Sourdough Discard Flatbread is a quick and easy way to put fresh bread on the table. This recipe comes together in one mixing bowl in less than 30 minutes from simple ingredients with no yeast and no rise time required.
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These Sourdough Discard Flatbreads are light, fluffy and great for dipping. They are most similar to Sourdough Pita Bread without the long rise time! I love having this recipe handy for times when I want freshly made bread last minute.
Why I love this recipe
I first published this recipe on Instagram and it quickly became my most-saved recipe in 2022.
- Uses baking powder instead of yeast means there is no rise time required!
- Mixed all by hand - no stand mixer needed.
- Uses lots of sourdough discard (½ cup or 113 grams).
- Soft and fluffy thanks to the addition of yogurt.
Baking with sourdough discard
Sourdough discard adds tons of incredible flavor to these flatbreads that you simply can’t get with just flour and water. It’s a little bit like cheating since we’re using a large amount of it in our dough, it mimics the flavor that develops when we ferment our dough for two days. You can use your sourdough discard straight from the refrigerator. If you’re using sourdough that’s been in the fridge for weeks it will add more acidity to your loaf, which you won’t get when using a freshly fed starter. Both will work for this recipe but you’ll get different results.
Using your sourdough discard recipes prevents food waste and allows you to create lots of delicious savory and sweet recipes. Check out my favorite Sourdough Discard Recipes!
What you need
This Easy Sourdough Flatbread Recipe uses basic ingredients, see recipe card for exact amounts.
All-purpose flour: Low protein content ensures your flatbreads are soft, fluffy and not too chewy.
Whole wheat flour: Adds a nutty flavor to these flatbreads, substitute rye, an ancient grain flour like einkorn, Kamut or spelt flour, or just use all-purpose flour or bread flour if that’s all you have.
Sourdough starter: You can use your discard or sourdough starter unfed straight from the refrigerator.
Yogurt: Tenderizes the gluten which results in fluffy, soft flatbreads, you can use any type (Greek yogurt or plant-based yogurt, etc) as long as it’s plain and unsweetened. Substitute creme fraiche or sour cream.
Salt: Use Kosher salt or sea salt.
Baking powder: Helps the flatbread rise and adds lightness to these flatbreads. Don’t skip this ingredient or your flatbreads will not be fluffy.
Water: Main source of hydration for this flatbread.
Step-by-step Instructions
STEP 1. Make the dough in a large bowl and knead until completely smooth, let the dough rest for a couple of minutes
STEP 2. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces and round each into a tight dough ball
STEP 3. Flatten the dough using a rolling pin into a 6-inch disc, about ¼-inch thick
STEP 4. Bake the flatbread at 500 F for 4 to 5 minutes on each side
Baker's Tips
- Weigh your ingredients: measuring your ingredients out with a scale is much more accurate than using cups and tablespoons.
- Give your dough a rest: if the dough feels too sticky, return it to the bowl and let it rest for 15 minutes before continuing to knead. This will allow the flour to hydrate and gluten bonds to strengthen. The dough should feel noticeably less sticky and much easier to handle for kneading or shaping.
- No discard: both active starter and sourdough discard will work for this recipe! If you don't have a sourdough starter, just add 56 grams of water and 56 grams of flour to your dough.
- Make these in the oven or on the stove top: these flatbreads work great baked in the oven or fried on a dry cast-iron skillet if you don't want to turn on your oven!
Recipe FAQs
Absolutely, since you’re not using it as the main leavener your discard can be used straight from the refrigerator without feeding or activating it.
Absolutely! Simply use the same proportion of freshly fed sourdough starter in the recipe. Your starter won’t add a strong tangy flavor to your flatbread, but it will still work.
If you don’t have a starter, but still want to try out this recipe, simply add 56 grams of all-purpose flour and 56 grams of water to your batter.
If your flatbreads are too dense, it’s probably because you did not knead the dough enough. Make sure your dough looks completely smooth after kneading. You should also make sure that your baking powder is still viable or your flatbread will not rise as they bake and will turn out dense and hard.
The flavor profile of these flatbreads will depend greatly on the flavor of your personal sourdough starter. If your starter is more acidic, your flatbread will have a distinctly sour flavor. However, if your starter is milder then your bread won’t have a very pronounced flavor.
