Adapted from my favorite pizza crust, this homemade flatbread pizza bakes up into a thin and chewy base for your favorite flatbread toppings. Quicker, easier, and thinner than pizza, this flatbread dough takes about 1 hour start to finish and is perfect for beginners. I always love adding garlic and Italian seasonings for extra flavor!
If you’ve ever wanted to try making restaurant-style thin crust flatbreads, I have the perfect starting point for you. This is my EASY homemade flatbread dough, and the starting point for recipes like zucchini & herbed ricotta flatbread and veggie pizza. Have you tried it yet?
Here’s why you must…
Make This Flatbread Pizza Because:
- you don’t need many ingredients
- it’s quicker than homemade pizza
- the dough yields 2 flatbreads
- 1 full recipe is perfect for 2-4 people
- it’s easier to shape than regular pizza dough
- you can eat it plain or with toppings
In other words, it’s the easier, quicker, and more convenient version of pizza dough.
What’s the Difference Between Flatbread Pizza and Regular Pizza?
Flatbread can be made with or without yeast. My version requires yeast for the smallest bit of rise, similar to a thin crust pizza. If you want a no-yeast flatbread, I recommend searching for another recipe that’s modified without its addition. (Don’t simply leave the yeast out of this one!)
My regular pizza dough bakes into a thick, chewy, and soft-centered bed for your favorite toppings. It’s a deeply loved recipe on this website and the only pizza dough recipe I use. Flatbread pizza is just that– flatter pizza. Since it’s flatter, it doesn’t require as much yeast or rise time and is perfectly manageable if you’ve never made homemade bread before.
This flatbread is similar to my focaccia, another simple homemade bread recipe.
6 Ingredient Yeast Flatbread Pizza Dough
- Yeast: You can use instant or active-dry yeast with zero changes. If you’re new to working with yeast, I recommend reviewing my Baking with Yeast guide. I used to make flatbread with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of yeast, but recently reduced it down to 1 teaspoon. This is plenty for a thin flatbread crust. Note that 1 teaspoon is less than 1 standard packet.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar feeds the yeast. You only need 1 teaspoon.
- Water: Flatbread and pizza dough are lean doughs, meaning there isn’t a lot of fat present. While I make rich overnight cinnamon rolls and glazed doughnuts dough with milk, we don’t need that extra fat here. We’re aiming for chewy and crisp, not voluptuous and soft.
- Flour: You can use bread flour or all-purpose flour. Bread flour leaves a slightly chewier texture, but the difference is barely noticeable since the crust is so thin.
- Olive Oil: Adds flavor. We’ll also brush the dough with olive oil before baking, too.
- Salt: Adds flavor.
Optional Additions: You can also add some flair to this dough with a little garlic and/or Italian seasoning like we often do when making homemade breadsticks. Or add chopped fresh herbs or freshly ground pepper, too.
Overview: How to Make Flatbread Pizza Dough
- Mix the dough ingredients together by hand or use a stand mixer.
- Knead by hand or beat the dough with your mixer. Reference my How to Knead Dough video tutorial if you need extra help with this step.
- Place dough into a greased mixing bowl, cover tightly, and let it rise for 45 minutes.
- Punch down the slightly risen dough to release air bubbles. Divide in half.
- Flatten the two doughs with your hands or with a rolling pin. The flatbreads can be any shape you want as long as they’re about 1/4-inch thick. (Very thin!) Dimple with your fingers or with a fork. Brush with olive oil, which helps protect the crust from any sogginess lingering from the toppings.
- Top with favorite flatbread toppings.
- Bake at a very high temperature for only about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.
You Can Enjoy it Plain
If desired, you can skip the toppings and leave the flatbread plain. In the next two pictures, I topped the doughs with fresh garlic, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper. After baking, I sprinkled with fresh parmesan cheese. Freshly baked plain flatbread feels like a total treat when served with marinara sauce, hummus, homemade pesto, or even mashed avocado and fried eggs (for an avocado toast variation!).
Flatbread Pizza Toppings
Or you can get creative with various toppings. Add these before baking.
