Sourdough flatbreads stacked on a plateFlatbread stacked on a plate with a tray of toppings to the right and tomato salad to the upper left

Sourdough Flatbread

Making sourdough flatbreads is an enjoyable and easy way to create delicious bread. For a lighter meal, serve flatbreads with dips, olives, and fresh vegetable salads. For something more substantial, serve alongside a meal like our Slow-Cooked Chicken Tikka Masala and tear pieces to soak up the delicious sauce.

Flatbread is a more forgiving recipe, so it is less crucial if your sourdough starter is at peak ripeness. Using a tool like the Sourdough Home for starter maintenance allows you to manage the fermentation of your starter and helps you control when your starter peaks. While this recipe calls for a ripe, recently fed starter, it will also work well with an unfed starter or discard. You may need to increase the bulk fermentation time by an hour if you do so.

Recipe Timing

Prep

5 ½ hours

Cook

20 minutes

Total

6 hours

Recipe Yield

Yield

8 flatbreads

Print Recipe

Brød & Taylor Equipment:

Folding Proofer & Slow Cooker

High Capacity Baking Scale

Dough Whisk
Sourdough flatbreads stacked on a plateFlatbread stacked on a plate with a tray of toppings to the right and tomato salad to the upper left

Ingredients

    Dough

  • 450g (3 ¾ C) All-purpose flour
  • 150g (¾ C) Sourdough starter, 100% hydration
  • 115g (½ C) Water
  • 25g (1 ½ TBSP) Olive oil
  • 140g (heaping ½ C) Yogurt, plain & unsweetened
  • 9g (1 ¾ tsp) Salt
  • 6g (1 ½ tsp) Sugar

Instructions

  1. Set up the Proofer: Set the Proofer to 80°F (27°C) and put the water tray in the middle of the warming plate. Pour ¼ cup (60 ml) of water into the tray and place the rack on top of the tray.
  2. Mix the dough: Add all ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low speed for 5 minutes until a smooth dough forms. Alternatively, the dough can be kneaded by hand: combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl using a dough whisk. Once the dough comes together, dump it out onto the counter and knead by hand for 7 to 9 minutes.
  3. Bulk ferment: Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and place it into the Proofer. Leave the dough to rise for 3 to 4 hours. When done, it should have noticeably increased in size, feel light and airy to the touch, and some bubbles will be visible.
  4. Divide and shape: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently press down on the dough to deflate it, then divide it into 8 equal pieces (about 110g each). Roll each piece into a ball. Dust a ¼ sheet pan with flour and place the dough rounds onto the pan.
  5. Proof the dough: Place the pan in the Folding Proofer still set to 80°F (27°C) and proof for 60 to 90 minutes. Alternatively, the flatbreads can be finished the next day. Skip the second rise in the Proofer, and instead wrap the tray and refrigerate overnight. Pull the dough from the refrigerator the next day and proceed with the rolling & cooking instructions as written.
  6. Roll and cook the flatbreads: Working one round at a time, on a floured surface, roll the dough out into a roughly 7” circle. If the dough is resisting, let it rest for a couple of minutes. Heat a skillet to medium-high heat. Place in the hot skillet and cook for 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Flip the flatbread, and cook another 1 ½ to 2 minutes. Keep the cooked flatbreads covered with a kitchen towel as you finish cooking the remaining flatbreads. After cooking, you can leave the flatbreads plain or brush them with olive oil or melted butter and sprinkle them with seasonings such as chili flakes, sea salt, or za'atar.
  7. Once cooked, these flatbreads will hold for a few days wrapped well—reheat before serving. You can also freeze them for up to one month.
Sourdough flatbreads stacked on a plateFlatbread stacked on a plate with a tray of toppings to the right and tomato salad to the upper left