Flatbread

27 Flatbread Recipes That Rise to Any Occasion

Eat your way around the world of flatbread, starting with scallion bing, buttery mlaoui, garlicky kulchas, and fresh tortillas.
A selection of flatbreads on a counter.
Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton

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There’s plenty to be said for lofty, airy loaves of bread that dramatically puff up in their pans in the oven. But flatbreads—despite being, you know, flat—are just as dramatic in flavor, texture, and visual appeal. Examine, if you will, Moroccan mlaoui, with all of its buttery, chewy layers, or a chile- and garlic-stuffed kulcha, beautifully burnished under the heat of a broiler and dusted with fiery red chile powder. (Sourdough boules, I love you, but you’re in an entirely different class.) Pizza is arguably the world’s most beloved flatbread—and its ancestor focaccia is also damn fine, if you ask us. Some flatbread recipes, such as scallion bing and naan, get a little rise out of yeast, which gives them a more bready quality too; others have no leavening at all, including Gujarati theplas, Turkish gözleme, and tortillas. The world abounds with flatbread, and your kitchen should too.

  • Kulcha on a plate being served with Chana Masala.
    Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    1/27

    Chile-Garlic Kulcha

    Kulcha is a type of lightly leavened flatbread from India that’s traditionally made in a tandoor oven. This flatbread recipe is adapted for a cast-iron skillet—it starts on the stovetop and moves to your broiler for a final blast of heat.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    2/27

    Sour Cream Thepla

    Thepla is a quintessential Gujarati flatbread that goes with anything—mango lassi, a cup of chai, or achaar for dipping.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    3/27

    Mlaoui

    This flaky, skillet-fried Moroccan flatbread can be topped with a mixture of melted butter and warm honey, or a smear of jam.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by Lillian Chou & John Bjostad
    4/27

    Shao Bing

    These classic Taiwanese sesame flatbreads are the perfect canvas for any number of fillings: you tiao is traditional, but stir-fried vegetables are great, too.

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  • Photo by Rush Jagoe
    7/27

    Pita

    If you’ve only ever had dry supermarket pita, this is a different animal entirely: puffed up like a pillow, savory on its own, and ready to scoop up anything you like. Want to study up before you start your pita-making project? Check out Alon Shaya's guide to making pita at home.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    8/27

    Naan

    You can make superlative naan with a sourdough starter, but this version doesn't require it. There's a small amount of yeast for lift, and whole-milk yogurt to enrich the dough.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    13/27

    Nan-e Barbari

    This Persian flatbread is topped with sesame and nigella seeds, and shaped into a long flat oval or round.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    14/27

    Injera

    Traditional injera takes a week to make, since you need four days to make the sponge, plus another three to prepare the batter. That said, it's absolutely worth the wait.

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  • 17/27

    Plakopsy

    This fried Greek bread—stuffed with feta and spring onions—can be filled with chopped herbs for extra flavor.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad and Lillian Chou
    18/27

    Khachapuri for a Crowd

    This oversize version of khachapuri, the Georgian cheese-filled bread, is both a time-saver and brilliant way to feed a group.

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  • Photo by Laura Murray, Food Styling by Susan Spungen
    19/27

    Shockingly Easy No-Knead Focaccia

    Letting the dough do its first rise in the fridge overnight means improved flavor and ease of handling, but if you don’t feel like waiting that long, leave it out at room temperature until doubled in size—three to four hours.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    20/27

    Pide With Cheese

    Turkish pide is a popular summer snack; this version uses sheep’s-milk cheese.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Prop Styling by Anne Eastman, Food Styling by John Bjostad and Lillian Chou
    21/27

    Adjaran Khachapuri

    This khachapuri recipe makes all you need for a meal—a luscious cheesy, eggy, buttery bath to dip bread into.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne
    22/27

    Gozleme With Spinach and Three Cheeses

    These gozleme are stuffed with a mixture of three different cheeses to mimic the feta-like Turkish white cheese that’s often used for these flatbreads.

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  • Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton
    25/27

    Tlacoyos de Frijol y Requesón (Bean and Cheese Tlacoyos)

    These masa-based bites might just be the ultimate street food snack, stuffed with mashed beans, fresh cheese, or fava beans and cooked to order until crispy on the outside, then piled with a refreshing salad of cactus paddle, cilantro, serrano chiles, and onion. Watch this video to see how they're made!

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  • Ben Fink
    26/27

    Reina Pepiada Arepas

    These thick cornmeal patties from Venezuela are griddled, then baked—stuff them with beans or white cheese, or this zesty chicken salad with avocado mayonnaise.

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  • Photo by John Lee
    27/27

    Lavash

    The authors of Lavash devised a clever method for replicating the heat of the traditional clay ovens used for lavash in Armenia. For their flatbread recipe, they use an upside-down wok heated on a gas stovetop burner.

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Matt Zuras served as Epicurious Senior Editor from spring 2021 to spring 2022. Prior to that, he was the editor-in-chief of October, covering the wide, weird world of craft beer. And before that, he worked for Playboy, VICE's Munchies, and Refinery29. His writing has appeared in Saveur, Popular Mechanics, *Men's... Read more
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