October 28, 2021

4 Ingredient Fluffy Easy Flatbreads (Vegan, G.F. Optional)

If you’ve made a delicious curry, and need a little carb, I’ve got the answer for you- our vegan, gluten-free optional, super easy flatbreads! Fluffy, soft, and the perfect way to bulk up your meal. They only use four ingredients, and can all be made in one bowl in under half an hour.

Skip the Post, Click for a Print-Friendly Recipe

The Second Simplest Flatbread Recipe

I never really imagined myself making super simple flatbread recipes- it’s not really as dramatic as the type of recipe I love to create- but here I am on my second. My first version, Just Flour and Water Flatbreads was inspired by minimalist cooking, and uses just water, salt, and flour, in simple ratios that don’t require measuring cups. This recipe is not quite so simple- you need measuring cups, and there are four ingredients instead of three. But aside from that, it is incredibly simple. It is all made up in one bowl, and doesn’t require yeast or long rising times. Compared to my first flatbread recipe, these flatbreads are softer and fluffier, with a little less chew. So if you’re in a cabin with just a little flour and a fire, my first flatbread is definitely the recipe you need. If you have access to a grocery store with vegan yogurt and a few measuring cups, I very much recommend giving these ones a try. They’re perfect for wraps, curries, and any time you need a little bit of carb added to your meal.

How to Eat these Fluffy Flatbreads

Use them with curry, like our Vegan Spinach and Chickpea Curry, Vegan Tomatillo Curry with Coconut and Vegetables or Garlic Mustard and Spinach Saag
Make them into tasty wraps filled with Vegan Tuna Salad, or plenty of veggies and hummus
They would be perfect in this Stinging Nettle Falafel with Nettle Yogurt Sauce or Tandoori Seitan Kabobs with Cucumber Yogurt Salad
Honestly, adding a little peanut butter and jelly and rolling it up is a favorite application of mine.
Make it the base of a pizza like Vegan Pumpkin Pizza with Kale, Bouquet of Roses Beet & Radish Salad Pizza or Arugula Topped Mushroom Flatbreads
You can make them slightly fancier and more flavorful, by mixing some dried or fresh herbs in with the dough, or by brushing the cooked flatbreads with melted vegan butter and garlic.

How to Make These Easy Flatbreads

Roll up your sleeves and let’s get started! Measure out your flour, baking powder, and salt, and mix them together. Add the vegan yogurt, and mix to combine. A spoon will work well for this at first, but as the yogurt gets covered with flour, you’ll likely want to switch to using your hands to be able to get it incorporated. Once you’ve got something that looks like dough, give it a few kneads and then set it aside for a ten minutes so that the gluten relaxes, to make it easier to roll out. Prepare your work surface with a little flour, divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, and use a floured rolling pin to roll the dough out into the shape of your choice. I like to go for oval or kidney shapes, since I think they work well for curries and wraps. You’ll want the dough to be fairly thin so that it cooks nicely- it will puff up a little bit as it cooks.

To cook these easy flatbreads, find a skillet larger than your rolled dough and get it heating so that it’s piping hot. One at a time, take your pieces of rolled out dough and place them on the hot skillet. If it’s properly hot, you should have bubbles starting to form as the flatbread cooks. After 30 seconds to a minute, flip to the other side. You should have some browning on the bread- a little char is also okay- but it should still be flexible. Cook for a little on the second side, to get some color on the places where the bread had bubbled.

Remove the bread from the heat. You can store the cooked flatbreads in a clean kitchen towel to keep them warm if you like. For the tastiest experience, eat these flatbreads while still warm and fresh.

How to Make Vegan Gluten-Free Flatbreads

I don’t usually make gluten-free recipes, because I eat gluten and am not really an expert on gluten-free cooking. But I’ve been trying to experiment with gluten-free options more, so I gave this recipe a shot. And it worked well! Naturally it didn’t taste exactly like the gluten version- the flavor was a little different- but it behaved very similarly. Here are my tips for making this recipe gluten free.

Use an all-purpose gluten-free flour. These are blends that have been specifically formatted to do their best to mimic the light and strong properties of wheat flour. I used this one from Bob’s Red Mill, and it was excellent!
You may need to add a little water- I found following this recipe exactly left my dough just a little dry, so I added a tablespoon of water and that was just perfect to bring my dough together
There is no need to wait- the 10 minute rest period in the original recipe is to allow the gluten to relax. And since you have no gluten, there’s no need to relax it!
Roll the flatbreads out between two layers of plastic wrap. Gluten-free dough is more delicate than glutenous dough, so the plastic wrap will allow you to handle and manipulate the dough without it tearing.
Finally, don’t overcook. These gluten free flatbreads are more susceptible to becoming brittle and fragile, so make sure to keep an eye on them. What worked well for me was to wait until the flatbread bubbled, and then wait another 20 seconds before flipping to the second side and cooking for another 20 seconds or so, but depending on how hot your skillet is it might be different.