Flatbreads
Cooking Skills: Bread 1
Chapter 4 · Flatbreads
Skill goal
Make breads that need no loaf tin: roll them to the right thickness, cook them on a hot pan and keep them soft.
Shopping list for this chapter
The basics
Flatbreads are the oldest breads, and many of them need nothing more than a hot pan. They are quick, forgiving and a good use of the dough skills you have learned. This chapter has one with no yeast, one thick and one thin yeast bread, and one that puffs into a pocket.
The flatbread rules
- A very hot pan: hot enough that the bread starts bubbling within 30 seconds. A cool pan dries the bread into a cracker.
- Dry pan, no oil: most flatbreads are cooked dry, then brushed with butter or oil afterwards.
- Roll evenly: thick and thin spots cook at different speeds. Turn the dough a quarter between each roll.
- Rest the dough: a rest lets the gluten relax so the dough rolls out without springing back.
- Keep them soft: stack cooked flatbreads in a clean tea towel so the steam softens them.
| Flatbread | Raising agent | Thickness | How cooked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yoghurt flatbread | Self-raising flour | 3 to 4 mm | Dry pan |
| Naan-style | Yeast | About 5 mm | Hot pan with a lid |
| Chapatti-style | None (steam puffs it) | About 2 mm | Dry pan, pressed |
| Pitta | Yeast | About 5 mm | Very hot oven |
Try it
Level 1 · Start here
Two-ingredient yoghurt flatbreads
No yeast, no waiting: self-raising flour and yoghurt make a soft dough in a minute. You can have bread with dinner in half an hour.
Ingredients (6 portions)
- 250 g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
- 200 g thick Greek-style yoghurt
- ½ tsp salt
- Mix the flour, yoghurt and salt in a bowl to a soft, slightly sticky dough. If it is too wet to handle, add a spoonful of flour at a time.
- Knead gently on a floured surface for 1 to 2 minutes. Divide into 6 and roll each into a round about 3 to 4 mm thick.
- Heat a dry non-stick or cast-iron frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook each flatbread for 2 to 3 minutes a side, until puffed with golden-brown spots.
- Stack in a clean tea towel to keep them soft and warm.
Hot pan
Hot dry pans: a pan hot enough to cook flatbread is hot enough to burn. Never leave it unattended, keep the handle turned in, and use a dry cloth to lift lids. Flatbreads puff with hot steam inside, so open them away from your face.
Level 2 · Yeast
Naan-style bread
Naan is traditionally baked in a tandoor. In a pan with a lid you trap the heat and steam, so it puffs and blisters.
Ingredients (4 portions)
- 250 g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp fast-action dried yeast (about 1 tsp)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 100 g plain yoghurt
- 80 ml lukewarm milk
- 1 tbsp oil, plus extra for brushing
- 1 garlic clove and a little melted butter for brushing (optional)
- Mix the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add the yoghurt, milk and oil and mix to a soft dough. Knead for 5 minutes until smooth. Cover and leave for 1 hour until doubled.
- Divide into 4. Roll each into a teardrop shape about 5 mm thick.
- Heat a dry heavy frying pan over a high heat. Cook each naan for about 1 to 2 minutes, until bubbles form on the top. Flip and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes with a lid on, until blistered and golden.
- Brush with melted butter (with crushed garlic if you like). Keep warm wrapped in a tea towel.
Hot pan, steam and milk
Hot dry pans: a pan hot enough to cook flatbread is hot enough to burn. Never leave it unattended, keep the handle turned in, and use a dry cloth to lift lids. Flatbreads puff with hot steam inside, so open them away from your face.Allergens: yoghurt, milk and butter contain milk. Allergens: bread contains wheat (gluten). Check the recipe for milk, butter, egg, sesame and other seeds, and nuts, and label them if you share the bread. Gluten-free bread uses different flours and methods and isn't covered in this course.
Level 2 · Thin
Chapatti-style breads
Chapattis are thin, soft, everyday breads. Rolling them evenly thin is the skill: a round, even disc puffs into a balloon on the heat.
Ingredients (6 portions)
- 200 g chapatti flour (atta), or half wholemeal and half plain white flour, plus extra for dusting
- ½ tsp salt
- 125 ml lukewarm water
- 1 tbsp oil or melted butter, plus extra for brushing
- Mix the flour and salt. Add the water and oil and mix to a soft dough. Knead for 5 minutes, then cover and rest for 30 minutes.
- Divide into 6 balls. Roll each into a thin round about 2 mm thick, dusting lightly.
- Heat a dry frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook one chapatti for about 30 seconds until bubbles appear, flip and cook for 30 seconds, then press gently with a folded cloth so it puffs.
- Brush with butter or oil and stack in a cloth to keep soft.
