This flatbread pizza dough recipe requires only flour, salt, water, and olive oil - NO YEAST! And it takes less than 5 minutes to throw together! Top it with your favorite sauce, sprinkle with cheese, add veggies, and dinner is done!
You Will Love This
- It takes 5 minutes to make. What more could you want? I love a nice homemade flatbread or pizza dough with yeast, but all that rising means that you need to plan at least a couple hours in advance. I'm not always that on top of things! You can have your own homemade flatbread prepped, topped, and in the oven in less than 10 minutes. Last-minute dinner for the win! Be sure to try my Easy Margherita Flatbread, BLT Flatbread, Blueberry Goat Cheese Flatbread, and Mediterranean Flatbread.
- You can make it as thick or thin as you want. If you're feeding a big family, roll the dough crispy cracker-thin. If you're more into a doughy flatbread leave it a little thicker for a more pillowy, chewy texture!
- Your kids can help make dinner! You might be surprised how much your kids are willing to help out with dinner if you give them the opportunity. Let them help you measure the flour and pour the water. Once the dough ball comes together, let them help you knead it and get their hands messy. Chances are good once they see all the hard work (their hard work) that went into making dinner, they'll be more likely to eat it.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- All-Purpose Flour - All-purpose flour makes a good pizza thin or thick flatbread pizza crust, and it’s what most of us have on-hand. If you prefer thin crust, though, using bread flour instead can add some depth of flavor and crisp texture to the crust.
- Table Salt - Kosher salt, or another large-grain salt, can work if that’s all you have, but a smaller grain mixes in better to create a more even gluten structure in your dough.
- Warm Water - Yes, the water needs to be warm. Cold water can leave you with sticky flatbread pizza dough.
- Olive Oil - Pizza dough needs oil to help it stretch. Most recipes call for olive oil because it adds a rich flavor, but veggie oil will work too if it’s all you have.
- Cornmeal - If you don’t have cornmeal, you can use flour to keep your pizza dough from sticking. You might have a little flour dust on the bottom of your flatbread pizza when you’re done, but it’s better than nothing if you don’t have cornmeal.
Instructions
Add flour and salt to a food processor and pulse until well mixed. You can also just use a large bowl and fork to combine all the ingredients!
Then add water and oil.
Pulse until a dough ball forms (about 1 minute or so). Scrape down sides with a spatula as needed.
Transfer dough ball to a lightly floured surface.
Knead the dough for about 1 minute or until the surface of the dough is smooth.
Divide dough into 2 equal balls. Use a rolling pin to roll each dough ball out into a long oval of your desired thickness.
Dust 2 baking sheets with cornmeal and place a flatbread crust on each.
Poke the surface of the flatbread all over with a fork. Bake flatbreads for 5-8 minutes or until the edges of the flatbread are turning golden brown and the flatbread is nearly cooked through.
Add desired toppings (like tomato slices and fresh mozzarella cheese if you're making my 20 Minute Margherita Flatbread) and bake for another 5-10 minutes or so until cheese is melty and toppings are warmed through. Don't forget to add fresh herbs!
Flatbread vs. Pizza
- The yeast. Pizza dough typically has yeast (and needs time to rise) while flatbread dough typically doesn't. HOWEVER, some pizza dough doesn't have yeast and some flatbread dough does. So...you'll learn pretty fast after a quick Google search that the lines are very blurred and there's a lot of gray area between flatbread and pizza dough. And that's okay! I use them interchangeably and you can too!
- The shape. Regular pizza tends to be round (and sometimes even square) while flatbreads seem to be more oval. Who made up these rules? I have no idea. I like to let my pizza and flatbread dough form organically as I roll it out or form it with my hands - don't worry about following societal norms. Let your flatbread pizza take on its own shape!
- The toppings. I read somewhere that flatbreads typically have little to no cheese...HUH?! Have you seen my flatbreads? Cause they are loaded with cheese. So again, who made these rules up? Cheese is life. Top your flatbread the way you want! Might I suggest a simple Caprese topping? Or perhaps a veggie-forward Mediterranean Flatbread? Better yet, how about a Mexican Street Corn Flatbread!
