes or so, until golden brown. Repeat with the remaining flatbread.
Par-Bake Method
If you prefer to par-bake the flatbread, preheat the oven to 425°F. Place the formed flatbread dough on a parchment lined baking sheet or pizza stone and bake for about 8 minutes.
Remove from the oven and place your toppings on each flatbread, then bake for an additional 10-12 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the cheese is melted.
Notes
Table Salt: if substituting table salt for fine sea salt, use 1/2 teaspoon.
Freezing the Dough: Wrap rested dough in plastic wrap or freezer paper. When ready to use, thaw in the fridge or on the countertop until pliable. Continue as directed to bake.
4 Flatbread Pizzas: Divide the dough into 4 portions and make 4 very thin flatbread pizzas that are approximately 8 inches wide. This will result in a very crisp crust. You can use the stovetop or par-bake method for cooking, although because they are thinner I find par-baking is preferred.
1 Full Pizza: You can turn the dough into a full-sized pizza, too. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Stretch the dough into approximately a 12-inch circle and place on a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet or pizza stone (this keeps it from sticking, but isn't essential depending on your pan). Par-bake the crust for about 8 minutes. Brush the crust with olive oil and add the desired toppings and continue baking for 13-16 additional minutes, until the crust is golden brown and cheese is melted.
6/2022 update: per feedback and further testing, reduced fine sea salt from 1 1/4 teaspoon to 3/4 teaspoon and added clarified how salt should be substituted in this recipe.