• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
She Loves Biscotti
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
  • About Maria
  • Contact
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Breads » Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water

    Quick Flatbread Recipe with Flour and Water

    February 15, 2024 , Updated December 10, 2024 Maria 34 Comments

    • Facebook
    • Reddit
    • Flipboard
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video
    Quick flatbread garnished with parsley in a wicker basket.

    Create delicious flatbreads easily with my 4-ingredient Quick Flatbread recipe. No yeast is needed! Just flour, water, oil, and salt. Perfect for a speedy stovetop bread.

    Quick flatbread garnished with parsley in a wicker basket.

    Flatbreads are considered one of man’s oldest foods.

    Across cultures, flatbreads take on diverse forms and flavors, from the soft naan of India to the crispy lavash of Armenia and from the versatile pita to the unleavened matzo.

    Even Italy boasts its variation – the beloved piadina.   

    Growing up in an Italian household, fresh homemade bread with yeast was a daily occurrence.  

    That is why I’m fascinated by the simplicity of making bread without leavening agents. With just flour, water, oil, and salt, you can create a delightful, no-yeast flatbread that’s quick to prepare.

    While many may associate flour and water solely with making pasta like cavatelli, these simple ingredients are also perfect for homemade flatbreads.

    Today, I’m sharing a quick, easy flatbread recipe that will become a household favorite.

    Jump to:
    • How to make flour and water flatbread
    • Tips
    • Serving suggestions
    • Yeast-free bread recipes
    • Recipe origins
    • Recipe
    A pile of flatbreads in a wicker basket.

    How to make flour and water flatbread

    Flour being added to water in a bowl.
    • In a small bowl, whisk 200 grams of flour with ⅛ teaspoon salt. Set aside. 
    • In a larger mixing bowl, place 100 mL of room-temperature water along with a couple of tablespoons of the dry ingredients. 
    • Start whisking together with a fork.
    • Slowly incorporate a few more tablespoons of flour and keep whisking together.
    Olive oil is added to the flour mixture in the bowl.
    • Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil once half of the dry ingredients are incorporated.
    • Use your hands to knead in the rest of the flour and add a few tablespoons at a time. 
    Plastic film is used to cover the ball of dough.
    • Once you have a ball of dough, knead on a lightly floured wooden board for approximately 2-3 minutes.
    • Cover with plastic film and allow to rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature. 
    The ball of dough is divided into eight sections.
    • Divide the dough into 8 sections. Roll out each section in a ball.
    • Dust your wooden board and rolling pin lightly with flour.
    • Roll out each ball of dough into a 6-inch round disc, about one-eighth inch thick.
    A rolling pin next to balls of dough on a wooden board.
    • Continue to roll out the other dough balls (discs can be stacked and separated with a piece of parchment paper).
    • Heat a large grill pan, cast-iron skillet, or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. 
    • Add the rolled-out dough.
    • Cook until light charring occurs, about 1- 2 minutes. Adjust heat accordingly. 
    • Turn over and continue to cook for an additional 1 minute.
    • Transfer stove-top flatbread to a baking sheet. Cover with a clean tea towel to keep warm.  Repeat the same procedure for the rest of the dough.
    • If desired, garnish with chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley.
    Puffy unleavened bread in a wicker basket.

    Tips

    • The idle time of 30 minutes makes the dough easier to roll out. 
    • Using a nonstick skillet means no need to use butter or oil.
    • Adjust the heat to get nicely charred bread.
    • Garnish with your favorite herbs and spices.
    • This flatbread is best the day you make it.
    • Store leftover bread in an airtight container or plastic bag. 

    Serving suggestions

    Wrap It Up: Use your flatbread as a versatile wrap or sandwich base. Fill it with grilled vegetables, falafel, chicken spiedini, or your choice of protein and veggies for a satisfying meal on the go.

    Dunk and Dip: Cut your flatbread into strips or wedges and bake until crispy for homemade flatbread chips. Perfect for dipping into salsa, or your favorite creamy yogurt sauce.

