This easy sourdough flatbread recipe is made with only a few simple ingredients. This is the perfect recipe to use for pizza, sandwiches, or for dipping into hummus.
When I first started my sourdough starter back in 2010, I was super excited to start making sourdough bread. Who wouldn’t be?! It makes the grains more gut healthy, and fermenting creates a depth of flavor that you just can’t find in store-bought baked goods.
The process of slow fermenting with the native yeasts just has an artisanal flavor that you can’t buy. Unless, of course, you live in a super cool area where people are selling homemade sourdough bread!
If you are a real-food foodie like myself, you probably know that sourdough bread takes a lot of pre-planning. Do you want to have fresh-from-the-oven homemade bread this Saturday? Well, I hope you started thinking about that desire on Thursday!
Me, personally? I’m not much of a planner. I love sourdough bread as much as the next traditional foods gal, but guess how often we actually have it??
It wasn’t long into my sourdough journey that I discovered there is such a thing as no-wait or quick sourdough recipes. This recipe is super flexible; you can allow it to ferment for 2-4 hours or even 24 hours. Hallelujah. If we are going to use it to make sandwiches for lunch, I’ll just prep the dough the night before or that morning.
What is long-fermented sourdough?
Have you ever heard of phytic acid? Basically, it’s an anti-nutrient found in grains, beans, and nuts that interferes with the absorption of certain nutrients. They are present on grains to keep them from spoiling.
There is a reason they are there, but there is also good evidence that our bodies weren’t meant to handle them. Proper preparation of grains eliminates most, if not all, of the phytic acid in offending foods.
This is the very reason traditional cultures soaked and fermented their grains, seeds, and beans. These days we’ve lost that art. And, what have we found? People can’t handle grains anymore.
Long fermented sourdough is a process of giving grains time to ferment and sour. This helps to remove the anti-nutrients. Also, a healthy starter is comprised of native yeasts, so the long fermentation gives the baked good a chance to rise, without adding any additional yeast. No little packet of instant yeast needed!
Most recipes on the internet claim to be “sourdough” but actually only call for a cup or two of fresh starter and then make up the rest of the recipe with flour. If the gut healthy benefits come from long fermenting grains, this doesn’t do you any good. Sure, a tiny portion of the recipe is comprised of fermented grains (the sourdough starter), but the majority is just milled wheat (the flour) that has had zero time to ferment and sour.
For this recipe, you can do it either way. Allow it to ferment for a shorter period like 2-4 hours or it can be fermented as long as 12-24 hours to really get the most benefits from the fermentation.
Tips:
- To make a dairy-free flatbread, substitute the milk for a dairy-free milk or just use water.
- For this recipe, you can use active sourdough starter or discard, either will work.
- This is a quicker type of sourdough recipe. You can allow it to ferment for 2-4 hours, or up to 24 hours. Whichever you prefer and can tolerate.
- You can use it as bread to make sandwiches, or serve them as a healthy, whole grain, long fermented appetizer. You could even cut them in large chunks and use them as croutons for a salad.
- They are a perfect little afternoon snack for kids, or late night salt-craving-satisfier for adults.
Easy Sourdough Flatbread Ingredients
- Flour – I used freshly ground hard wheat berries. You can just use all-purpose flour.
- Sourdough starter – activated starter or discard will work.
- Salt – don’t skip this crucial ingredient. It adds so much flavor, and the flatbread will taste just bland without it.
- Milk – Whole milk is preferred because it contains healthy fats and lends itself to a better feel.
How To Make Sourdough Flatbread:
Mix sourdough starter, flour, milk, and salt together. Knead for a few minutes.
Cover and allow to rise for for 2-4 hours (or overnight for long fermentation).
Divide into 8 equal pieces.
Roll flat (about 1/4” thick) on a lightly floured work surface.
Add a small amount of olive oil to a cast iron skillet and preheat over medium.
Cook each flatbread for a minute or two on each side until it starts to brown a bit.
Serve as-is, or use them in a variety of ways. See below for just a few ideas.
How To Eat Sourdough Flatbread
- Side with soup or salad.
- As a quick and easy homemade pizza crust.
- Yummy sandwich- add your favorite sandwich toppings (i.e: turkey, ham, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, fermented jalapeños etc), fold it in half and enjoy.