Freezing
- You can freeze the dough OR the par-baked homemade flatbread pizza crust! Yes, you read that right. Frozen dough means you can be ready for dinner at a moment's notice!
- After you knead your dough, wrap it up and pop it in the freezer. Next time you want flatbread, allow the dough to thaw on the counter (for about 1-2 hours) and then follow the instructions in the recipe card.
- After you par-bake the dough you can also wrap it up and pop it in your freezer so you've got ready-made flatbread for every occasion! When you're ready to eat, top your frozen flatbread and bake it according to the directions in the recipe card. You may need to add a couple additional minutes of bake time to get the crust cooked completely but with it being so thin this shouldn't take too long at all!
Tips
- Use table salt. I've tried this with Kosher salt and other larger cuts of salt and they just don't mix in as well. I rarely use anything but Kosher salt in my recipes, but this flatbread is much better with the smaller grains of salt. However, Kosher salt will work if it's all you've got!
- Par-baking the flatbread is a must if you're looking for a crispy crust. I am still surprised when people say they don't par-bake their crust! Par-baking allows the inside of the dough to cook without the outside getting dark golden brown. This means that when you top it, it's not going to get soggy. And when you bake it, it's going to get perfectly crisp!
- Give it a quick brush with olive oil after par-baking to get the crust just a little bit crispier and darker golden brown!
- Don't go too crazy with the toppings. As the famous saying goes, less really is more in the case of flatbread toppings. This is an unleavened, thin flatbread crust so it's not going to hold up to three cups of fresh mozzarella or a mountain of meat. Try adding more flavorful toppings so you need less. *See my favorite flatbread toppings below.
FAQ
Using my 5-minute flatbread dough recipe, simply roll out the dough, par-bake the crust, then add toppings and bake for another 10 minutes! This flatbread pizza dough recipe could not be easier for a simple weeknight dinner!
Flatbread dough and homemade pizza dough are not the same. Flatbread dough does not use yeast and does not require extra time to rise. Normal pizza dough uses yeast and creates a thicker, more chewy dough.
There are three reasons that flatbread dough might be extra sticky: too much water in the dough, insufficiently mixed dough, or cold water (rather than warm water). You might be able to save it by adding more flour and kneading it a bit.
Flatbread Pizza Toppings
You can keep the toppings simple with this easy pizza recipe or try some of my favorite variations below!
- Margherita Flatbread Pizza - (pictured above) fresh mozzarella cheese, cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil pesto with drizzle of olive oil - pretty standard and also pretty great
- Mexican Street Corn Flatbread - sweet corn, tangy lime cream sauce, and crumbled cotija cheese - just like elote corn but piled high on a crispy crust
- Simple Mediterranean Flatbread - spinach pesto (or tomato sauce), artichoke hearts, feta cheese, ripe tomatoes, and black olives - your favorite Greek flavors on a crispy, crunchy crust
- Salami, green olives, and fresh cracked black pepper - sounds weird but it's not - it's delish
- Olive Tapenade, sliced garlic, burrata, and arugula - salty olives and creamy mozzarella come together for a match made in heaven
- Pizza sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella, and oregano - keep it classic and simple if you prefer!
- Sausage, sliced mushrooms, mozzarella, bell peppers and red onions - this is one of our family's personal favorite combinations!
Easy Flatbread Pizza Recipes
Flatbread Pizza Recipe
This flatbread pizza dough takes less than 5 minutes to make and comes together right in the food processor with only flour, salt, water, and olive oil!
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 large flatbread crusts (about 8-10 servings) 1x
- Category: Main Dish/Appetizer
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American/Italian
- Diet: Vegan
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 1 cup warm water
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- cornmeal for dusting
- desired toppings
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 475 degrees.
- Add flour and salt to a food processor and pulse until well mixed.
- Add water and oil.
- Pulse until a dough ball forms (about 1 minute or so). Scrape down sides as needed.
- Transfer dough ball to a lightly floured surface and knead dough for 1 minute or until the surface of the dough is smooth.
- Divide dough into 2 equal balls.
- Use a rolling pin to roll each dough ball out into a long oval to your desired thickness. Thinner is better in this case.
