Does flatbread have yeast in it? (+7 Yeast tips)

In this article, we will answer the question “Does flatbread have yeast in it?”, and how to make yeast-free flatbread at home?

Does flatbread have yeast in it?

Flatbread is usually made without yeast because they are not required to rise. However, it may contain yeast and some additives. The type of flour and other ingredients used in flatbread vary depending upon the culture and origin. Read on if you want to know how to make your own flatbread at home.

What is a flatbread?

Flatbread is unleavened bread and is a staple in many cultures and regions. Flour, water, oil, and salt are the basic ingredients. Some varieties may add flavored oils and additives like curry powder for flavor. As a part of a religious tradition, unleavened bread; such as matzo and wafers are distributed during Passover; which is a Jewish religious holiday, and wafers are eaten on Communion; which is a Christian rite.

Flatbreads are only a few centimeters thick and can be baked in the oven, fried in the skillet, grilled, cooked on Tava,  metal griddle, or comal. They can also be frozen and used later.

The flour type used for flatbread varies widely. Native Americans eat flatbread made with maize flour. The chapattis, eaten in Pakistan and India, are made using Atta flour and are part of their day-to-day lives. The dough for Lefse bread, a type of flatbread made in Europe, is kneaded using potato, milk, and flour. It is cooked on a griddle in Lard.

How to make no yeast flatbread?

Ingredients 

• 2 cups / 300g plain flour (all-purpose flour) (level cups, unsifted, not packed), + keep 1/4 cup extra for dusting & adjusting dough
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 1/2 tbsp / 50g butter (1.75 oz)
• 3/4 cup / 185 ml milk
• 1/2 tbsp oil (for cooking)

Procedure 

1. Melt butter in the microwave or on the stovetop and combine it with milk. Add flour and salt to it.
2. Sprinkle some flour on the counter and knead the dough onto it. Add more flour to adjust the texture of the dough. It should not be sticky. Make sure it has a soft, smooth, and elastic feel to it when pressed gently.
3. Wrap the kneaded dough with cling film and let it rest for about 30 minutes at room temperature.
4. Dust the counter with some flour and decide the dough in 4 equal pieces. Roll the pieces into dough balls. Then make 0.3cm thick rounds from these balls using a roller.
5. Heat some oil in a skillet on low-medium heat.
6. Place the round flatbread in the skillet and let each side cook fr about 1-1 ½ minute or until golden spots appear on both sides.
7. Wrap the freshly cooked flatbread in a tea towel to lock the moisture. This makes the bread soft and pliable. Serve as is or brush it with some butter or butter mixed with minced garlic.

Other FAQs about Bread which you may be interested in.

How to freeze french bread?

Types of bread that have no yeast

If you want to skip the yeast in your bread due to medical reasons or because you ran out of it, try making the following bread. They are soft, voluminous, nutritious, and absolutely yeast-free.

Salt-rising bread

Salt-rising bread is made using a starter that is based on scalded milk or contains the leftover water of boiling potatoes. The dough is allowed to sit somewhere between 90-100°F overnight. This allows the bacteria to undergo fermentation. The dough is kneaded with butter, flour, salt and mixed into the starter. 

The fermentation makes the bread voluminous overnight. The end-product is a pungent-smelling bread having a dense crumb with a sweet and cheesy taste.

Quickbread

As the name suggests, this bread is ready to eat in no time. Irish soda bread is an example of a quickbread, which uses baking soda combined with buttermilk to rise the bread. Other types of quickbread rely on baking powder for leavening.

If you have a gluten-allergy, quickbread is perfect for you because you do not need high-gluten flours to get a leavened crumb. You can use buckwheat, millet, rye, oats, and other nutrient-dense whole grain flours.

Craker bread

It is also known as Lavash and it originated in Armenia. It is thicker than a tortilla with fewer brown-golden spots. It can appear powdery on the surface and can be stuffed with your favorite sandwich filling.

It is made with oil, salt, and flour in a tandoor or clay oven, hence, has a mild earthy taste to it. The dried and stored bread is sprinkled with some water and heated to freshen it up.

Conclusion

In this article, we answered the question “Does flatbread have yeast in it?”, and how to make yeast-free flatbread at home?

References

https://www.leaf.tv/articles/breads-that-have-no-yeast/