- A delicious breakfast: add spinach, eggs, sausage or bacon, caramelized onions, and cheese.
- As an appetizer with hummus, roasted red peppers, fermented carrots, olives, cheese, etc.
Other Farmhouse On Boone Sourdough Recipes
- How to Make a Sourdough Starter from Scratch
- Sourdough Pancakes (no wait)
- Sourdough French Toast Casserole
- Easy Sourdough Pizza Crust (no wait)
- Sourdough Skillet (no wait)
- Cinnamon Maple Sourdough Apple Pie (no wait)
- Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Tortillas
- Sourdough English Muffins
Easy Sourdough Flatbread
This easy sourdough flatbread recipe is made with only a few simple ingredients. It is a no-wait recipe that can be made with fed sourdough starter instantly. Perfect for my non-preplanning self!
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup starter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- Olive oil for cooking
Instructions
- Mix sourdough starter, flour, milk, and salt together. Knead for a few minutes.
- Cover and allow to rise for for 2-4 hours (or overnight for long fermentation).
- Divide into 8 equal pieces.
- Roll flat (about 1/4” thick) on a lightly floured work surface.
- Add a small amount of olive oil to a cast iron skillet and preheat over medium.
- Cook each flatbread for a minute or two on each side until it starts to brown a bit.
Notes
- To make a dairy-free flatbread, substitute the milk for a dairy-free milk or just use water.
- For this recipe, you can use active sourdough starter or discard, either will work.
- This is a quicker type of sourdough recipe. You can allow it to ferment for 2-4 hours, or up to 24 hours. Whichever you prefer and can tolerate.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 136Total Fat: 2gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 272mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g
Go grab some other delicious appetizer recipes for the holiday season:
Veggie Dip by Julie Blanner | Meatballs with Cranberry Chili Sauce by Our Oily House |
Garlic Herb Sourdough Flatbread by Farmhouse on Boone | Baked Chicken Wings by The Cookie Rookie
Veronica says
I absolutely love all your recipes! I watch your videos and then try them in my kitchen. You make every meals seem so simple to prepare and they are healthy and delicious as well. I love your channel!
Rose says
Can I use sourdough discard for this recipe? Thanks!
Jewel says
I used my fridge sourdough discard (last feeding two weeks ago) and it worked great. I have a very strong starter that gets activity from my discard thats I let accumulate and the end result was still light with a nice crunchy crust.
Haley says
Oh. My. Goodness! This was so delicious. I made it in my cast iron skillet, topped it with a little cheese, and we had it as a side for lunch. I’ve had a hard time finding sourdough recipes my family likes and this one was a hit. Thanks for sharing!
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Cathy says
These were absolutely delicious! The whole family loved it.
Lindsay Cotter says
So perfect alongside a bowl of hot soup!
Emily says
Hi there! I’m so excited to have found this! I’m wondering how you maintain such a large amount of starter for your more instant recipes? I’m used to keeping 100-200 grams on hand after small feedings.
Halleh says
Just add more flour and water when you feed it, don’t discard much and it will build up really fast. I went from around 200 grams to 600-800 in a week.
Sarah says
Hi! This recipe was delicious but I had trouble with the bread sticking to my pizza stone? The stone was already hot when I poured the starter. Any tips? Thanks!
Lisa says
Hey Sarah! The key is it has to be super hot.
Sandra says
Hi, when you say you cane substitute with discard…do we substitute it for the flour or the starter or both?
Lisa says
You can use discard instead of using an active starter. Either will work! You’ll need flour regardless of which one you choose.
Jessica Zawada says
Hello! I’m new to your page and came across this recipe while looking for something to do with my discarded starter.
I just tried making these today and my husband loved them! They were a little doughy in the middle for my taste and not crispy looking like yours. Not sure if I slightly under cooked them, or if my dough was too thick, but I was overall very pleased with the results and I will definitely be trying again! 🙂
John says
Worst recipe ever!
You didn’t explain where the garlic powder goes and you say to put the oil on top of the bread? None in the lab first. Really looking forward to spending the next hour scrubbing that pan instead of enjoying my dinner. Complete waste of time….