- Tomato, Basil, & Mozzarella Flatbread: I have this version pictured today, and with some fresh arugula on top. See recipe note.
- Zucchini & Herbed Ricotta Flatbread
- 1/2 cup goat or blue cheese per flatbread (1 cup total) and 1/2 cup fresh apple or pear slices per flatbread (1 cup total), plus a handful of fresh arugula and/or drizzle of honey after baking
- Make a cold veggie pizza! (Note the dough is very slightly different in that recipe.)
- BBQ Chicken Pizza & Pesto Pizza toppings*
- Spinach Artichoke White Cheese Pizza toppings*
*If you’re using toppings from my pizza recipes, you’ll need about 2/3 of the amount. My pizza recipe toppings are enough for one 12-inch pizza and are more than plenty for 2 smaller flatbreads (the full recipe below).
Pre-cook: Any meats should be pre-cooked before using as a flatbread topping. If you want to top the flatbread with vegetables, feel free to sauté or gently cook them first. I usually don’t with spinach, peppers, and mushrooms, but with “harder” veggies like broccoli or cauliflower, they’ll taste better if they’ve been slightly cooked before using as topping.
Get creative! I can’t wait to hear about how you top your flatbread pizzas. Feel free to email or share your recipe photos on social media. 🙂
See Your Homemade Flatbread Pizzas:
PrintHomemade Flatbread Pizza Recipe
- Prep Time: 55 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes
- Yield: serves 2-4
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Description
Follow these basic instructions for thin yeasted flatbread pizza crust. The recipe yields enough dough for two small flatbreads, each perfect for 1 hungry person or 2 people to split (2-4 people total). Freezing instructions listed below. See all of my detailed topping suggestions in the blog post above or recipe notes below.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon active dry or instant yeast
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (180ml) warm water, (between 100-110°F, 38-43°C)
- 2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour or bread flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands and surface
- 1 Tablespoon (15ml) olive oil, plus 2 teaspoons for brushing the dough
- 1 teaspoon salt
- optional: 1 teaspoon garlic powder or 1 clove minced garlic and/or 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Whisk the yeast, sugar, and warm water together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Loosely cover and allow to sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy and frothy on top. *If you do not own a stand mixer, you can do this in a large mixing bowl and in the next step, mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/silicone spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula is a better choice.*
- Add the flour, olive oil, and salt (and garlic/seasoning if using). Mix on low speed with the dough hook attachment until combined, about 2 minutes. The dough should be thick, yet soft and slightly sticky. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl as it mixes. When it does, it is ready to knead. If, however, the dough is too sticky to handle, mix in more flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time. Make sure you do not add too much extra flour; you want a soft, slightly tacky dough.
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer (and switch to the dough hook if using the paddle) and beat for an additional 6-8 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 6-8 full minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl (I use nonstick spray to grease) and cover with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to sit and rest for 45 minutes at room temperature. Once it has rested and slightly risen, you can continue with the recipe or place the covered dough in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. More instructions in the make ahead Note below.
- As the dough is resting and rising, prepare your toppings. See blog post and/or recipe note below.
- Preheat oven to 475°F (246°C).
- Shape the dough: Punch the dough down to release any air. Divide the dough in half. On a lightly floured surface with floured hands and working with one dough piece at a time, begin shaping and stretching the dough until it is 1/4 inch thick. You can use a floured rolling pin for this too. Don’t worry about the shape of the dough, just make sure it’s pretty thin. Repeat with the second piece of dough. Carefully transfer both pieces of dough to a parchment paper or silicone-mat lined baking sheet, or use a pizza stone. (You can also shape/roll out the doughs directly on a silicone baking mat or a large sheet of parchment if that is easier for you and then just transfer the whole thing to the baking sheet.)
- Poke your fingers all around the surface of the flatbreads or prick a few holes with a fork. Drizzle or brush each with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Top each with your favorite toppings.
- Bake for 15–20 minutes or until the crust and toppings are browned to your liking. Remove from the oven. Slice and serve warm.
