Baking bread from scratch can be a bit of an endeavour. Especially when making gluten free bread: mixing flours, creating starter, letting it rise, etc. So I came up with my own easy gluten free flatbread recipe to speed the process up when we want to add some carb factor to our week night dinners!
These flatbread are quick to make (only 20 minutes) and can be whipped up with very little planning as they involve largely store cupboard or long-life ingredients.
The method below details a delicious sundried tomato and olive variety I like to make, but the flatbreads work equally well plain.
We often add some grated cheddar cheese alongside the tomato and olives these days. I’ve not detailed it in the recipe, but if you fancy this cheesy addition then simply work 75g grated cheddar into the dough, along with the tomatoes and olives.
Can I Make Different Varieties of Flatbread or Naan Bread Using This Recipe?
You could also experiment with other additions – spices, sesame seeds, cumin and nigella seeds, a sprinkling of zatar, cheddar cheese and chutney, chorizo and caramlised onion – the list is endless!
A few people tell me they make these as a simple nann bread substitute. Top them with nigella seeds or brush with butter for a lovely curry side dish. I often add some cumin to the dough too when wanting to use them in this way.
I have a proper authentic gluten free naan recipe, plus peshwari naan and garlic naan variations. These take a bit longer as they are yeasted breads, but my goodness they are incredible!
You can keep them completely plain too, of course. Make alongside my garlicky aubergine dip, smooth hummus or pea hummus for a perfect gluten free dipping combo.
Do These Flatbread Work for Kebabs and Gyros?
I’ve got a flatbread 2.0 recipe that is particularly pliable and my go to for kebabs and gyros. It uses Mulino Caputo flour, but the method is equally easy and quick. Give them a go once you get your hands on that amazing gluten free flour!
Can I Use Self-Raising Flour Instead?
Yes – if you want to use self-raising flour simply sub it for the plain flour and baking powder. They work a treat!
The reason I created this recipe with plain gluten free flour as the base, as I know self raising is not available globally. Some readers in Australia, the USA and elsewhere have mentioned that they struggle to get hold of it.
Can I Use Oil to Make Them Crispier?
The recipe specifies no oil when cooking. BUT sometimes I go a bit rogue and use oil if I want to add herbs to the top (like the rosemary, cheddar, olive and sundried tomato variety pictured). Simply rub a little olive oil on one side to stick them in place. Totally up to you, this recipe is so flexible!
But I Don’t Have a Rolling Pin!
Honestly, making these flatbread should be an easy and relaxing experience. No rolling pin? No worries! Use your hands to squash them into shape, or roll then out with a wine bottle, as one of my followers ingeniously did!
Don’t Have the Right Ingredients – Here are Some Substitutions
I typically use full fat yoghurt when making these, but have made them a few times with low fat instead and they work just as well.
One last note before I get to the recipe, about flour substitution options. If you only have self raising flour, you can easily swap it for the plain and baking powder. Simply use 350g self raising flour.
I have also tried this recipe using both white and brown gluten free bread flour – both work well, yielding a slightly different flavour (depending on the blend you use). Use 350g of the bread flour and keep the 2 tsp baking powder in the recipe.
Can I Add Fillings?
Absolutely! We often split and fill these. However, for an AWESOME snack or lunch, you should give my Stuffed Flatbread Recipe as go. They are totally delicious flatbread stuffed with cheese or any filling you like. Incredibly yummy.
Easy Peasy Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe
Time for the recipe hurrah! Scroll on down for aaaaaall the details. If you enjoy making my gluten free flatbread, I would be really grateful if you could review the recipe on the card below.
Feel free to email me any questions or comments you might have –laura@mygfguide.com– or DM me on social media@myglutenfreeguide. Ooh, also send photos of your creations please!
Enjoy! Laura xxx
Yield: Makes 6
Easy Peasy Gluten Free Flatbread
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients
- 350g gluten free plain flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 300ml natural or plain Greek yoghurt
- 1 tsp Maldon sea salt
- 8 sundried tomatoes, finely sliced (optional)
- 50g green olives, finely sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Add the flour, baking powder and yoghurt to a large bowl.
- Mix with a wooden spoon at first to roughly combine then get your hands in there and knead the ingredients until they are properly combined and you are left with a pliable dough. If the mixture is too dry add a little water, if too wet sprinkle with extra flour until you get the consistency pictured below.
- Add the olives and sundried tomato slices onto the dough and combine to ensure they are evenly distributed throughout. Don't overmix though or your sundried tomatoes with completely meld into the dough (not a bad thing really, as they will still taste great, but visually I prefer to have the red tomato stripes running through the flatbread).
- Lightly flour a board and rolling pin. Take a sixth of the dough and roll into a ball shape. Flatten it out with the rolling pin until it is around 5mm thick. OR If you are rolling pin-less or in hurry, you can always flatten them with you hands for a more rustic finish. I often do this as it's so quick!
- Heat a griddle pan over a medium-low flame - oil is optional, these can be dry-fried or simply spritz the pan with a tiny bit of olive oil for a more golden finish. Now pop your raw gluten free flatbread into the pan and allow to cook on each side for around 3-5 minutes. They will rise slightly during cooking, giving a nice light (yet still satisyingly doughy) interior.
- Repeat steps 4 and 5 until you have a neat little stack of gluten free flatbread and then you are ready to serve! These are best eaten straight away while they are warm, or put aside and blast in the microwave just before you are ready to serve.
These gluten free flatbread go brilliantly with so many things. We tend to have ours with aubergine parmigiana, chorizo stew, beef tagine or tapas, soups (like this spiced carrot and parsnip variety), salads, dips or even topped with slow-cooked lamb for a seriously fancy kebab.
So that’s all on the flatbread front for now, but while you are here why not check out some of my other gluten free recipes:
- Homemade Garlic Bread
- Teriyaki Salmon Sushi Bowl
- Toblerone Cheesecake
- Scones
- Peanut Butter Stuffed Brownies
Bon appetit! x