Lisa says
Did you use a pizza stone or cast iron skillet. Preheating is very important, or you will have a mess on your hands.
Natalie says
Don’t listen to him, he’s just being rude. I tried it and it was AWESOME, none of your recipes have ever failed me. People just try to use the internet to say things that they won’t say in person. Don’t let his rude, UNTRUE comment get you down. You teach SO MANY people new things every day. I’m so thankful for all the work you put in to the blog, the channel, the courses, the book, the ebooks, AND the podcast. You have inspired so people. Thank you for everything you’ve done.
Lisa says
Well thank you so much for this sweet encouragement Natalie!
Mike says
Also, when preheating your oven, give it some more time after the oven reaches temp before cooking as the stone may not be as hot yet. Give the stone some extra time to reach temperature.
Michelle says
Don listen to rude peeps Lisa , your site is very user friendly and everyone likes different things!
Great job!
Michelle
Anonymous says
What a rude person. She did not say there was any garlic powder in the recipe and it clearly states to put olive oil in the pan. Maybe try reading the recipe. And try being nicer.
Jenny says
Please update the step by step instructions. I made this via the print instruction without watching the video. It doesn’t say to mix the garlic powder, salt, Italian seasoning into starter and I just messed that up by sprinkling all on top. The video covers it though.
Pam says
Oh my! These were so good and so EASY too! They turned out soft rather than crisp and cracker-like as in your video. I don’t think I heated my stoneware pan as hot as yours. I’m still so happy with them as well as the other (quick) sourdough recipes I’ve tried on your site. Thank you, thank you so much for simplifying sourdough for me. Reading your blog and also watching your videos is truly helpful to me. Keep them coming…
Susan says
Do you think this could be made on a sheet pan on parchment? Thanks for your recipes!
Betsy says
I tried it on a sheet pan today and it worked great. I followed all the instructions as if I had a pizza stone or cast iron. I just made sure to brush olive oil on the sheet pan before I poured on the sourdough
Shantel says
Can’t wait to try. But my starter is pretty thin after I’ve fed and it gets bubbly. Afraid it will run over sides of hot pizza stone. Should I try less water when I feed?
Brenda says
I made this tonight for a happy hour snack and everyone enjoyed it, including our 10 year old son. It was super easy to make and tasted delicious. I love knowing that I can enjoy it, being gluten intolerant.
Cheers!
Lisa says
so happy to hear that!
Pete says
Thanks for the recipe. Loved it but how do I stop it sticking? (A chisel would have been useful) I used a baking stone preheated to 230⁰C fan oven. Stone removed 5 mins after reaching temperature and replaced as soon as the dough was poured. I know my oven is probably not hitting temperature but if the pre heating is the problem what might my workaround be?
Lisa says
Are you supposed to put olive oil on the pizza stone first. I pre heated an hour and it still stuck terribly. So disappointed.
Lisa says
I usually don’t but it may depend on the quality of your stone. Is your pizza stone usually nonstick?
Emily says
I believe pizza stones need to be well seasoned, like cast-iron in order to be nonstick. That has been my experience at least.
Melanie says
I couldn’t get the flatbread off the pizza stone. I read the recipient twice, and it didn’t work? Any suggestions
Rosey says
If I understand the process correctly, sourdough bread recipes that call for flour plus starter ferment the grain through the long rising and proofing time. Still way better than commercial yeast
Christina Fausto says
Hi Lisa. Can I use sourdough discard in this recipe? I noticed that the sourdough starter used is a bit runny compared to the thicker texture of a sourdough discard. Thanks!
Jill says
This was truly delicious, and so easy to make – it brightened up an otherwise stressful workday where I was wondering 1) what to make for dinner and 2) what to do with my languishing sourdough starter in the fridge. I used a 12 inch cast iron pan, which meant that the bread turned out thicker, more like foccacia. Didn’t have any issues with it sticking! My whole family enjoyed this and I think it will start making a regular appearance at our table. Thanks for this wonderful recipe!!
Sandy says
Hi Lisa,
I made this today and the result was VERY sour – so sour we couldn’t eat them. Would it have made a significant difference if I had fed the starter in the previous 12-24 hours?
Melisa says
I just made these and they are SO Delicious!!
I made them on cast iron and they didn’t stick at all. Thank you for the recipe!