    Soup and Stew Sidekick: They also make a great accompaniment to soups, veal stew or Italian ciambotta.

    Open-Faced Sandwich Base: Try using your flatbread as a base for open-faced sandwiches, like this irresistible tuna melt. 

    Yeast-free bread recipes

    Here are some easy-to-make bread options that are yeast-free.

    • A few piadina on a wooden board.
      Piadina Recipe: Soft Italian Flatbread
    • Sliced honey wheat bread on a wooden board.
      No Yeast Whole Wheat Bread Recipe
    • A freshly baked Irish soda bread placed on a round wooden board, ready to be sliced.
      Irish Soda Bread: Yeast-free!
    A stack of quick flatbread in a wicker basket.

    Recipe origins

    I love collecting recipes, and one of my favorite sources has always been the local newspaper’s food section. It’s been a few years since I last added clippings to my collection, with so many recipes now easily accessible online.

    This flatbread recipe dates back at least thirty years to my early days of learning how to make bread without yeast.

    Recently, I stumbled upon it, and I just had to share it with all of you!

    Enjoy!

    WELCOME! Sign up for my FREE NEWSLETTER for more delicious recipes, tips and updates!

    THANKS SO MUCH for following and being part of the She Loves Biscotti community, where you will find Simple & Tasty Family-Friendly Recipes with an Italian Twist.

    Ciao for now,

    Maria 

    ★★★★★ If you have made this no-yeast quick flatbread, I would love to hear about it in the comments below and be sure to rate the recipe!

    Recipe

    Quick flatbreads in a wicker basket.

    Quick Flatbread: Flour and Water

    This 4-ingredient Quick Flatbread recipe requires only flour, water, oil and salt. This no yeast dough takes just a few minutes to cook in a stovetop skillet.
    5 from 13 votes
    Print Save RecipeSaved! Pin Rate
    Course: Bread
    Cuisine: International
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes minutes
    Resting Time: 30 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 5 minutes minutes
    Servings: 8 flatbreads
    Calories: 106kcal
    Author: Maria Vannelli RD
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?

    Enter you email below and I’ll send the link to your inbox.
    PLUS, be the first to get newly published recipes!

    Ingredients

    • 200 grams all-purpose flour 1½ cups minus 1 tablespoon
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 100 mL water ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons, room temperature
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil extra virgin
    • additional flour for dusting wooden board

    Instructions

    • In a small bowl, whisk the flour with ⅛ teaspoon of salt. Set aside.
    • In a larger mixing bowl, place 100 mL of room temperature water along with a couple of tablespoons of the dry ingredients. 
    • Start whisking together with a fork.
    • Slowly incorporate a few more tablespoons of flour and keep whisking together.
    • When approximately half of the flour mixture is incorporated, add 1 tablespoon of oil.
    • Use your hands to knead in the rest of the flour, a few tablespoons at a time. 
    • Once you have a ball of dough, knead for approximately 2-3 minutes.
    • Cover with plastic film and allow to rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature. It can also be refrigerated overnight.
    • Cover ball of dough with plastic film. Allow to rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature.
    • Divide the dough into 8 sections. Roll out each section in a ball.
    • Dust wooden board and rolling pin lightly with flour.
    • Roll out each ball of dough into a 6 inch round disc -about ⅛ inch thick.
    • Continue to roll out the other balls of dough (discs can be stacked, separated with a piece of parchment paper).
    • Heat a large grill pan, cast-iron skillet or non-stick pan over medium-high heat.
    • Add the rolled out dough.
    • Cook until charring occurs, about 1- 2 minutes. Adjust heat accordingly. 
    • Turn over and continue to cook for an additional 1 minute.
    • Transfer stovetop flatbread to a baking sheet. Repeat the same procedure for the rest of the dough.
    • Serve immediately (while still warm) with your favorite fillings.
    Enhance Your Cooking Experience!SCROLL UP for essential step-by-step photos embedded in the article above. When available, videos can be found in the next section. These visuals are designed to help you achieve perfect results every time. Happy cooking!