- Cover and store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The dough can be prepared through step 4, then after it has risen, cover and place in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Continue with step 5. To freeze the dough, prepare it through step 4. After it has risen, punch it down to release any air. Divide it in 2, if desired, then wrap in plastic wrap and place in a freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw the dough overnight in the refrigerator. Then let the dough sit at room temperature for about 1 hour before stretching out/shaping and topping. If the thawed dough keeps shrinking back as you try to shape it, lightly cover it with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel and let it rest on the counter or your work surface for 15 minutes. (The gluten just needs a chance to settle.)
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Stand Mixer or Glass Mixing Bowl and Wooden Spoon / Silicone Spatula | Baking Sheet | Silicone Baking Mat or Parchment Paper | Pizza Stone | Pizza Cutter
- Yeast: You can use instant or active-dry yeast with zero changes. If you’re new to working with yeast, I recommend reviewing my Baking with Yeast guide. I used to make flatbread with 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of yeast, but recently reduced it down to 1 teaspoon. This is plenty for a thin flatbread crust. Note that 1 teaspoon is less than 1 standard packet. If you want a no-yeast flatbread, I recommend searching for another recipe that’s modified without its addition. (Don’t simply leave the yeast out of this one!)
- Flour: I haven’t tested this recipe with whole wheat flour, but let me know if you do. You may need a little extra liquid in the dough.
- Pictured Plain Flatbread: Top with 1 teaspoon each of olive oil as directed in step 8. Top each with 1 clove minced garlic. Sprinkle with your desired amount of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. After baking, sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese (if desired).
- Pictured Tomato, Basil, & Mozzarella Flatbread: Slice 8 ounces of fresh mozzarella into thin slices, or use 8 ounces shredded mozzarella. Top each flatbread with 4 ounces. Top each with a handful of fresh tomato slices and a sprinkle of chopped fresh basil. If desired, sprinkle with fresh parmesan cheese too. After baking, feel free to top with more chopped fresh basil and/or fresh arugula.
- Double Batch: Dough may easily be doubled by doubling each ingredient. Extend the rise time in step 4 to 1 hour.
- Optional Flavors in Dough: I love adding garlic and Italian seasoning to this dough, as listed in the ingredient list above. If you can’t find a spice labeled “Italian Seasoning” in the spice aisle, use dried oregano, dried basil, and/or dried parsley instead. Honestly, any herb (fresh or dried) that you love works.
Great Recipe, my husband loved it.
Amazing flatbread Sally!! My husband is addicted and we are having fun trying lots of different toppings. My question is can you pre-bake the flatbread and freeze them and then take out of freezer thaw and bake with your favorite toppings? We buy them at the store pre-baked but we really love our own.
Thanks Sally
Hi Judith, there are make ahead and freezing instructions in the notes. So glad you love this flatbread!
Fantastic recipe! I’ve tried this recipe last week. The dough was easy to make and turned out great. Easily customized with the various toppings. I topped with mozzarella, tomatoes, fresh basil and after baking, I sprinkled with grated parmesan. Can’t wait to make again with different toppings! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe with us.
I have found my pizza dough recipe!!! This flatbread is delicious…crispy and chewy with a great flavor. I made it with pesto, charred tomatoes and fresh mozz.. I think it is perfect for any pizza toppings!
This was my first time working with yeast, an ingredient I’ve always felt intimidated by, and it was worth it! The recipe is so simple – and while it probably took me longer than the experienced baker, it was pretty hard to mess up. I’d recommend lightly seasoning the flatbreads after they come out. Also, I made these when I was super hungry and two were enough for a 31, 82kg/5’11” man. Thanks to Sally for making this recipe also accessible with those with low income. Not everyone has a stacked kitchen and working with hands instructions were really appreciated.
I made this tonight with grilled apples, Brie, toasted nuts and honey. No “crusts” were left behind! Easy and delicious. Thank you!
The absolute easiest recipe for flatbread, ever! I followed to the tee. Incorporated Italian seasoning and garlic into the dough and just topped with cheese, spinach and cherry tomatoes. It was extremely tasty! Will definitely make this again! So glad I found this recipe!
