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You can make this Fluffy Gluten-Free Flatbread Recipe quickly on the stovetop with just seven ingredients! This recipe works well as a replacement for gluten-free naan bread, gluten-free pita bread, or any other kind of flatbread. Top 8 allergen-friendly.
I’ve dreamed of this kind of gluten-free flatbread for years. I’ve mourned over my inability to eat naan bread when at Indian restaurants, and been so sad to order a falafel salad instead of the wrap because no pita for me. I truly, truly cannot believe it’s taken me this long to recreate the gluten-free naan/pita/flatbread goodness I’ve been missing for so many years.
This gluten-free flatbread makes for the perfect gluten-free pita to wrap up your kebabs, the perfect gluten-free naan (also vegan!) to scoop up your curries, and works well to wrap up anything you’d want to fill it with. It’s…
- Chewy and soft
- Sturdy enough to hold all your fillings
- Bubbly and fluffy
- Only 7 ingredients
- Gluten-free, vegan and nut-free
- Absolutely delicious
Pssst – if you like this recipe, you’ll love all of these gluten-free bread recipes, too!
What ingredients do I need?
- Active Dry Yeast: this gives us those beautiful bubbles to lighten and leaven this flatbread.
- Raw Cane Sugar: not for sweetness, this sugar is just here to feed the yeast.
- Filtered Water: to activate the yeast & hydrate the psyllium!
- Psyllium Husk: don’t skip this – it makes the dough easy to work with and gives the flatbreads a nice chew. If you’re using psyllium powder, use 75% of the amount called for.
- Brown Rice Flour: this is what I tested with, but white rice flour, sorghum flour, or another favorite mild-flavored grain flour will also work.
- Potato Starch: you can use any other starch here too, like tapioca flour or arrowroot starch.
- Sea Salt: because no recipe is complete without it!
How to make gluten-free flatbread:
Step 1: Begin by activating the yeast with the sugar and warm-hot water (it should be hot to the touch, but not so hot you can’t hold a finger in it — think hot bath temperature). While it activates, combine the water and psyllium husk and let gel.
Step 2: In a mixing bowl, combine the brown rice flour, potato starch, and salt. Whisk to combine, and then add in the activated yeast and psyllium husk mixtures.
Step 3: Use a dough whisk or a stand mixer to mix the dough until completely combined.
Step 4: Divide into four equal pieces and let rise for one hour. They’ll just about double in size.
Step 5: Roll out each flatbread. I like doing this on a piece of lightly floured parchment. I do one at a time, and as one cooks, I roll out the next one.
Step 6: To cook each flatbread, heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add a little bit of oil to the pan and place the flatbread on top. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each, brushing the top with oil before you flip it over. It should bubble and get browned. Repeat until all flatbreads are cooked!
Step 7: Serve warm with your favorite soup or curry! You can reheat leftovers in the toaster for a few minutes, or over the stove with a lid.
Can I flavor this gluten-free flatbread?
Yes, absolutely! Although not entirely traditional, I love making this into a “gluten-free naan” with garlic on top, but you can add so many different flavors and fillings. Here’s some of my favorite ways to add flavor to these gluten-free flatbreads.
- Combine melted butter (vegan if needed) and minced garlic in a bowl, and brush on top of the warm flatbreads for a gluten-free garlic naan. Garnish with herb of choice.
- Mix herbs and/or spices into the dough before cooking.
- Add cheese (vegan if needed) into the center of the dough ball before rolling it out for a cheese-filled flatbread.
- Add very thinly sliced onions into the dough for a gluten-free onion flatbread.
Can I make these flatbreads ahead of time?
They’re best when fresh off the stovetop, but they can definitely be made ahead of time if you prefer.
To prep ahead: prepare the flatbreads all the way through cooking, let cool, and store airtight in a ziplock plastic bag in the refrigerator until ready to use.
To reheat: Place on a pan over medium-low heat. Cover with a lid and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add a few drops of water to create steam to help refresh the flatbreads.
What to serve gluten-free flatbreads with…
Fluffy Stovetop Gluten-Free Flatbread
Ingredients
To activate the yeast
- 3 g active dry yeast
- 10 g raw cane sugar, maple syrup or honey works too
- 60 g filtered warm water
For the flatbreads
- 10 g whole psyllium husk, to use ground psyllium husk, use 8g
- 190 g filtered water
- 130 g brown rice flour
- 80 g potato starch, can also use arrowroot or tapioca starch
- 4 g sea salt
- Olive oil, to cook the flatbreads
Instructions
- In a small bowl, combine the yeast with the sugar and warm water, between 100-110℉. It should feel warm, but not hot, to the touch. Let it sit to activate for about 10 to 15 minutes. You should notice it start to to bubble, and then it will get nice and foamy on top.3 g active dry yeast, 10 g raw cane sugar, 60 g filtered warm water
- In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, mix together the psyllium husk and water. Whisk together, breaking up the psyllium, and let it set for a few minutes until it’s thickened and gel-like.10 g whole psyllium husk, 190 g filtered water
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, mix together the flour, starch, and salt. Whisk to combine.130 g brown rice flour, 80 g potato starch, 4 g sea salt
- Add the psyllium gel and the activated yeast mixture to your dry ingredients. Add any herbs or spices right now if desired.