    Video

    Notes

    • The idle time of 30 minutes makes the dough easier to roll out. 
    • By using a nonstick skillet, there is no need to use butter or oil.
    • Adjust heat to get a nicely charred bread.
    • Garnish with your favorite herbs and spices.
    • This flatbread is best the day you make it.
    • Store leftover bread in an airtight container or plastic bag. 
    • 1 serving = one 6 inch flatbread
    Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided below is just a rough estimate and variations can occur depending on the specific ingredients used. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1flatbread | Calories: 106kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 2g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 37mg | Potassium: 27mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg
    SIGN UP for Email updates!YES! Send me FREE RECIPES!

    I originally published this post on March 29, 2020, and republished it on February 15, 2024, with updated content. Thanks for sharing.

    WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?

    Enter you email below and I'll send the link to your inbox.
    PLUS, be the first to get newly published recipes!

    • Facebook
    • Reddit
    • Flipboard

    Filed Under: Breads

    About Maria

    Maria Vannelli is a retired dietitian who lives in a suburb just outside Montreal, Canada. She's the founder of the food blog She Loves Biscotti. Maria hopes to inspire you and bring you and your loved ones closer together at meal times enabling you to create some memorable moments.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Josie Perri

      January 07, 2025 at 7:27 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing! I halved the recipe and they came perfect! I made my own garlic butter and parsley sauce. Delish! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Maria

        January 16, 2025 at 5:54 pm

        Thanks so much for sharing Josie!

        Reply
    2. Christine Virelli- Kuhens

      January 06, 2025 at 4:15 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve made these twice so far and will continue to make these..My first batch made the recipe a lil thick because I didn’t follow the directions as Maria suggested…will I ever learn?!
      This batch today was excellent tho and I more than likely will never buy from the store this Quick Flatbread ever again..Today I made tortillas and they were excellent…
      Thank you so much
      Maria

      Reply
      • Maria

        January 22, 2025 at 2:35 pm

        My pleasure Christine. Thanks so much for sharing ♥

        Reply
    3. Bianca

      January 05, 2025 at 5:20 am

      What a great little recipe! These turned out so well. We loved them so much we just ate them as they were, no filling required! Yum. Will definitely be making these again.

      Reply
      • Maria

        January 05, 2025 at 5:52 pm

        Thanks for taking the time to share Bianca! Aren’t they just the best?!?

        Reply
    4. Grace

      March 01, 2024 at 10:57 pm

      5 stars
      I accidentally omitted the oil, and divided into 6 instead of 8 pieces. (whoops). Still turned out great! I added more water to use up the flour and probably tripled the salt, but still wanted a little more. They opened up kind of like a pita, ready to be filled with the lentil filling I made. 😊 Super easy and delicious.

      Reply
      • Maria

        March 02, 2024 at 7:14 am

        Thanks for sharing Grace!

        Reply
      • Grace

        March 02, 2024 at 11:26 am

        Forgot one more note, I did half whole wheat and half bread flour 😊

        Reply
    « Older Comments

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Maria from She loves biscotti

    Hi, I'm Maria! a dietitian (retired) and full-time content creator. Join me as I share traditional Italian recipes from my youth to modern twists on classics using fresh and seasonal ingredients.

    More about me →

    Subscribe and Follow

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Pinterest
    • Instagram
    • YouTube

    RHUBARB RECIPES

    • Sliced rhubarb cake on a wooden board.
      Easy Rhubarb Coffee Cake Recipe with Buttermilk
    • A pile of rhubarb muffins.
      Rhubarb Muffins with Buttermilk
    • Strawberry rhubarb compote in a white dish.
      Strawberry Rhubarb Compote Recipe
    • Fresh rhubarb cut into pieces on a wooden board.
      How to Freeze Rhubarb: A Step-by-Step Guide
    Banner of sites featuring She Loves Biscotti including Buzzfeed, Huffpost, etc.

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • About
    • Contact

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2025 She Loves Biscotti INC

    Copyright © 2025

    We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Read moreOkNo