Hot pan and steam
Hot dry pans: a pan hot enough to cook flatbread is hot enough to burn. Never leave it unattended, keep the handle turned in, and use a dry cloth to lift lids. Flatbreads puff with hot steam inside, so open them away from your face.
Level 3 · Pocket
Pitta bread
Pitta puffs into a hollow pocket in a very hot oven because the steam inside can't escape through the crust. The skill is rolling evenly and baking on a really hot tray.
Ingredients (6 portions)
- 250 g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1 tsp fast-action dried yeast (about 1 tsp)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 150 ml lukewarm water
- Mix the flour, yeast and salt. Add the oil and water and mix to a soft dough. Knead for 8 minutes until smooth. Cover and leave for about 1 hour until doubled.
- Heat the oven to 240°C (220°C fan) with a baking tray on the middle shelf.
- Divide the dough into 6 balls and roll each into an oval about 5 mm thick. Rest for 10 minutes under a cloth.
- Slide the pittas onto the hot tray (use baking paper or a flat peel). Bake for 4 to 5 minutes, until puffed and just starting to colour. They should stay pale.
- Wrap in a clean tea towel straight away so they stay soft as they deflate.
Very hot oven
Hot ovens, trays and steam: use dry oven gloves, pull the shelf out rather than reaching in, and put hot trays and tins on a heatproof surface. If you put a tray of boiling water in the oven for steam, pour it carefully with the oven door open a little and your face well back: the steam is far hotter than the water.
Experiments
Experiment
Thickness
Thin, medium or thick.
- Roll three yoghurt flatbreads to 1 mm, 3 mm and 8 mm. Cook all in the same pan for the same time.
Look for: The thin one dries out and cracks, the medium one is soft and flexible, and the thick one is doughy in the centre. Pick your favourite for wraps or dipping.
Experiment
Pan heat
Too cool or hot enough.
- Cook one chapatti in a pan on a low heat and another in a pan on a medium-high heat.
Look for: The low-heat one dries out and stays flat and stiff. The hot one puffs and has golden spots.
Experiment
Resting
Rest or roll straight away.
- Roll one ball of chapatti dough straight after kneading and another after a 30-minute rest.
Look for: The unrested dough springs back and is hard to roll thin; the rested dough rolls out easily and stays thin.
Experiment
Fat in the dough
With or without oil.
- Make two small batches of chapatti dough, one with oil and one without.
Look for: The version with fat is softer and stays pliable for longer; the version without is drier and stiffens as it cools.
Tasting notes
| What I tried | Method or amount | What I saw | What I thought | Will I do it again? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yoghurt flatbreads | ||||
| Naan-style bread | ||||
| Chapatti-style breads | ||||
| Pitta bread | ||||
| Thickness | ||||
| Pan heat | ||||
| Resting | ||||
| Fat in the dough |
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Flatbreads dry and stiff | Pan too cool, or rolled too thin | Heat the pan more; roll a little thicker; stack in a cloth |
| Raw, doughy middle | Too thick or pan too hot | Roll thinner; lower the heat a little; cook longer |
| Chapattis don't puff | Uneven rolling, or pan not hot enough | Roll evenly; use a hotter pan; press gently |
| Pitta doesn't make a pocket | Oven or tray not hot enough, or dough too thick | Preheat the tray; roll to about 5 mm |
| Dough springs back when rolling | Gluten tight | Rest for 10 to 30 minutes |
| Sticky dough | Too much water | Add flour a spoonful at a time; flour the surface |
Hot pans and allergens
Raw flour: flour is a raw ingredient and can carry bacteria such as E. coli, which are killed only by baking or cooking. Don't taste raw dough, don't let children eat or play with it, and wash your hands, bowls and surfaces after handling flour and dough.Hot dry pans: a pan hot enough to cook flatbread is hot enough to burn. Never leave it unattended, keep the handle turned in, and use a dry cloth to lift lids. Flatbreads puff with hot steam inside, so open them away from your face.
Hot ovens, trays and steam: use dry oven gloves, pull the shelf out rather than reaching in, and put hot trays and tins on a heatproof surface. If you put a tray of boiling water in the oven for steam, pour it carefully with the oven door open a little and your face well back: the steam is far hotter than the water.
Allergens: bread contains wheat (gluten). Check the recipe for milk, butter, egg, sesame and other seeds, and nuts, and label them if you share the bread. Gluten-free bread uses different flours and methods and isn't covered in this course.
Checkpoint: can you do this now?
- I can cook flatbread in a dry hot pan.
- I can roll dough evenly to a chosen thickness.
- I can make a yeast-free dough and a yeast dough for flatbreads.
- I can puff a pitta in a very hot oven.
- I keep cooked flatbreads soft.
Next chapter
Cooking Skills: Bread 1, chapter 5 is No-Knead and Overnight Breads: wet doughs, time instead of effort, and baking in a pot.