The best way to heat up these flatbreads is on a dry hot skillet or cast iron pan for 5 to 10 minutes at medium heat, or until thoroughly heated through, flipping in between. Wrap the hot flatbread in piece of aluminum foil and let it steam for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
These flatbreads are so versatile! Serve it as the centerpiece of a Mediterranean board surrounded by your favorite dips, nuts, crudites, and dried fruit. Tear it into pieces and dip it into a hearty stew, soup or a little olive oil. You can also roll it up and use it in sandwiches served with your favorite grilled meat or vegetables.
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Sourdough Discard Flatbread
Equipment
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Ingredients
- 240 grams all-purpose flour
- 60 grams whole wheat flour
- 113 grams sourdough discard
- 56 grams yogurt plain and unsweetened
- 8 grams salt
- 10 grams baking powder
- 113 grams water
Click US Customary to view volume measurements
Instructions
- Make the dough: Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix with a stiff spatula until no dry bits of flour remain. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside for 15 minutes.240 grams all-purpose flour, 60 grams whole wheat flour, 113 grams sourdough discard, 56 grams yogurt, 8 grams salt, 10 grams baking powder, 113 grams water
- Knead: Turn the dough out on a lightly oiled surface and knead until completely smooth, soft and supple.
- Shape the dough: Divide the dough into 8 portions. Round each into a tight ball, cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest until ready to use. Working with one portion of dough at a time, use a floured rolling pin to flatten it out into a 6-inch disc. Place 4 portions on each lined baking sheet.Letting your dough rest for 5 to 10 minutes will make it easier to roll out.
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 500 F with a rack in the center of the oven. Line two large baking sheets (18 by 13 inches) with parchment paper.
- Bake: Bake only one baking sheet at a time. Bake the dough for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, flipping in between. If you’d like your flatbread to be a little more browned, broil them for 1 minute on each side.
- Steam the flatbread: Place the baked flatbread on a bowl lined with a clean tea towel, wrap the towel around the flatbreads. Bake the remaining dough and steam the flatbread for at least 5 minutes. This softens the crust slightly resulting in soft, tender, tearable flatbread.
- Store: Store any leftovers in a ziptop bag for up to 3 days at room temperature, refrigeration will dry out your flatbread.
- Reheat: Preheat a dry frying pan. Reheat the flatbread for 5 to 10 minutes, flipping in between. Wrap the hot flatbread in a piece of aluminum foil and let it steam for 5 minutes. Enjoy!
Tips
These recipes were developed and tested using grams for precise measurements. To increase your chances of success, I recommend investing in a kitchen scale. I've included rough volume estimates (in tablespoons and cups), but they might not be totally accurate.
Remember all ovens are unique, these recipes were tested in my oven which runs cooler than others. You might need to lower the temperature if your bake appears to be browning too quickly. Monitor your bake closely and make adjustments if needed.
Notes
- Make sure your baking powder is not expired before attempting your recipe.
- Feel free to substitute plant-based yogurt or sour cream if you want to make this recipe dairy free.
- You can also fry these flatbread instead of baking. Cook flatbread in a dry skillet over medium heat, for 1 to 2 minutes on each side.
Nutrition
I am not a nutritionist or dietitian, any nutrition information provided is an estimate.
Shelly says
Great recipe! I added one tablespoon of butter, and to counteract the bitterness, one tablespoon of honey. After kneaded popped in the fridge overnight, the next day the dough was smooth and oh so easy to work with- stretched it like pizza dough. Thanks so much!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Glad you loved the recipe.
Tina H says
This recipe is amazing!!! I froze half the balls (uncooked) and they turned out just as fantastic. Highly recommend the skillet method as they really also turn out like roti….yummmm. Thankyou
Hannah Dela Cruz says
So glad the recipe worked out for you!
Marianna says
Amazing recipe!
I did this recipe twice and baked 6 flatbreads instead of 8.
The second time I replace the 60gr of whole meal flour with 40gr of corn flour and 20gr rye flour.
Both time I used the flatbreads (I cut a thin strip from the edge of each so that it opens like a pocket) to make some greek souvlaki with home made tzatziki, freshly cut tomatoes and sliced white onions with loads of oregano and paprika. (Yummie!)
Thank you so much Hannah for sharing this delicious recipe!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
You are so welcome! I am glad the recipe worked for you and that those substitutions turned out well.
Samantha W says
I loved how easy this recipe was and the texture was lovely, but my flatbreads were too salty and a little bitter. Any idea what I did wrong? I used pink Himalayan salt as that was all I had. Could that be the cause?
