Flatbread Pizza Dough Recipe – NO YEAST
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!
Try these flatbreads next!
Did you love this recipe?
Please leave a 5-star rating and review below!
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.
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!
I found this recipe when I didn’t have much time to get dinner on the table and needed a quick flatbread for pizza. This fit the ticket! Will definitely use again.
WOOHOO! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Sarah! Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Really good! I’ve tried a few pizza crust recipes lately and haven’t enjoyed them, but these were wonderful. I didn’t have cornmeal, so I sprayed olive oil and sprinkled some flour on the pans under the crust for pre-baking. Also did half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose. Delicious, perfectly crispy (but not too cracker-like!), will keep adding our go-to.
I will have to try adding some whole wheat flour the next time we make this crust! What a great idea 🙂 I’m so glad that you enjoyed this recipe, Angelina. Thanks so much for leaving a review!
Quick and easy to make! My food processor is broken, so I just mixed the ingredients by hand and kneaded slightly longer.
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kelly! Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it!
Excellent recipe. So easy to make. New fam favourite!
YAY! I am so glad that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks so much for leaving a review, Ashley. I really appreciate it! 🙂
Tried this as a quick dinner and it was perfect!! A thick enough crust to support some toppings, but minimal make time. Thankyou so much for the recipe!
Woohoo! So glad that you enjoyed this recipe! It is definitely a quick and easy dinner 🙂 Thanks for leaving a review, Jess!
Made this recipe on a whim because I have been spending hours each day making facemasks for healthcare workers and wanted a quick dinner. It turned out amazing!!! I loved it and my husband did, too! We are down to just the two of us now so will be keeping one ball in the freezer from now on! I also made your vegan lentil tortilla soup and it was amazing! Our vegan daughter loved it. Thanks for this wonderful blog!
Thank you so much for the work you are doing making face masks. That is so important right now! I’m glad that you and your husband enjoyed this recipe for a quick and easy dinner. We’ve got an extra ball of dough in the freezer right now too! Thanks for leaving a review, Jan. I really appreciate it 🙂
Love it! We’re hunkered down like everyone and we were looking for a way to make pizza dough with what we had on hand. We cooked ours outside on the grill and it was spectacular–sort of a wood fired oven result. Looking forward to making more on the patio this summer!
If you’re worried about the food processor we mixed ours by hand and would do it that way again. It came out great and saves on cleanup!
Thanks for sharing your recipe!
SO glad you enjoyed this recipe, Jeff. I can almost taste that wood fired flavor from here! Thanks for leaving a review – I really appreciate it! 🙂
Hello, can I use bread flour in this?
I haven’t actually tried the recipe with bread flour, but it would definitely be worth a shot!!! This recipe is pretty forgiving in general, so I think it could work. I’d love to hear how it turns out if you do try it!! Thanks Kaye!
Super easy and delicious! I’ll definitely make this again.
WOOHOO!!! I am so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kat! Thanks for leaving a review 🙂
This sounds great cant wait to try it was wondering if you can freeze the dough.
Yes! I usually have a frozen ball of this dough in my freezer at all times. You can either thaw in the fridge overnight before using or let it sit out on the counter for a couple hours until thawed. Either way you thaw, I like to let it sit out until it comes to room temperature because it’s a lot easier to work with. It can be hard to work with when the dough is too cold. Great question, Pam! I hope you love this flatbread crust!!!
Hi, can I use gluten free flour?
Hmmm…I have not ever used gluten free flour so I cannot speak to whether it would work or not! If you do end up using it, please let me know how it turns out!! 🙂
I did use gluten free flour as my youngest is totally gluten free turned out terrific
I am SO glad to hear that!!! Thank you for following up and letting me know that it worked well. That’s really helpful, LuAnn!
Hi! Excited to try tonight! I don’t have cornmeal.. ok without dusting?
Yes! Should be just fine without the cornmeal – do you have parchment paper that you could use instead?
Always wanted to try making this
It was soo easy and made masks
Mixed by hand
Didn’t knead it enough
Oven not hot enough
Forgot to prick
But nonetheless what a forgiving recipe- topped with smoke cheddar tomaties onion and garlic- fab
Can’t wait to try again without the oversights
I love it! Sometimes even when you don’t follow the recipe exactly, it still turns out delicious!!
Omg I love this flatbread amazing and super easy to make!
Yayyyyy! So glad that you enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for leaving a review, Filomena!
If I do not own a food processor can I use the dough attachment on my stand mixer?
I think the dough attachment would work just fine for this recipe!