Easy Garlic and Herb Flatbread Recipe

Homemade flatbread is so easy and delicious and if you’ve not tried my garlic and herb flatbread recipe then you’re missing out! It’s a great one to start with if you’ve never made bread before, and the infusion of garlic and herbs makes it extra special.  This recipe uses yeast but I promise it’s not complicated. You only rise the dough for 15 minutes so it’s super quick to make.

Variations

Try adding some fillings to mix up the flavour. My favourite is to add a sprinkling of chopped olives and sun-dried tomatoes which gives it a lovely Greek or Mediterranean flavour and tastes great with chicken dishes or Turkish lamb koftas.

What to eat with flatbreads

These flatbreads tastes great with:

Homemade curry dishes – Chicken Tikka or Butter Chicken

Soups and casseroles – Mediterranean chicken or Slow Cooker Chicken and Barley Soup

Fish – try my Mediterranean Salmon Tray Bake

Falafel: Crispy falafel patties, along with tahini sauce, lettuce, and tomatoes, can be wrapped in flatbread for a delicious sandwich

Dips – Homemade hummus or Tzatziki: Tzatziki is a Greek yoghurt-based sauce with cucumber, garlic, and dill. It’s a refreshing and tangy condiment that complements flatbread nicely, especially in Mediterranean dishes

Ingredients

Plain flour – there’s no need for strong bread flour but you can use it if you wish. You could also swap some or all of the plain flour for wholemeal flour to increase the fibre content.

Salt – it is very important to add salt to the recipe or your bread will be very bland.

Fast action yeast – this is widely available in the supermarkets.

Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil adds a lovely flavour.

Water – you’ll need to have warm water (not hot) to help the yeast to activate.

Garlic powder – it’s a lot quicker and more convenient to use garlic powder rather than fresh.

Dried oregano – I love the flavour of oregano with the garlic and olive oil but feel free to change the dried herb.

How to make garlic and herb flatbread

1. Combine dry ingredients – In a large mixing bowl, combine the plain flour, yeast, salt, garlic powder, and dried oregano. Mix well with a spoon to distribute the ingredients evenly.

2. Add the wet ingredients – Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the warm water and olive oil.

3. Form a dough – Mix everything together with a wooden spoon until a rough dough forms. 

4. Knead – Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes until it becomes smooth, soft and elastic. Add a little flour if it is very sticky but try not to add too much extra flour or the dough will become tough.

5. Rest and rise the dough – Place the dough in a lightly floured bowl, cover it with a clean kitchen towel or cling film, and let it rise in a warm place for about 15 minutes.

6. Divide the dough – cut the dough into 6 equal sized pieces and shape into balls. 

7. Roll out the dough – on a lightly floured surface, use a floured rolling pin to roll out each dough ball into a round flatbread 3 to 4 millimetres thick.

8. Prepare your pan – add a teaspoon of olive oil to a frying pan and swirl around. Then remove the excess oil with some kitchen towel so a thin, even coat of oil remains in the pan. Place over a medium-high heat and when hot put your first flatbread into the pan.

9. Cook the flatbread – fry the flatbread for 2 minutes on one side on a medium to high heat. It should puff or bubble and little and be golden brown underneath with a few charred areas.

10. Flip the flatbread – cook the flatbread for another 40 to 60 seconds on the other side until brown. Then remove to a plate.

11. Repeat – continue this process with the other dough balls. 

12. Serve.

Tip – You can keep the cooked flatbreads warm in a low oven while the others cook.

Great dishes to serve with garlic and herb flatbreads