Grilled Flatbread

Grilled flatbread is an easy way to add fresh and delicious homemade bread to a meal. It requires a handful of pantry ingredients, has a short rise time, and is very forgiving. Basically, you can’t mess it up!

I love to make this grilled flatbread in the summertime since it doesn’t require an oven, but it’s a perfect addition to any meal year-round. Serve it as a side to almost any meal, use it alongside your favorite dip, or even as a base for a flatbread pizza.

It starts with a simple yeast-risen dough that’s rolled out thin and cooked on the grill (or in a cast iron skillet) until golden brown. The outside gets crisp and slightly charred, while the inside stays soft and chewy. It’s delicious!

Table of Contents

• Ingredients you’ll need
• Bread flour vs. all-purpose flour
• How to make grilled flatbread
• Flavor variations
• How to serve flatbread
• How to make flatbread ahead of time
• Get the recipe

Ingredients you’ll need

Bread flour vs. all-purpose flour

Bread flour is ideal for this grilled flatbread (and other yeast recipes) because its higher protein content creates a stronger dough that holds its shape and rises well. It makes for a chewy but also light and airy flatbread. 

If you have bread flour in your pantry, I recommend using it for this recipe. However, if all you have is all-purpose flour, it will work just fine. I tested both, and while bread flour is better, the results were not incredibly different. 

Note: if you’re using all purpose flour you will need as much a 1/4 cup more flour as bread flour absorbs liquid better than all-purpose flour.

How to make grilled flatbread

1. Hydrate the yeast. Combine warm water and active-dry yeast or instant/quick rise yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy.
2. Make and knead the dough. In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and sugar. Add yeast mixture and milk and stir to make a shaggy dough. Using a stand mixer with dough hook on low speed, or using your hands, knead dough until it’s smooth and elastic and mostly clears the bowl, about 6-8 minutes. 
3. Rise. Cover and let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
4. Divide into portions and rise again. Gently punch down the dough and divide into 8 equal portions (or 6 if you want larger flatbreads). 
5. Roll out flat. Use a rolling pin to roll out each dough portion as thin as you can. You can keep them round, or make them more oblong, the shape doesn’t matter.
6. Cook over grill or cast iron skillet. Brush the tops with melted butter or olive oil and flip over onto a grill or cast iron skillet preheated to medium high heat. Cook for 2-4 minutes per side (watch them so they don’t burn!), flipping halfway through. Cook in batches as needed until they’re all done.
7. Brush with butter or oil and serve. While flatbread is still hot, brush with more butter or oil. Add herbs or flaky salt, or top as desired. Serve immediately!

Flavor variations

This grilled flatbread is delicious as it is, but it’s also easy and delicious to infuse it with other ingredients and flavors either mixed right into the dough, or added on top before serving.

• Up to 1 tablespoon of herbs (dried or fresh) or garlic
• Up to 1/4 cup of sun dried tomatoes, chopped olives or grated cheese like parmesan or asiago
• Or, get creative and add whatever you’d like!

How to serve flatbread

Flatbread is such a versatile side dish or base for other recipes! Here are a few ideas for how to serve this flatbread:

• Plain: Serve flatbread as a snack, appetizer or side dish. Serve it with hummus, baba ghanoush, guacamole, or your favorite dip.
• As a wrap: Stuff flatbread with your favorite fillings, such as grilled vegetables, chicken, or beef. Add cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and ranch or vinaigrette. 
• As a pizza: Spread flatbread with pizza sauce and your favorite toppings. Return it to the grill or put it under the broiler for a few minutes just until cheese is melted.
• As a salad base: Use flatbread as the base for a salad. Top it with your favorite greens, vegetables, and dressing.
• As a dessert: Spread flatbread with Nutella, peanut butter, or your favorite sweet spread. Top with fruit, nuts, or chocolate chips.

TIP: Keep flatbread warm by wrapping it in a clean towel or placing it in a tortilla warmer. To reheat, place it in a skillet over medium heat and heat until warm and soft.

How to make flatbread ahead of time

This grilled flatbread is best served right after it’s made for the best flavor and texture. It’s just so darn delicious when it’s fresh and hot from the grill!

If you’d like to prep this recipe ahead of time for easy grilling later, prepare the dough as written. Once portioned, roll into balls and place on a greased sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours, or freeze for up to a month (once frozen, transfer to a ziplock bag for freezer storage).

Thaw and let come to room temperature before rolling and grilling.

Get the recipe

This recipe was originally published July 2010.