Wow. I’ve made quite of few of the top pizza dough recipes from various cooking websites which were good, but this was the bomb. I doubled the recipe, took a little longer to get the flatbreads going than I planned (like, 2 hours more), and it was still perfect. It rolled out so easily to a thin flatbread, unlike many recipes, and it cooked up crisp with a little chew.
I wish I could post the pics (yes, I did that). My son’s was plain with grated garlic, EVOO, rosemary and salt and the bubbles were so perfectly cute. The next was my daughter’s creation: dairy free with EVOO, garlic, nutritional yeast, caramelized onions, olives, chili flakes and a few sesame seeds. Husband’s: pulled grilled chicken, EVOO, rosemary, onions and fresh mozzarella and a little grated part. Finally mine: EVOO, garlic, tiny triangles of soppresata, thyme caramelized onions, olive mix, and small chunks of fresh mozzarella and parmesan with chili flakes. Some of the best flatbread pizza I’ve ever had! Thank you for nailing this!!
Hi Stefanie, we are so glad you and your family loved these! Thank you for sharing!
I ended up just making one bigger pizza and it worked out quite nicely. Nice bubbles in the crust when cooked. Good one-hour pizza dough option for lunch.
I just have a question. I am planning to make this but I am looking for a crispy flatbread. Is this one crispy? I want to bake it then top it with things in place of crackers. Thank you
Hi Lori, This flatbread is “chewy and crisp” but not crunchy like a hard cracker. You can certainly roll it very thin and bake for a few extra minutes to make it crispier, but it won’t be exactly like a cracker. Let us know if you give it a try!
I have used this recipe dozens of times, and it is by far my family’s favorite. Sally knows her dough. Thank you so much!!
Hi Sally,
Can I bake the flatbreads and freeze them for later use for pizza?
Much like you would just buy them already baked from the grocery store and they’re ready for pizza toppings?
Thanks.
Pam
Absolutely! Let it thaw before topping and baking. Only bake until the toppings are cooked/cheese is melted.
Sorry, one more question. I’m going to bake these plain and then freeze for later use. Do I still rub the olive oil over them when I bake them or when I unthaw the previously cooked flatbread? Thanks again, Pam
I followed the recipe 100% and it was hard dry flaky dough…
Hi Beckie, How did you measure the flour? Make sure to spoon and level (instead of scooping) to avoid packing in too much flour into your measuring cups. You can read more about properly measuring baking ingredients in this post.
This was super easy and tasty! I was worried that my dough hadn’t risen enough but once I rolled it out and baked it, it was perfect. It ended up thicker than I expected once cooked, and was therefore a little on the soft side, but I think 1-2 more minutes of baking would have fixed that.
Hi Sally! My recipe is calling for a 14” round flatbread. Will a single recipe of your dough yield enough or should I double it? Thanks!
Hi Tracy! This dough should stretch to 14 inches in one batch. Let us know if you try it!
I got to 12”, which worked just fine. I probably could have gotten to 14” is I would have been patient and let the dough relax. I made a mushroom and spinach flatbread with fontina and mozzarella for a Thanksgiving app, which got rave reviews. The crust was perfectly crispy and chewy! Thanks for another great recipe.
AMAZING! So simple. I used fresh whey instead of warm water. And kneaded a basic Italian seasoning (oregano + spice mix) into my dough. I left it covered for 5-6 hours. I didn’t even bother rolling… just stretched and patted each ball (I got 3) onto an oiled tray. Smothered one with homemade olive tapenade, another with cherry tomato & garlic soaked in olive oil. And the third with mozarela+ zaatar. Super. Pair it with a meal of soup, hummus/salad or grilled veggies & meats. Who needs pizzas after this. Thank you!
I tried this receipe.
I had to use about 300 grams(possibly more) of flour to make it not soggy. Maybe it was because I was using gluten free flow? It also didn’t rise… I must have done something wrong.
It was a good receipe though! I always wanted to make my own pizza and I’m glad I stumbled upon your blog!
Hi Sally,
Any reason that I shouldn’t bake these pizzas in a cast iron skillet in the oven? Assuming that’s a reasonable idea, should I prebake in the skillet on the stovetop first, then add the toppings and bake in the oven at high heat until edges are crispy and cheese is melted?