- Dust 2 baking sheets with cornmeal and place a flatbread crust on each.
- Poke the surface of the flatbread all over with a fork.
- Bake flatbreads for 5-8 minutes or until the edges of the flatbread are turning golden brown and the flatbread is nearly cooked through.
- Brush with olive oil and top with desired toppings and bake for another 5-10 minutes or so. Try my Easy Caprese Flatbread!
- Enjoy!
Notes
Use table salt. I've tried this with Kosher salt and other larger cuts of salt and they just don't mix in as well. I rarely use anything but Kosher salt in my recipes, but this flatbread is much better with the smaller grains of salt.
Par-baking the flatbread is a must if you're looking for a crispy crust. I am still surprised when people say they don't par-bake their crust! Par-baking allows the inside of the dough to cook without the outside getting dark golden brown. This means that when you top it, it's not going to get soggy. And when you bake it, it's going to get perfectly crisp!
Don't go too crazy with the toppings. As the famous saying goes, less really is more in the case of flatbread toppings. This is an unleavened, thin flatbread crust so it's not going to hold up to three cups of fresh mozzarella or a mountain of meat. Try adding more flavorful toppings so you need less.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 161
- Sugar: 0.1 g
- Sodium: 233.3 mg
- Fat: 3.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 28.6 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 3.9 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: flatbread dough, flatbread pizza recipe, flatbread dough recipe, flatbread ideas
This post was originally published in May 2019. It was updated in March 2020 to include process shots, step-by-step instructions, and tips for making the best flatbread dough every single time!
Laura
This was easy and tasty as is. I made it a second time and replaced 1 cup white flour with 1 cup whole wheat flour + 1 tsp vital wheat gluten. The dough was still super soft with some whole wheat flour and baked up nicely. I love this recipe because it makes pizza night so easy! Prepackaged flatbread is really expensive when compared to making it at home.
★★★★★
Kylie
I could not agree more! Homemade is much cheaper and it takes just minutes. Thank you for sharing that this worked well with whole wheat flour as I hadn't tried that yet. I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a review, Laura 🙂
Cierra Hennessy
I made this exactly as written, and it was awesome! I can’t believe how fast and easy it was. I rolled it out as thin as I could and it puffed up nicely on the first bake, then crisped up on the second. Will make again for sure.
★★★★★
fran woodrooffe
I want to know if I can make the pizza dough the day before and roll it out the day of the party??? I did make it and served immediately just delicious but will be tight for time tomorrow//
★★★★★
Kylie
Yes! You can definitely make this a day ahead of time. I'd recommend letting the dough sit out on the counter for about an hour before rolling it out so that it's easier to work with.
Cindy
Just wondering how after par baking the flatbread how should I freeze it and how long will it freeze? Also, how do I use after it’s frozen, bake with toppings frozen or let thaw first before putting on the toppings?
Kylie
If you'd like to freeze the par-baked flatbread, I'd recommend letting it cool completely, then wrapping it in saran wrap, then placing it inside a large freezer-safe Ziploc bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Ideally, I'd recommend thawing in the fridge overnight. But if that's not possible, you can thaw the par-baked flatbread crusts on the counter - let them sit out for about an hour or so, then top and bake. I wouldn't recommend baking them from frozen. Hope that helps! 🙂
Linda
Can I make this without using the cornmeal? I am sensitive to corn
Kylie
Sure! Just try using flour in place of the sprinkle of corn meal. Great question, Linda!
Laura
I didn’t use flour or cornmeal to bake but just rolled it out onto parchment paper and transferred the parchment paper and dough to baking sheet and baked. Nothing stuck. I eventually slid the topped pizza directly onto baking rack because I wanted a crispy bottom.
Kylie
I'm so glad to hear that! Thank you for sharing!
Jen Smith
I made this recipe tonight after searching for a pizza dough recipe without yeast (I didn’t have any on hand). Wow! This was so easy and so, so delish! My two teenagers, husband and I all loved it. We will absolutely be making this again very soon! Thanks!!!
★★★★★
Kylie
I am so glad to hear that, Jen! Thank you for leaving a review!
