Easy homemade vegan flatbread

Ingredients

You will need the following ingredients to make four vegan flatbreads - this recipe can easily be doubled to make more:

• 400 g strong white bread flour
  For best results use bread flour
• 1 teaspoon fast action dried yeast
  The kind that comes in a sachet
• ½ teaspoon fine salt
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 300 ml warm water
  The water should be warm, not hot. You should be able to put your fingertips in it comfortably.

What kind of salt is best?

I usually use Himalayan pink salt. However, you can use any kind of fine salt to make these flatbreads. Sea salt also works well.

Flours

There are so many different kinds of flour on the market. And it can be difficult to know which one to buy.

For best results use strong white bread flour to make these flatbreads. I like the strong white bread flour from Matthew’s Cotswold Flour.

However, this is a very versatile recipe and if you want to make it with a different kind of flour, chances are it’ll turn out ok. I have made them on occasion with spelt flour, plain white flour, and a blend of white and wholemeal flour.

They were all good - but not quite as good as the ones made with bread flour.

Making vegan flatbreads

There are many different ways that you can make flatbreads.

I often make a chapati or roti style flatbread. These don’t contain yeast so they’re great for when time is short as there's no rising time.

Making flatbreads with yeast

However, when time allows it’s well worth the extra effort to make flatbreads using yeast - the results are so different.

They’re much thicker than a chapati and are perfect for stuffing full of your favourite vegan kebab ingredients or using to mop up a delicious curry sauce.

Kneading

There are three ways that you can knead these flatbreads - by hand, in a stand mixer or by what I like to call the lazy knead method.

The lazy knead method

When I make bread these days I almost always use a lazy kneading method that I found in Dan Lepard's book Short and Sweet.

Dan describes it as a gentler way to making bread dough. He goes into what you need to do in detail in the introduction to the book. However, if you follow my instructions below you'll get perfect homemade flatbread - that's vegan of course.

Kneading by hand

If you love the therapeutic process of kneading by hand, or you prefer to stick to what you know, you can knead these flatbreads by hand for 5-7 minutes.

Kneading in a stand mixer

A stand mixer fitted with a dough hook makes the kneading process much easier. Knead for 5-7 minutes until your mixture has come together into a smooth dough.

Special diets

These flatbreads are suitable for the following diets:

• vegan
• vegetarian
• nut free.

Aren't flatbreads always vegan?

Well no. Although many flatbread recipes often are vegan, it's not always the case.

A simple roti is usually made with just flour and water after all. And a corn tortilla is usually made with just corn and water.

But naan breads usually contain milk or yoghurt and milk powder often appears in ready made flatbreads.

These flatbreads are made with just flour, yeast, salt, water and olive oil - so perfect for anyone following a plant-based diet.

What to serve with flatbreads

Here are some of my favourite ways to serve my vegan flatbreads:

• with a curry - try using them to scoop up the vegetables in this aloo gobi or mop up the lentils in this coconut dal
• instead of tortillas or tacos with this smoky pulled jackfruit
• with a BBQ
• alongside soup
• stuffed with your favourite sandwich fillings
• to scoop up vegan shakshuka
• add toppings and pop under the grill to make vegan pizzas
• make vegan jackfruit gyros - this is my favourite way to enjoy them
• with these Greek-style baked butterbeans
• try these loaded flatbreads with ajvar

More vegan bread recipes you might like

If you like this you might also like:

• vegan naan bread
• sweet potato flatbreads
• vegan soda bread

How to make vegan flatbread

These photographs use the stand mixer method. Full instructions for kneading by hand or using the lazy knead method are in the card below.

1. Mix the flour, yeast and salt together into a mixing bowl.

2. Add warm water and olive oil.

4. Knead for 5-7 minutes in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or by hand. (For the lazy knead method scroll down to the recipe card below).

5. When you have a smooth dough transfer to a lightly oiled bowl.

6. Cover with a plastic cover or damp tea towel and leave to rise for 60-90 minutes.

7. Once your dough has doubled in size you can make your flatbreads.

8. Use your hands to roll into four balls and leave to rest for 15 minutes.

9. Roll out into a flatbread - or stretch with your hands - and dry fry on one side for 2-3 minutes until bubbles appear.

10. Flip and repeat on the other side. Once done keep warm by covering with a clean tea towel or putting in a low oven. Brush with oil and scatter over fresh herbs.