Lisa says
hi–I tried making these tonight and they just did not turn out 🙁 it didn’t brown, and wasn’t done all the way thru, even though I followed your directions, preheated the cast iron skillet well and baked it for 15 min. Any idea what I may have done wrong? I only made a half batch in a medium size pan.
Brooke says
This recipe was soooo delicious!!! Super easy too! Made it in my cast iron and turned out perfectly!
Beth Smith says
How much would it cost for you to make me a linen throw blanket? 🙂
Lizarie says
Hi Lisa, if I ferment this overnight, must I do 4 hours at room temp and then the rest of fermentation in the fridge?
sam says
Do you ever make these in bulk and freeze?
Zoha says
Hi Lisa, thanks for the recipe, please let me know would overnight fermentation cause the flavour to be sour or not? I will try both 2 H and overnight but let me know in advance. Thanks 😊
Lisa says
It is definitely more sour the longer the dough sits out!
Zoha says
Thanks 🥰
Crystal Bunn says
Hi i have been loving these recipes and successful with my starter to feed my family 🙂 thank you for all you do ! I am curious on how you store your freshly baked goods? I’m sure you go through them as a family of nine, but I’m a family of three and they get lost as up to a week. Do I freeze them, how do I reheat them, etc. thank you!
Amanda says
Love this recipe! I’ve made it with sourdough discard and active starter and it is a keeper. My favourite way is to roll it out and stuff picadillo or pizza filling and air frying on 389 for 6 mins. Perfection!
Susan Rolak says
I recently found out that I’m tending toward celiac disease. I’ve been watching you cook for over a year. I’m impressed as I am a home baker and hate the thought of giving up bread. So I’ve started to work on sour dough baking. It’s been a learning experience but I’m sticking with it. Thanks for sharing your ideas, knowledge and talents. I’m a retired teacher and turning 73 in a few weeks. I’m excited to keep learning and look forward to more ideas. ❤️
Lea says
If you want a real treat, fry these! I was making them for soup last night, and thought….would these be like Indian Frybread I grew up eating in my home state of Arizona???? Surprisingly – BETTER! Fried them in palm shortening from Azure, and man oh man they were GOOD! With butter for soup, then with honey or powdered sugar for dessert! Wish I could post a picture. This recipe was excellent as written for flatbread too.
Suzanne says
This looks so good! Does the sourdough flavor come through much once you add toppings?
Vanessa says
Thanks for sharing! Does it keep long?
Danielle says
so good! bring on the Mediterranean food!!!
Rachel says
I used 100% spelt flour and these were amazing!Super easy and so much flavor. Thanks!
Felishia says
Very simple and easy recipe to follow that produces a great flatbread for hummus, shawarma, kofta or whatever! So glad I tried this out. After the dough had risen for 4-5 hrs I portioned them out into 8 equal balls using my kitchen scale and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes before rolling it out since it was a little tight still. They cooked up really nicely in a cast iron. Definitely going to be my go-to flatbread recipe now!
Wenke says
I started a sourdough starter two weeks ago and this is the first sourdough recipe I tried with it. Now, I don’t have any experience with sourdough…but even tho I used flower on the surface, my rolled out dough stuck to the counter and I couldn’t get it off without completely pushing it into a ball. Did I not kneed my dough enough before proofing? Why is it so sticky? I fried it with ghee, which made them taste extra delicious, but I want to know, how you’re able to roll them out without additional flour.
Donna G. says
I’m thinking of trying this with added za’atar seasoning in the dough. I’ll be experimenting with that soon and I will post feedback afterwards.
Susan says
Hi. I’m trying to find the “Garlic Herb Sourdough Flatbread” recipe but the website keeps directing me to “Easy Sourdough Flatbread”… what happened to the other recipe?
Donna says
I wish this recipe was in weight vs volume. I made it once and the dough was incredibly stiff. I left it to proof overnight and it worked out fine but I think the dough should be a little less stiff. Can you convert to grams for those of us who bake that way?
Kathy says
Good grief these are delicious and so easy! Thank you so much for making sourdough less scary! I made the english muffins and later today will be making pizza!
Kathy says
What is the best way to store the flatbreads?