- If using a stand mixer, fit it with the dough hook and let it mix up the dough until combined and smooth, scraping down the sides a few times during the process, and flipping the dough around to make sure it’s fully mixed on the bottom too. You can also do this by hand. If doing it by hand, I like using a dough whisk to get it mostly combined. Then, turn it out onto the countertop and use your hands to knead the rest of the flour in.
- Divide into four equal pieces and place on a plate or baking sheet. If you’re impatient, you can cook these up immediately but they’ll be a lot less fluffy. Cover, and let rise for one hour. They should just about double in size.
- Once doubled, roll each flatbread out on a lightly floured surface to the desired thickness – they’ll puff a bit as they cook too.
- Heat a pan to medium-high heat and brush with a bit of olive oil. Cook one flatbread at a time over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Repeat until all are cooked.Olive oil
- Serve warm, or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve. To reheat, place on a pan over medium-low heat. Cover with a lid and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add a few drops of water to create steam to help refresh the flatbreads.
I am not GF, but an old friend has recently converted and I am making her a cioppino. I made a test batch of these flatbreads today to make sure they tasted good before dinner tomorrow. Only variation was ~1T Za’atar(B&B). OMG, I tried a corner, then ate 3 with olive oil as they were coming out of the pan. Second batch will be tomorrow.
Thank you so much for this recipe
So glad you’re enjoying the recipe!! One of my faves. Hope your friend loves them too!
Rachel, oh my GOSH. These flatbreads. They were absolutely divine!! I’ve had many disappointing gluten-free naan style breads, but now my search is over. Even my gluten-eating kids loved these.
Woohoo, thanks for the kind review!! This is one of my favorites too :)
Love this recipe! My husband has Celiac disease and I came across the website after buying the book. This recipe is so versatile. I make grilled calzones, ham and cheese hot pockets and personal pan pizzas with this recipe. We also use it for pita bread and naan bread. We also will make one and cut it into four pieces and make sandwiches with it. I can’t say enough about how much I love this recipe. It freezes up well and I can make up the calzones and hot pockets in advance. It has made eating gluten free a lot easier. This has been added to my favorite recipes. My husband loves it as well! Thanks so much!
These all sound amazing!! So glad you’re loving this recipe, April :)
I’m trying to eat more oats so I used oat flour instead of rice flour. They turned out great! Nice soft chewy texture and yummy flavor! Thank you!!
So glad to hear it, Allison! Thanks for the feedback.
I made another batch of smaller ones (6 instead of 4) with oat flour and this time I baked them on a pizza stone at 425F for 12 minutes. They turned out beautifully and puffed up like balloons!
Sounds fabulous, Allison! Thanks so much for the feeback.
These taste great, thank you! They’re fluffy and slightly chewy like gluten flat bread. I just made some with pan fried chicken breast, spinach and mayonnaise. This is my go to recipe now, will always make sure I have a batch in the freezer for mini pizzas, flat bread for easy lunches.
So glad you’re loving them, Nicky! Thanks so much for the review.
These are hands-down the best GF flatbreads I have ever made! Even my long suffering husband (who can eat all the gluten he wants but has bravely tested every GF recipe I’ve tried) absolutely loved them. I was so excited I bought your cookbook, which arrived yesterday. but I was devastated to see the vast majority of the recipes call for almond flour. I can’t eat almonds or cashews, so the cheesecake recipes are out for me, too. Have you tested any GF flours as replacements for almond flour in your recipes? I understand there wouldn’t be a replacement for the creaminess the cashews lend to cheesecake, but maybe there’s something else I could use to replace the almond flour in the baked goods?
Hi Kathy, sorry to hear you were disappointed!! Sunflower seed flour and tigernut flour work best a replacement for almond flour, but most 1:1 baking flours will work as well, the texture/flavor might just be a bit different. As for cashews, some people have had success using soaked sunflower seeds in place of them! It just changes the flavors a bit. Hope you can make some adjustments to help things turn out deliciously for you!
Thanks for the suggestions! I have tigernut flour and both King Arthur and Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flours so I’ll give them a try. When you have food allergies, baking is one long adventure. :)
I totally understand :) hope it goes well!
Perfect recipe as it’s written!
So glad you’re loving it, Marta!
I have made these several times. They are delicious but my dough is not doubling. I know I am doing the yeast and psyllium husks correctly.
I am either not kneading enough or too much. Which way should lean, least or more kneading?
Hi Lisa, the dough just needs to come together with no dry spots and a smooth consistency. The reason it’s not rising correctly more likely has to do with the yeast or the timing/conditions. Are you letting it rise for long enough in a warm place, and seeing the yeast bubble when you activate it?
Thank you for replying. The yeast is fresh and looks good when activated. I am letting it rise for one hour in a warm place. I make sure the water is the correct temperature. I have tried regular yeast and instant yeast but that does not seem to make a difference.
The first time I made it I kneaded it a little more make sure there were no dry spots. Since then, I have kneaded it less which seems to help but the dough still does not double in size.
Hi Lisa, you likely just need to let rise a little bit longer if you’re not seeing a good rise. The one hour isn’t strict – rise times can vary based on all sorts of things and if you’re not seeing good rise and everything else looks good, this is the most likely culprit!
Thank you!
This recipe is everything I wanted it to be and more than I hoped for. Fluffy delicious flatbread that was so easy to make. This recipe is pure happiness.
The best compliment! Glad you’re enjoying it :)