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I don't think it was the salt. A bitter flavor could be the the leavener? You could add a 1/8 tsp of apple cider vinegar to neutralize the bitterness of the baking powder if the acidity of the yogurt isn't enough.
Melissa Golden says
I love these flatbreads.. thank you so much for the recipe!!!
I used honey yogurt, as that was what I had on hand, and there is a delicate sweetness, but it does not overwhelm them at all.
I made 2x the recipe and cooked some in a cast iron skillet and others in the oven. Both are delicious, but very different in taste and texture, so I would encourage others to also try making them both ways.
I am also enjoying a tomato, gorgonzola and basil topped flatbread for dinner right now, thank you again!!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
That sounds like a delicious flatbread! So glad you've enjoyed this recipe!
Laur says
I added 1 Tsp of red pepper flakes and white pepper and am SO PLEASED with the way these came out!!! (dry skillet fried)
Lauren says
I'm not normally a recipe reviewer but man, this one is sooooo easy and worked so perfectly that I had to let you know and show my appreciation! I've been searching for a recipe that could be made quickly for those nights when I'm throwing something together and don't feel like going to the store and this is it! I don't think I will ever buy pita again! Well... so long as I have my starter with me 😉 Woot woot! Thank you so much!
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Yay! I'm so thrilled that you loved them!
Amie says
Never been so successful in making my pita bread puff up before! Thank you
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Yay! Isn't it so satisfying? Glad you loved these!
Nicole says
Easy, quick, and yummy! This is a great way to use up discard.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Thank you for making them!
CKelley says
Steam the flatbread: Place the baked flatbread on a bowl lined with a clean tea towel, wrap the towel around the flatbreads. Bake the remaining dough and steam the flatbread for at least 5 minutes.
This softens the crust slightly resulting in soft, tender, tearable flatbread.
I am confused about the steaming. HELP!
thank you
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hi! All you need to do is wrap the flatbreads in a clean tea towel or you can put them in a bowl and cover the bowl with a plate. The steam coming from the hot, freshly cooked flatbreads will cause them to become softer so they will be light and fluffy!
Miriam Glanz says
Hi,
I would love to try this recipe however, what can I use instead of yogurt as I can't have dairy?
Thanks
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Hi Miriam! You can try using 3 tbsp water and adding 1/4 tsp of apple cider to add the acidity that yogurt adds. You can add another tbsp of water if the dough seems dry! Good luck!
Carly B says
Delicious and so easy. Almost like pita bread. Served it with roasted kabocha squash, wild black rice, and beans. I barely measured, I used cashew coconut yogurt and I added a splash of half and half. I kneaded the dough on a floured surface instead of oiled, and let it rest for about 20 minutes. I used a super bubbly sourdough starter straight from the fridge without leaving it on the counter to get to room temp. I used cast iron pans in the oven when I baked it. All things considered, this bread turned out lovely! My family loved it. Can’t wait to make this again.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I love how you were able to adapt the ingredients you already have to make the recipe worked! So happy you loved these flatbreads so much and you were able to share it with your family.
Dana says
I’m about to make these and was wondering if you’d ever frozen them, either before baking or after, and what the result was. Would love to have some in the freezer to pull out and bake/steam or just reheat at a moment’s notice.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I think that would work great! I would wrap the flatbread in foil after they have cooled completely. Then store them in a ziplock or airtight container.
Zoe says
I think I read a couple recipes and got mixed up. I used all these ingredients except I used half yogurt and half cottage cheese. I ran out of yogurt. I wasn’t sure how it would workout but it was fine! I opted to use my kitchenaid mixer instead of hand kneading as well. I also didn’t bake them, I cooked them on my stove top on a cast iron pan about 4-5m per side. I also added chives and Parmesan cheese and they are lovely! Thanks for the recipe, I may have changed it but your guidelines were perfect 🙂
Hannah Dela Cruz says
Your additions sound incredible! Glad you loved your flatbreads!
rishi issar says
Tried this for the first time. I’m finding the oiling when kneading rather sticky and having to continually add more flour.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
I'm sorry you had this experience! I would recommend letting your dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes if your dough starts feeling too sticky.
Kim DeWare says
Yum, thanks for the recipe. Easy and delicious! Now that I've read everyone's comments, I'll have to try frying in a skillet next time.
Hannah Dela Cruz says
You're so welcome!