Linda says
I am so confused about this recipe. I copied your recipe a while ago and it was very different from the recent recipe. The one I copied only called for sourdough starter (poured into a hot pan which was oven baked). It included spices, garlic, herbs, etc. But this one that I am reading calls for mixing with flour and milk and waiting at least 2 hours! Not sure how that is quick and last minute? Also the photo that I copied is not the same as you are showing in this recent recipe (not to mention that this recipe is stove-top).
What have I missed? I searched your blog and can’t find the “old” recipe that I copied….
Your new recipe which is cooked on stove top seems fine, but doesn’t suit me when I need a garlic flatbread in 20 minutes.
Lisa says
Hi Linda, Unfortunately I received many complaints that original recipe was not a real flatbread. So for the reason I changed it to a proper flatbread. The original one is the same process as my pizza crust, which you can find here- https://www.farmhouseonboone.com/how-to-make-easy-sourdough-pizza-crust So sorry about the confusion!
Michelle says
Does anyone still have access to the original flatbread recipe from FOB? It was a no-wait/discard only recipe…it didn’t use any other flour/fermentation time. This one seems like it would be tasty, but I hopped on here tonight because I needed a last minute bread recipe for dinner and this is not the flatbread recipe I remember from the last time I made them.
Tammy says
Can these sourdough flatbreads be out in the freezer?
Stacy says
These smell so good on stove right now!
Ingrid says
I made them yesterday, let them ferment for 3 1/2 hours, baked them in my cast iron pan with a little Olive Oil and they turned out great. I did put the rest into a glass dish and today warmed them a little bit in the microwave as a side for lunch. They had a great taste, maybe even better than yesterday when I made them. I used 50/50 whole wheat and bread flour. I will definitely make them again. So easy and delicious! Thank you, Lisa for this recipe. 🙂
Lisa says
Wonderful!
heidi Donato says
does flat bread freeze i am type of person who likes to prep so i would double the recipe
Lisa says
Yes. They freeze great!
fiona says
Hi i thought this is a no newly flour added recipe?
Lisa says
I have updated the recipe so it is a softer, more traditional style flatbread. The other recipe was preheat the oven at 400 degrees with a pizza stone preheating. To a large bowl add 2 cups fed sourdough starter with 1 tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp Italian seasonings, 1/2 tsp salt, mix it up. Pour on to a a hot pizza stone and drizzle with a little olive oil and some fresh garlic. Bake for 5-10 minutes.
Anonymous says
Will you please make a beautiful cookbook with pictures. Your recipes are homeruns! I’d love a pretty book where I can find them all.
Lisa says
Thank you! Something to think about for sure.
Candace says
Just made these for the first time and they turned out perfect!! I ate one plain and it was great!!
Lisa says
Wonderful! Glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Rita says
Thank you so much for these recipes. I am so excited to make!
Lisa says
My pleasure! Enjoy.
Brenda Steeves says
We are vegan can I use a plant based milk?
Lisa says
Yes that should work just fine.
Alexzandra Olsen says
Hello fellow bakers. We have always made our flatbreads on the barbecue cast iron plate. Works very well, no indoor oven required. Of course I have sunny weather to work with, not winter here.
M. Klein says
Found you on youtube looking for SS help. My starter has never been so robust using your “pancake consistency” method. We love this recipe, had with Hummus.. Just mixed up sandwich bread & WW bread. Baking tomorrow. Can’t wait to try your other recipes. Thank you, so much.
Lisa says
That is wonderful! So glad I could help.
Hannah Winslow says
Hello, if I’m just starting out, how much sourdough starter do I need? I am planning to buy some from a local bakery, and they are asking how much I need. I am planning on buying the 3/4 liter weck glass jars to store it in. Do you know if I need 25g? Or more than that? Thanks
Lisa says
You can start with as little or as much as you need. As you continue to feed it, you will have more and more starter. I would probably ask for around 50-75 g.
Sarah Hardisty says
I was in a pinch for time but really wanted something to go with our sausage, chicken & rice soup tonight. I made this delish recipe but the dough only rested about 30min before I needed to start preparing them. THEY WERE STILL PERFECT! I can only imagine a ferment would be even better!! Thanks for sharing!
Lisa says
That is wonderful. Glad you enjoyed them!