Bread for dinner should not require a trip to the store or two hours of rising. This flatbread is made from flour, plain yogurt, baking powder and salt, mixed in one bowl and cooked in a dry skillet. From the moment you open the flour to the first warm piece on the plate takes about half an hour.
The yogurt does two jobs: its acid reacts with the baking powder to puff the dough, and its fat and protein keep the bread soft and slightly chewy. It is the cheapest way we know to put fresh bread next to a pot of soup, curry or beans.
Serves: 6 flatbreads (about 8 inches) · Prep: 15 min plus 15 min rest · Cook: 15 min · Keeps: 2 days wrapped at room temperature
🧾 Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240 g) plain whole-milk or low-fat yogurt (regular, not Greek; see swaps)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil, plus a little for the pan if needed
- Optional finish: 2 tablespoons melted butter or oil with 1 minced garlic clove and a pinch of salt
Measuring tip: spoon the flour into the cup and level it with a knife. Scooping straight from the bag packs it down and can add up to a quarter cup extra, which makes the dough dry and tough.
👩🍳 Step by step
- Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt so the leavening is spread evenly. Pockets of baking powder taste bitter.
- Add yogurt and oil. Stir with a fork until shaggy, then use your hand to press it into a ball. It should feel soft and slightly tacky but not stick to your fingers. Too sticky? Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. Too dry? Add yogurt or water 1 teaspoon at a time.
- Knead briefly. Turn it onto a floured counter and knead for 1 minute, just until smooth. Long kneading makes the bread tough, since there is no yeast that needs a strong gluten structure.
- Rest 15 minutes. Cover the bowl with a plate. Resting relaxes the gluten so the dough rolls out without shrinking back, and gives the baking powder time to start working.
- Divide and roll. Cut the dough into 6 equal pieces. On a floured surface, roll each into a round or oval about 1/8 inch thick and 7 to 8 inches across. Thinner gives you crisper, more blistered bread; thicker gives softer, pillowy bread.
- Heat the skillet. Set a cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Test with a drop of water: it should sizzle and vanish in a second or two. No oil is needed in a well-seasoned pan.
- Cook. Lay one flatbread in the pan. Cook 1 to 2 minutes until bubbles puff up on top and the underside has brown spots. Flip and cook another 1 minute. Adjust the heat if spots burn before the bread puffs (too hot) or the bread looks pale and stiff (too cool).
- Keep them soft. Stack the cooked flatbreads in a clean kitchen towel. The trapped steam keeps them flexible. Brush with garlic butter just before serving, if you like.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Dense, hard bread | Too much flour or over-kneading | Spoon and level flour; knead 1 minute only |
| Raw, doughy center | Rolled too thick or pan too hot | Roll to 1/8 inch; lower heat slightly and cook longer |
| No bubbles | Old baking powder or pan too cool | Test baking powder in hot water; preheat the pan longer |
| Burned spots, pale elsewhere | Pan too hot or uneven | Reduce to medium; rotate the bread in the pan |
| Dough shrinks back when rolled | Not rested | Cover and wait another 10 minutes |
Tip: To check whether your baking powder still works, stir 1/2 teaspoon into 1/4 cup hot water. If it fizzes right away, it is good. If not, it has lost its power and will give you flat bread.
🔁 What can I swap?
- Greek yogurt: It is thicker, so use 3/4 cup Greek yogurt plus 2 to 4 tablespoons water or milk, added gradually until the dough feels soft.
- No yogurt: Use 3/4 cup milk mixed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar (let it sit 5 minutes), plus an extra tablespoon of oil. The acid replaces yogurt's tang and helps the baking powder react.
- Self-rising flour: Use 2 cups self-rising flour and skip the baking powder and salt; it already contains both.
- Part whole wheat: Replace up to half the flour with whole-wheat flour and add 1 to 2 tablespoons extra yogurt, since whole wheat absorbs more liquid.
- Dairy-free: Use an unsweetened plain plant-based yogurt. Results vary by brand; thicker ones behave like Greek yogurt.
- Flavors: Knead in 1 teaspoon dried herbs, garlic powder, cumin seeds, or a handful of shredded cheese before resting.
💵 Why is it cheaper than store-bought bread?
Flour is one of the least expensive pantry staples per serving, and the full recipe uses just 2 cups. The yogurt is the largest single cost; a large tub of plain store-brand yogurt is usually far cheaper per cup than small single-serve cups, and the rest of the tub works for breakfast or sauces.
To compare with packaged flatbread or pita, add up:
- Flour: bag price ÷ cups in the bag × 2 (a 5-lb bag holds roughly 17 to 18 cups)
- Yogurt: tub price ÷ cups in the tub × 1
- Small amounts of baking powder, salt and oil
Divide by 6 for the price of each flatbread, then compare with the price per piece on the package of store-bought bread you would otherwise buy.
🧊 How do I store and reheat flatbread?
- Room temperature: Once completely cool, wrap in a towel and put in a bag or airtight container for up to 2 days. Refrigerating bread actually makes it go stale faster.
- Freezer: Stack with squares of parchment between them and freeze in a zip-top bag. As the USDA notes on its leftovers page, frozen food stays safe indefinitely but loses moisture and flavor over time, so plan to use it within a few weeks for the best texture.
- Reheat: Warm in a dry skillet for 20 to 30 seconds per side, or wrap a stack in foil and heat in a 350 °F oven for 10 minutes. A quick sprinkle of water before heating softens stale flatbread.
- Raw dough: You can refrigerate the dough, well wrapped, for up to a day and roll it out cold. It puffs a little less.
Food safety note: flour is a raw ingredient. The FDA's guide to handling flour safely says never to eat or taste raw flour, dough or batter, because processing grain into flour does not kill harmful bacteria. Cook every piece fully, and wash hands and counters after rolling.
🍽️ What can I serve it with?
- Soups and stews: Tear and dip into black bean soup, lentil soup or split pea soup.
- Curry: Use it in place of naan to scoop up chickpea curry.
- Quick pizzas: Top a cooked flatbread with sauce and cheese and broil 2 to 3 minutes.
- Wraps: Fill with scrambled eggs, beans, leftover chicken or roasted vegetables while warm.
- Chips: Cut leftover flatbread into wedges, brush with oil, and bake at 375 °F for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp.
🏁 The bottom line
With flour, yogurt, baking powder and a hot skillet, you can make fresh, soft bread in about half an hour. Measure the flour carefully, knead only briefly, let the dough rest, and cook on a properly hot pan. Keep a towel ready to hold the stack, and these will become a regular part of soup and curry nights.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
Can I bake these in the oven instead?
Yes. Place them on a preheated baking sheet or pizza stone at 475 °F for 3 to 5 minutes, flipping once. A skillet gives more brown spots and is faster for small batches.
Why did my flatbread not puff?
Usually the pan was not hot enough, the dough was rolled too thick, or the baking powder was old. Preheat the skillet for a few minutes and test your baking powder in hot water.
Can I make the dough ahead?
You can make it up to a day ahead and keep it covered in the fridge. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before rolling so it is easier to work with.
Is this the same as naan?
Not exactly. Traditional naan often uses yeast and is cooked in a very hot oven. This is a quicker skillet bread with a similar soft, chewy texture, which makes it a good everyday stand-in.