CynB
My husband and I have tick-borne Alpha Gal Syndrome, which means we can't eat anything from a mammal and no by-products, either. Besides the syndrome, we were really bummed as we couldn't have pizza anymore and we love flatbread pizza.
We just found really great plant-based cheeses and wanted to try them out with a pizza, but I lost my recipe. I searched and searched and I found yours, which was just like mine!
Our caramelized red onion and wilted arugula/spinach pizza with plant-based mozzarella and parmesan cheese was so good. Thank you for sharing the flatbread recipe!
★★★★★
Wendu
I never make anything bread-adjacent, but this recipe was so fast and easy, and turned out great. I had some leftover BBQ sauce and pulled pork I wanted to use up, and this was perfect for that - added some red onion and a cheese blend, and it was delicious. Next time I think I'll bake it a little longer than I did to make it crispier, but I was very happy for a first attempt. 🙂 I'm super stoked to have this in my pocket - the possibilities for toppings are endless.
★★★★★
Florence Julias
This was super easy to make and very tasty. I cut the recipe in half and it was large enough for two people.
★★★★★
Diane
Excellent! No food processor needed. Whisked flour and salt. Mixed the rest with wooden spoon and then kneaded. Thank you for such a simple and successful recipe!
★★★★★
Yvonne
Hi, I really want to make this but I am not supposed to eat and white bread, white flour or sugar. What whole grain flour can I substitute for the white flour please? Many thanks Please reply to my email address.
Yvonne
'
Gwen LeMay
Could I make this with gluten-free flour?
I love your recipes and have so many printed out in my binder.
This recipe is exactly what I have been looking for.
Would you mind emailing me with your answer?
I sure don't want to miss it.
Thanks
Gwen
Kylie
Hey Gwen! I haven't used gluten free flour before so I can't say for sure whether it would work. But if you've had success using it as a substitute for regular flour in other recipes, I would definitely give it a shot!! I will send you a quick email as well 🙂 Thanks!
Karin
I have only use gluten free flours mixes since the get go I’m a celiac. And I love this recipe and my husband does too.
Jaye
I have had a love/hate relationship with pizza crust because I could never seem to consistently get the results I wanted and honestly it really stressed me out, but this is literally fool proof (obviously!) and my whole family went crazy for it! Topped with broccoli, peppers, bacon and cheddar cheese and it was the greatest thing EVER!! THANKYOU SO MUCH!! My family loves you for this recipe!!
★★★★★
Erin
Thank you for that comment. I do not have one either and was wondering!
Tom
So simple, so fast, so crispy and so perfect! I've been wanting a recipe like this for years. It has made our pizzas a complete joy to make and eat. Thank you! Because of our diet, I don't add any salt and it still turns out bellissimo.
★★★★★
Sandra
Thank you for this recipe! I’m saving it and will make it again and again! It’s perfect - makes the the lightest crispiest quick pizza. And can make w/ pantry staples!
I made w/ 1 cup ap flour and 2 cups bread flour. All I had.
Didn’t have food processor. Used my hands.
Cooked in oven at 500 and used pizza stone. So crispy. Definitely don't skip the olive oil step. Yum!
Didn’t have corn meal. Used flour.
Dusted counter w/ flour. Rolled dough out. Dusted pizza peel (wood thing with handle) and it slid right off onto pizza stone.
Poked w/ fork but got a few bubbles which burst when you cut it. If you don’t want bubbles just poke more holes. I was kind of bummed when the 2nd pizza didn’t have any bubbles 🙂
We topped w/ caramelized onions and mushrooms w/ cheese. Can’t wait to make it again!
★★★★★
Kylie
YUM YUM YUM, Sandra! My mouth is wateringggg reading your review 🙂 I am really glad to hear that this recipe worked with bread flour in it! We don't typically have that on hand, so I hadn't tested it - thank you for sharing! I appreciate you taking the time to leave this detailed review - it's so helpful for other readers!
Arthi
Looks great! Do you think I can half the recipe if looking to feed a smaller crowd?
Kylie Lato
Of course!! Or I like to make a whole batch and then freeze half for later!
Arthi
Thank you!!!