What Is Flatbread and How Is It Used? (2024)

A Guide to Buying and Using Flatbread

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Saad Fayed

A restaurateur and food writer, Saad Fayed has published hundreds of recipes and articles about Middle Eastern cuisine.

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Updated on 09/13/22

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What Is Flatbread and How Is It Used? (1)

Flatbread is popping up on grocer's shelves and in restaurants across the country from gourmet restaurants to franchise sub shops. It's become a bit of a trend, but flatbread has been around since the days of the ancient Egyptians. It's really no new concept.

Traditional Flatbread

Traditionally, flatbread is basically unleavened bread, which is made without yeast. Flour, water, and salt are the main ingredients. It's rolled out flat and cooked, usually in a brick oven. While it originated in ancient Egypt, many cultures have versions of flatbread. From naan in Afghanistan and India to the tortilla in Central and South America to the piadina in Romagna, Italy, the flatbread has been produced just about everywhere.

Other Commercial Flatbreads

Popular flatbread is a lot like a cross between pita bread and naan. There really is no such thing as an American flatbread, but the flatbread you see everywhere looks, feels, and tastes a lot like pita and naan. For some, it tastes too much like it's baked in a commercial bakery with extra ingredients. They prefer the taste and cost of making it at home.

How to Use Flatbread

You can do a lot with flatbread. You can eat it plain, which is tasty or use it in place of any other type of bread. A lot of people like to make their own pizza with flatbread. Just add sauce, cheese, and toppings. Cook in the oven for about 10 minutes at 350F and you will have delicious results. It will remind you of the pizza in Europe. By the way, pizza dough is a type of flatbread, as well.

Aside from pizza, flatbread sandwiches are another great way to use flatbread. Flatbread makes an excellent sandwich because it's hardy. It can hold a lot of meat or veggies and any sauce you add does not make the bread soggy. Try adding garlic sauce used in gyros on white bread.

Never pay $2 for two pieces of flatbread, especially when you can make it at home for much less. Homemade naan will yield you about a dozen or more pieces of flatbread for $2. Plus, you can always freeze it if you have made too much.

What Is Flatbread and How Is It Used? (2024)

FAQs

What is flatbread used for? ›

Enjoy flatbread as is for a tasty treat, or use it in place of other types of bread. One of the most common ways to use flatbread is as a pizza crust. Though they're not entirely the same, a sturdy flatbread dough is an excellent option for the base of your favorite pizza toppings.

How is flatbread eaten? ›

Flatbreads range from below one millimeter to a few centimeters thick so that they can be easily eaten without being sliced. They can be baked in an oven, fried in hot oil, grilled over hot coals, cooked on a hot pan, tava, comal, or metal griddle, and eaten fresh or packaged and frozen for later use.

Is flat bread just a tortilla? ›

Hagedorn explained. “Tortillas are basically a round circle, but you have some flatbreads that are rectangular or circular, it's a more diverse product, so there's more room to play with the formulation and how you're going to produce it.”

What does flatbread mean in good pizza, great pizza? ›

Plain Dough

“One flatbread pizza please.” “Nothing on it.”

Is flat bread healthy? ›

The most basic flatbread recipe starts with just 3 ingredients: water or a liquid like milk or yogurt, flour, and salt. Other flatbread dough variations include a fat like olive oil or butter. Is flatbread healthy? Yes!

Is flatbread healthier than regular Subway? ›

Is Flatbread healthier at Subway? The Flatbread option at Subway is lower in calories and carbohydrates, but it also has about half the amount of protein. You're getting fewer carbs because there's less bread.

What to pair with flatbread? ›

Best Combinations
  • Blue cheese, caramelized onion, pear and aged balsamic vinegar.
  • Pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese, onion and red bell pepper.
  • Scrambled eggs, tomato, spinach and cheese of your choice.
  • Cooked ground meat with taco seasonings or canned chili beans, diced green bell pepper, tomato, onion, cheddar cheese.

Can you eat flatbread uncooked? ›

I know most people aren't use to being told they "have" to order something a certain way but believe me if you don't heat the flatbread it's not edible. Unless you like dry crusty crumbly bread with stale taste.

Is flatbread better than pizza? ›

Flatbread pizza often has a thinner crust compared to traditional pizza. A thinner crust can result in a lower calorie and carbohydrate content, making it a potential choice for those looking to reduce their calorie intake.

Is flatbread the same as pita? ›

In contrast to loaf bread, pita bread and naan are considered to be flatbreads. Pita bread is yeast-leavened and round, turning into layers when baked that create a pocket that is easily filled. Naan is also yeast leavened, and contains water (or milk), flour, salt, and the addition of butter and yogurt.

Which is healthier, pita or flatbread? ›

Side-by-side, bread contains a little more fiber and slightly fewer carbs than a pita, making it a somewhat more nutritious option. Pitas are lower in sodium than bread, so that it may be the best option for those eating a low-salt diet.

What are 3 examples of flat breads? ›

Flat breads are made throughout most of the world. Examples are pita (from the Middle East), chapati and naan (India), tortilla (Mexico) and focaccia (Italy).

What does upside down pizza mean? ›

A classic pizza with really only two toppings - cheese and sauce. In the upside-down version, the cheese is placed on bottom and the sauce spread on top.

What does "ding dong" mean in pizza? ›

Za = Pepperoni. Saus = Sausage. B.P = Bell Pepper. Ding Dong = Bell Pepper. Musheroni = Mushrooms + Pepperoni.

Is pizza dough the same as flatbread? ›

But the difference between the two really comes down to the ingredients, they both need flour, water, and salt, but pizza dough has an additional ingredient, yeast. Pizza dough is a leavened dough where flatbread is unleavened, giving it that flat texture.

What's the difference between flatbread and regular bread? ›

Naan is a flatbread, whereas bread comes in loaves. Naan is higher in fat, protein, and carbohydrates than loaf bread. The higher protein content of naan will allow you to feel fuller for longer and curve cravings.

Does flatbread have to be cooked? ›

It doesn't toast it just warms it up enough so it's soft and doesn't break apart or crumble when they fold it or while you eat it. I know most people aren't use to being told they "have" to order something a certain way but believe me if you don't heat the flatbread it's not edible.

What is the key difference between pizza and flatbread? ›

But the difference between the two really comes down to the ingredients, they both need flour, water, and salt, but pizza dough has an additional ingredient, yeast. Pizza dough is a leavened dough where flatbread is unleavened, giving it that flat texture.

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