I love making flatbreads; you can throw a bunch of veggies on them with some hummus for a quick lunch or you can use them as naans with curry or add fun toppings. If you’ve made something like my Yoghurt Flatbreads and you just want to take things to the next level and create something more chewy and fluffy: this post is for you! We’re using instant yeast in a way that’s easy and will maximise flavour and create a great texture. I’m going to detail how to make these the easiest way possible for beginners and then also what I like to do to make these extra-amazing…

INGREDIENTS

Bread flour (for a stretchy texture)

Water

Sugar

Salt

Milk (plant-based can be used)

Instant dry yeast

Oil (I go for either olive or neutral) or melted butter / ghee

Rice flour (recommended for rolling and kneading)

TIPS & NOTES

We start by blooming the yeast with the sugar in the water and check for the foam which signals that it’s active and is going to create bubbles in our flatbreads. Once we’ve done this, we can add the rest of our liquid ingredients and then the dry, I then mix with a spoon or spatula until I just have to get my hand involved (a damp hand works best to prevent sticking). From here, you have a couple of options…

Easy mode:

Knead the dough very well at the start of the process on your countertop until you get a smooth ball, cover and leave to rest for c.60-120 minutes until size increases by 50-75% before popping your dough into the fridge until you want to make your flatbreads (I find they’re good for up to 48 hours).

You don’t even have to let these finish off in the fridge if you don’t have time, I just find it produces better flavour. If you’re in a rush you can simply allow the dough to fully rise at room temperature and double in size, which will take c.120 minutes (though it can be less during the summer, so keep an eye on it and ensure you proceed to the next steps once you see it’s doubled in size).

Intermediate mode:

After mixing together your ingredients, pinch and knead the dough a little until it comes into a dough, using a damp hand, cover and let it rest for 25-30 minutes. Uncover the dough and with a wet hand, grab the top of the dough and pull it up gently until you can’t stretch it any further without breaking it and allow it to drop down so the edge you grabbed is at the bottom of the dough. Rotate the bowl and repeat until all four sides have been stretched and folded. Cover the bowl and allow it to rest for 25-30 minutes.

Repeat the stretch and fold process another 2-3 times at 25-30 minute intervals to build dough strength. You can then put the flatbread dough in the fridge for later or allow it to double in size on the counter (again, the total time including stretch and folds for this option should be up to 120 minutes if you’re not finishing it off in the fridge).

To make the flatbreads:

When you’re ready to make your flatbreads, remove the dough from the fridge (if you’re using this method) around an hour ahead of time to let it come back up to room temperature. You can then divide the dough into 8 pieces. I personally do not weight the pieces to make sure these are all the same size because I don’t mind a bit of variance; sometimes I even make 6 with the same amount of dough to have some extra large ones.

You can then roll them into a ball, allow them to rest covered for 30 minutes before using a rolling pin to flatten the small balls one at a time to be cooked. I like to use a carbon steel or cast iron skillet but non-stick will also work. When each flatbread is done, cover it with a tea towel as you stack them so that moisture doesn’t escape.

I tend to refrigerate these for up to 5 days – to reheat; I recommend sprinkling with a little water and oven baking for 5 minutes (usually at whatever temperature my oven is already running at for the dinner I’m serving these with!)

Flavouring ideas:

Brush cooked flatbreads with olive oil or melted ghee to keep them plain

Combine olive oil with za’atar for a Middle Eastern topping onto the cooked flatbread

Roll on chopped garlic and coriander before baking as a naan topping

When rolling out the flatbread, make it very thin add some pesto, fold into a package and roll again before cooking to make a stuffed flatbread

Let me know if you try this flatbread recipe using instant yeast!