This homemade flatbread comes together in 30 minutes’ time and squashes the stereotype that working with dough has to be hard. Whether you’re looking for a carb to dip into soup or to make a batch of flatbread pizzas, this fantastic recipe will be your new go-to.
Flatbreads are perhaps the most universal and simple style of bread. Nearly every culture has some rendition of the flatbread, tapping its endless potential for dipping and topping. Typically touting very minimal ingredients and legwork, flatbread can easily be whipped up on a busy weeknight. For folks who don’t want to spend several days tending to dough, this recipe puts bread on the table without all the fuss.
Flatbread is also a meal-preppers dream. You can double or triple the recipe and have fresh, golden brown flatbreads on hand for a variety of easy meals. Extremely versatile, you can substitute flatbread in any dish where you would typically use pita bread, Indian naan, or even pizza dough.
For this recipe, you have two options: make your own flatbread using our pizza dough recipe or purchase a pre-made store-bought version (no judgment here).
How to Make Flatbread From Scratch
Making homemade flatbread only requires a handful of wholesome ingredients and a bit of elbow grease. In no way, shape, or form does this recipe require as much attention as traditional bread baking!
- Prepare the Dough: If you’re going the homemade route, reference our easy pizza dough recipe to quickly whip up the dough. If you’re not in the mood to make pizza dough from scratch, Trader Joe’s (and most other grocery stores too) sells awesome premade dough in the refrigerator section.
- Shape the Dough: Bust out your rolling pin and smoothen the dough out into a thin, flat piece. You don’t need to be perfect here, but keep the thickness as consistent as possible to promote even baking.
- Season the Dough: Melt a high-quality, European-style butter (Kerrygold and Pulgra are both great options) and press fresh garlic cloves directly into it. Spread the garlicky butter mixture atop your dough and finish with a sprinkling of shredded parmesan cheese.
- Bake Flatbread: Bake in the oven until the dough turns golden brown and bubbly. Sprinkle with more parmesan cheese and roughly chopped, fresh herbs. Serve hot and enjoy!
Hot Tip: If you’re making your pizza dough from scratch, opt for a European or Canadian brand of all-purpose flour. They tend to have a higher protein content and yield an overall richer flavor, all while being easier to digest.
Flatbread Pizza Toppings
Flatbread pizza toppings are a never-ending wormhole of possibility. Below, you’ll find a couple awesome flavor combinations, but feel free to get creative and make your own masterpiece.
- Chicken with alfredo sauce and mozzarella cheese
- BBQ sauce with shredded chicken
- Mushroom flatbread pizza
- Margherita flatbread
- Marinara sauce, over-easy eggs, mozzarella cheese, and bacon bits (breakfast pizza!)
- Pesto, heirloom tomatoes, and fresh mozzarella balls
- Olive oil, fresh figs, and goat cheese
Mini-Flatbread Pizza Hack: Make a beautiful appetizer tray of mini-flatbreads using this fun hack. Divide the dough into 3-4 equal pieces, shape each piece with a rolling pin, and bake. You could also pan-fry each mini-flatbread by heating a cast iron skillet with olive oil over medium-high heat. Once the first side begins to bubble (much like when you’re cooking pancakes), flip and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes. Top each flatbread to your liking and assemble on a large party platter.
Serving Flatbread
Serve your flatbread alongside a steaming bowl of minestrone or turkey neck soup on a cold winter day. During hotter months, pair it with shuba salad, a fancy Russian-style salad of pickled herring and root veggies that tastes as delicious as it looks.
FAQ
What is flatbread made of?
Flatbread is made of flour, dry yeast, lukewarm water, salt, sugar, and olive oil. Some recipes for flatbread won’t call for yeast, but it’s a nice addition if you want some extra fluff.
Are flatbread and naan the same?
Flatbread and naan are very similar, but they are not the same. While flatbread is made with mostly dry ingredient and a bit of water and oil, naan typically has eggs or yogurt in the batter to make it extra dense.
Is flatbread the same as pizza?
Flatbread and pizza are nearly the same. You can interchange flatbread for pizza dough in most recipes so long as the flatbread dough you are using is leavened.
How to Store Flatbread
- Refrigerating – This recipe makes three flatbreads. If you end up having leftovers, store them in an airtight container for up to a week and a half.
- Freezing – To freeze your flatbreads, allow them to cool completely. Place flatbreads in a single layer on a baking sheet. Pop in the freezer. Once frozen, transfer to a freezer-safe plastic bag. Frozen flatbreads will stay fresh for up to 3 months.
Reheating Leftover Flatbreads: Use an air fryer, conventional oven, or microwave to reheat your flatbreads. Just a minute or so should do the trick.
More Bread Recipes:
- Easy Brioche Bread – Airy and flaky
- 5 Minute Flax Wheat Bread – Healthy and hearty
- No-Knead Bread – Simple and classic
- Brioche Buns – Perfect for hamburgers
- Baguette – Classic baguette recipe
Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/2 batch pizza dough
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley (dry or fresh)
- 2 cups parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Roll out the dough into a thin, flat piece.
- Melt butter. Press fresh garlic cloves into melted butter and give it a good stir.
- Spread garlicky butter atop the bread. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the parmesan cheese.
- Bake at 410°F for 15 minutes and sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese onto the bread. Top with fresh herbs and serve!
I used this dough recipe for a pizza night and it worked great. My kids loved making their own pizzas!
Great idea, enjoy!!
The easiest bread you will ever make & very tasty! Love that you save time using the premade pizza dough.
So glad you enjoyed it, thank you for your feedback, Natalie!
This flatbread will do great for school lunches. I tried some and am already thinking of all the possible combinations for this to keep school lunches from getting boring while still being delicious.
Great idea on using it for school lunches, I'm so glad you are finding a variety of ways to use this recipe!
could replacing the butter with olive oil work just as well?
Yes, it will work just fine.
I love the flatbread you made, using your wonderful pizza dough recipe 🙂
Hi Mira,Thank you. It did turned pretty amazing 🙂
how do you make that pizza dough?...or can you just buy it at a store lol?
If you looks at description of the recipe, there is a link attached to the recipe.
I can see this with some caramelized onion and/or sun dried tomatoes. Yummm.
Oh I like how you are thinking, I would totally agree on that one. Caramelized onions are one of my favorite foods.
This looks delish!:) next time I make pizza I will use the left over dough to make this flat bread. Last time I made pizza and had left over dough i was thinking if I can possibly make bread sticks with the dough.. I will definitely make this next time. Maybe I won't even wait, maybe I'll just make this today. I love trying the new recipes:). Thank you!
You are funny! Remind me of my self by thinking out loud, I do it all the time. Hope you live this one 😉
Awesome