Hi Jason, This pizza dough will definitely work with a cast iron pan. Preheat it as you usually would to make pizza. You shouldn’t need to precook on the stove top but you certainly can. Enjoy!
Sally, I love all your recipes. Can I use this recipe to put in my Ooni Kona 16 Gas pizza oven? If so, can I launch directly into oven from spatula? Also, should I cook dough first and then add toppings and put back in oven. Wondering if the oven would be too hot? Thank you.
Ps. I want to try this flatbread because I am not having luck with making my pizza. Getting too opaque thin in middle and not cooking but crust burning. Hoping to use this pizza dough recipe and will roll to make flatbread for more consistent thickness.
Hi Kathleen, this recipe should work well in your pizza oven. We haven’t used that one specifically, but feel free to do what you are most comfortable with. We put the toppings right on the dough and cook, but you can pre-bake the crust if you’d like. Hope this helps and that you enjoy the flatbread recipe!
My dough has been resting for 45 minutes but did not rise. Should I continue to leave it a room temp or go ahead and put in the refrigerator?
Hi Patricia! The dough should only slightly rise in the 45 minutes, you should be OK to put it in the refrigerator at this point, but letting it rise for a bit longer wouldn’t hurt. Hope you love it!
I’ve been searching for a good pizza dough recipe for four years and I finally found THE ONE! I’ve made it twice the past three days. It’s perfect.
Made this with my version of Barbecue chicken pizza and the dough is perfect. I love so many of your recipes. Thank you for all of your great recipes including this one!
Best flat bread iv’e ever made, will not lose this recipe, nice work Sally
I have to say that this website – SallysBakingAddiction.com – is by far my fave place to go to look for great, tasty baking recipes. This recipe does not disappoint! Thanks Sally!
We’re so happy to hear that you’re enjoying our recipes, Wendy!
Delicious, and SO easy! Mine were done in 10m on convection bake, and I may have rolled them a bit thin, but they were perfect. In the winter it can be a little tricky to get the family to the table on soup night, so I tempt them with some sort of great bread. This will definitely be added to the arsenal. Thanks Sally!
Dear Sally, I loved your recipe.My question : we are trying to be v health concious these days. Plain All purpose flour is not v healthy, esp if you are wanting gluten free version What do you recommend for using whole wheat flour? How much water do you use? Have you tried using yogurt? I have made “Naans” Using yogurt with a pinch of baking powder & baking soda makes it soft ?? Can you use similar ingredients while doing flat bread??Love to hear your response . Thanx
Hi Nalini, we actually haven’t tried this recipe using whole wheat flour. If using whole wheat flour, the dough may require a little extra liquid. It will also taste a bit denser. You might want to search for a recipe specifically formulated for whole wheat flour to get some inspiration. Let us know what you try!
I haven’t tried it yet but I wanted to add a comment. If you are concerned about sodium from the salt switch to kosher salt. it has a lot less sodium per teaspoon. I’ve been using it a lot and things taste fine. Not pertinent to this recipe but I also use only unsalted butter when using butter for cooking or eating. In recipes if I can’t find unsalted butter I leave the salt out of the recipe.
The flatbread was amazing!
My only question is let’s say I’m making 10 flatbread pizzas, would I just simply multiply all the ingredients by 5? Or do measurements change?
Hi Andrew, so glad to hear you enjoyed these flatbreads! For best results, we recommend making each batch separately (so five separate batches). This ensures the ingredients are properly incorporated and that you don’t over / under mix with the added volume.
I’m wanting to use this for the start of “build your own pizza” on the Blackstone griddle. Would you recommend I grill it for a few minutes before everyone puts their toppings on?
Hi Tami, no need to pre-grill the dough here, but you certainly can if you’d like. Hope they’re a hit!
Sally’s yeast bread series challenged me to overcome childhood baking failures during the summer of 2020. Tonight’s adventure was flatbread pizza on the grill. Read a bunch of articles and recipes and used this recipe (of course!) for our crust along with the tomato/zucchini topping. No ricotta, but threw halved grape tomatoes and thinly sliced zucchini on the grill while the dough was rising. Fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, homemade marinara… delicious!