I LOVE this gluten-free flatbread. It is soft, rich, and flavorful, yet strong enough to hold ingredients like a pita. Quick to make, it will last for several days before going stale. And it freezes well too!
How to use Gluten-free Flatbread
Flatbread is pretty universal. Almost every culture has a form of flatbread. While this recipe is most similar to a soft, naan-style flatbread or the pita used for gyros, it is so easy to make that I pretty much use it for EVERYTHING.
- Pizza: For a fluffy pizza crust, precook the flatbread on the stovetop. Then add your toppings and broil until the cheese is melted. This is similar to using the pre-baked pizza crusts from the supermarket, and is not the same as a traditional pizza crust.
- Focaccia: After cooking, brush with olive oil and add your favorite toppings. I like bruschetta or olive tapenade
. - Naan bread: Serve this flatbread beside your favorite curry.
- Pita: Perfect for wrapping up falafels with pickled turnips, or dipping with hummus and tzatziki.
- Dinner bread: It’s a delicious replacement for a dinner roll. Spread with garlic butter and enjoy with your favorite soup.
- Farl: For this traditional Irish breakfast item, make smaller flatbreads, and serve with butter and jam.
.Forming the Flatbread
The only trick to making gluten-free flatbread is forming the dough. Each flatbread is made individually on a frying pan from a soft ball of dough. It’s much easier than it sounds. My son loves this bread so much he started making it on his own when he was about 12 years old.
Here are a few pictures to help guide you. Maybe I’ll make my first ever video at some point.
Start by rolling the ball of dough in starch so that it is well-coated.
Put the ball of dough into the frying pan, then quickly press it flat with your hand. You can see the indentations from my fingers in the dough as I have just finished flattening it out.
The bread is ready to be flipped after 3 minutes. It should be nicely browned.
Quick Gluten-Free Flatbread
This delicious gluten-free flatbread is both soft and strong. It is quick to make and can be used for naan, pita, or focaccia. The secret is to soak the flour in buttermilk or yogurt ahead of time.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 Flatbreads 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Fermented
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Soak
- 1 cup buttermilk or yogurt
- 1 1/2 cups whole grain gluten-free flour (see notes)
Remaining Ingredients
- 1/4 cup cooking oil
- 2 large eggs
- 3/4 cup starch, plus more for dusting (see notes)
- 2 tsp xanthan gum
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
Instructions
- Mix the buttermilk and whole grain flour, and allow to soak at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, and up to 12 hours. A short soak ensures that the flour is fully hydrated. A long ferment will improve both the flavor and the texture by breaking down the complex carbs and making a stickier flour. For a long ferment make sure to use cultured dairy, see notes.
- Mix in the oil and eggs. Then add in the starch, xanthan gum, salt, and baking soda until a smooth and sticky batter is formed.
- Warm a frying pan or griddle on medium heat.
- Coat your hands in starch, and make a small pile of starch (about 1/4 cup) on the counter. Take a spoonful of batter (about 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup depending on the size of bread that you want.) Drop the batter into the starch and quickly coat it in starch and put it into the frying pan. Then carefully use your fingers (or the back of a spatula) to press the ball out in the pan so that it is only about 1/4 inch (1 cm) thick. The starch should prevent the bread from sticking to your hands.
- Cook until the bread has started to brown, then flip to cook the other side. This should only take about 2-3 minutes per side. If it’s cooking faster than that, then turn down the burner as you want the dough to cook through.
- Serve straight or with butter.
Notes
- I usually use GF oat flour, but you could use rice, buckwheat, or whatever gluten-free flour you want.
- I usually use potato starch or tapioca flour as my starch.
- To preferment the batter you need to use cultured buttermilk, milk kefir, or yogurt.
Keywords: 10 ingredients or less, nut free, soy free, gluten free, sides, snacks, breakfast, focaccia, pizza, pita, naan, farl
Is it possible to replace the xantham gum in this recipe?
I haven’t tried it without the xantham gum, however, you could probably just skip it. It might be a bit crumbly, but it should still taste good!
These are sooo good fresh. Our friends prefer these to their gluten flat breads!
★★★★★
Wow this bread is So So Good.
I made it with home made milk kefir and it was Amazing.
I added a little bit of lemon juice because my kefir was so not that sour.
I will always make it.
Thank you very much for sharing this Amazing recipe with no yeast.
Glad you liked it!