Homemade Flatbread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Is flatbread dough the same as pizza dough? ›

But the difference between the two really comes down to the ingredients, they both need flour, water, and salt, but pizza dough has an additional ingredient, yeast. Pizza dough is a leavened dough where flatbread is unleavened, giving it that flat texture.

A flatbread is bread made usually with flour; water, milk, yogurt, or other liquid; and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened, although some are leavened, such as pita bread.

As the dough contains oil, you should be able to roll it without too much extra flour to stop it sticking. And you don't want too much flour on the outside as this can make the flatbreads hard.

Your flatbread may have dried out during the proofing process or even during cooking. Keeping the dough soft and moist at all stages is key. That is why the dough should always be covered while it rises and proofs. For the first rise, you can even use a pot lid or plate over the top of your bowl.

Flatbread pizza is a thinner and lighter option than traditional pizza, reducing calories and carbohydrates. Opt for whole grain or whole wheat flatbread for added nutrition and fiber.

The bread can be made with a variety of pizza dough styles, but we think our Sourdough, Neo-Neapolitan or Classic Pizza Dough all work well. Make sure to prepare your dough ahead of time to ensure it rises at room temperature before firing up your oven.

Flat breads are made throughout most of the world. Examples are pita (from the Middle East), chapati and naan (India), tortilla (Mexico) and focaccia (Italy). The bread may be leavened (have a raising agent of yeast or sourdough) or unleavened.

Flat breads can be classified in two different categories: single layered and double layered. Single-layered bread is again classified in two subgroups as leavened/fermented (risen by a process of yeast fermentation) and unleavened.

The common explanation for matzo's origins is that Israelites had little time to flee Egypt during their Biblical exodus, resulting in bread that had to be flattened and quickly baked. Matzo is thereby eaten as a form of symbolic remembrance at Passover.

Try less water with your flour. Uneven heat in your oven can be the culprit – if you loaf is nicely golden on the outside but gummy or moist in the inside, it's baking too quickly on the outside. Trying reducing the temperature you're baking at and bake for a bit longer.

What is the secret to softer bread? ›

If your flatbreads are too dense, it's probably because you did not knead the dough enough. Make sure your dough looks completely smooth after kneading. You should also make sure that your baking powder is still viable or your flatbread will not rise as they bake and will turn out dense and hard.

While you can make flatbread without letting the dough rest, 30 minutes or more will make the dough more elastic. To have any chance of a pocket on a bread with no leavening, you need to stretch and fold the dough before forming the final balls that you roll out.

My loaf has a flat top

If the loaf has a flat top then you may have used flour which is too weak. Always use strong bread making flour. Other potential reasons for this problem could be that too little salt was used, the dough was too wet or that the dough was poorly shaped.

While they seem similar, the key difference between pizzas and flatbreads is that pizza dough contains yeast and is allowed to rise for a time before the dish is baked, per Cooking Clarified.

Some people say that the difference between pizza crust and flat bread is that pizza crust includes yeast as an ingredient, while flat bread is unleavened.

In a classic pizza, yeast is added to the dough mixture, which allows it to rise and create a soft, airy texture as it bakes. On the other hand, flatbreads usually lack yeast or any kind of leavening agent, which creates its signature flat and crispy crust.

Naan and pizza dough have many similarities, but they are not the same. Naan is made of flour, yogurt, water, and a leavening agent—either baking soda or yeast. Pizza dough (like my Whole Wheat Pizza Dough) is typically made from flour, water, salt, olive oil, and yeast (conventional or sourdough).