This recipe for soft gluten free flatbread is perfect for wraps and miniature pizzas, and is made with just 5 common pantry ingredients—plus salt. If you use plant-based milk, it's vegan!
What makes this gluten free flatbread recipe so special?
When you begin with a good recipe (my job!), use proper ingredients (our job!) and measure by weight (your job!), you will have success in gluten free baking. I don't ever publish a gluten free recipe on the blog or anywhere else unless I've made it successfully as written, multiple times.
Their primary purpose is for wraps, both warm and cold. Think: turkey sandwiches, perfect for lunchboxes everywhere.
These soft gluten free flatbreads aren't tortillas, naan, or pizza dough. But they can be used to make burritos, gyros, and miniature pizzas, too.
They also don't call for yeast, or eggs, or anything fussy. But, like all of my recipes, they are specific. If you're willing to come along with me, this recipe might just change the way you think of gluten free bread…
Make this gluten free flatbread better with tapioca starch/flour
This recipe calls for two types of gluten free flours. One is a well-balanced all purpose gluten free flour blend. I used Better Batter, but Cup4Cup is fine or one of my mock versions of those; please follow the link in the recipe for details).
The other flour is a single ingredient, but it makes all the difference. The flour blend contains tapioca starch as an ingredient. But this recipe calls for extra tapioca starch/flour.
Can I omit the tapioca starch/flour?
In a word: no. You must use tapioca starch as an additional ingredient without substitution for the results you see in the photos and described in this post.
The additional tapioca makes it much easier to work with the raw dough, makes the cooked flatbreads delightfully chewy, and helps them bend. Yes, your all purpose gluten free flour blend already contains tapioca starch/flour. This is more.
Why we roll the warm soft gluten free flatbread
Have you ever made a rolled cake, like a yule log, pumpkin roll, or a Swiss roll? The way you achieve that rolled cake without its cracking is by baking it into a thin layer, then rolling it into a coil the moment it comes out of the oven.
Rolling a roll cake, or here, a flatbread, while it's still warm, creates a “memory” in the cake. This way, when the flatbread cools, it will remember how to bend without breaking.
You don't have to roll these flatbreads as described in the recipe. You can simply stack them like we do with gluten free tortillas. But if you'd like to ensure that you can roll them into a burrito or a sandwich wrap, I recommend rolling them right out of the skillet.
Soft gluten free flatbread: ingredients and substitution suggestions
This recipe is super simple, which is part of what makes it so useful. Please keep in mind that each modification made to a simple recipe has even more impact.
The only additional common allergen that might arise here is dairy, and it's easily replaced. This recipe has no eggs, naturally.
Gluten free dairy free flatbread/piadina
In place of cow's milk, you can use any sort of unsweetened plant-based milk. I prefer something with some fat, like plain unsweetened almond milk.
You can actually even use water in place of milk, but it's makes a somewhat tougher flatbread. This flatbread is perfect soft without additional dairy, like the yogurt in our gluten free naan.
Tapioca starch/flour
You must use tapioca starch/flour in this recipe, as a separate ingredient. This is in addition to one of my recommended all purpose gluten free flour blends.
There is no substitute for tapioca starch/flour (it's interchangeably called tapioca starch and tapioca flour). It adds pliability to the raw dough and the finished flatbreads.
Expandex modified tapioca starch, which we use in gluten free bread flour, is not an appropriate substitute for tapioca starch/flour. They are entirely different ingredients, and behave very differently.
Serving suggestions for this gluten free flatbread
This flatbread is one of the most useful gluten free bread recipes on the whole blog. Here are some suggested ways to use it, but the sky's the limit:
- Use this as a wrap to make a sandwich filled with lunch meat, lettuce, and tomato slices.
- Don't roll out the cooked flatbread, and instead top it as you would a mini gluten free pizza with sauce and cheese. Melt the cheese in the microwave, in the skillet with a cover on top to trap the heat, or in a large toaster oven or low conventional oven at 350°F for 5 minutes.
- Fill your flatbread with beans, ground beef, and cheese and wrap it up like you would a burrito, placing the filling in the center, closing the sides around the filling and then rolling into a cylinder. Cook it in a hot skillet, seam side down, until the cheese is melted.
FAQs
Typically, yes, flatbread is made with wheat flour, which contains gluten. Only flatbread that is made with safely gluten free ingredients according to a gluten free recipe will be gluten free.
This flatbread recipe is the most versatile and basic, and can used almost anywhere a flexible, flatbread is called for. There are a number of recipes on the blog that are types of flatbread, including gluten free pita bread, gluten free naan, and gluten free flour tortillas, but they're also something else specific. Pita is used for its pocket and has a tighter crumb, naan is a yogurt-containing Indian yeast bread, and tortillas are thinner.
Yes, this flatbread will remain flexible long after it cools down because we roll it in a tea towel. You can keep it rolled in a towel at room temperature for about 2 hours before serving.
Yes, once it's wrapped in a towel and completely cool, the flatbread can be removed from the towel, rerolled, then wrapped very tightly and stored in the refrigerator for 3 days or the freezer for up to a month. To refresh, sprinkle the flatbread lightly with lukewarm water, unroll as much as possible, and microwave for about 20 seconds. You can also refresh it by unrolling it and pressing it flat on a hot skillet for 10 seconds.
No, if you don't plan to roll the flatbread at all, you don't have to roll it when it's still warm. If you don't roll the bread when it's warm, though, it won't be as flexible once it's cool.
How to make this easy, soft gluten free flatbread or piadina
Soft Gluten Free Flatbread | 5 Ingredients
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (105 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click thru for full info), plus more for sprinkling
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- 5 tablespoons (38 g) tapioca starch/flour (See Recipe Notes)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup (4 fluid ounces) plain unsweetened plant-based (for vegan) milk or cow’s milk, chilled
- Neutral oil for the skillet like grapeseed, canola, or vegetable
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, tapioca starch/flour, salt, and baking powder, and whisk to combine well. Add the oil, and mix to combine.
- Add the milk, and mix until the mixture comes together. If necessary to bring the dough together, knead together with clean hands. The dough will be thick but relatively soft.
- Ideally, divide the dough into 5 ounce portions (as written, the dough makes 2 portions), wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes and up to 3 days. You can also work with the dough immediately, if you don’t have time to chill it.
- When you’re ready to make the flatbreads, heat a cast iron skillet that’s at least 10-inches in diameter, or a heavy-bottom nonstick skillet, over medium-low heat. Place a flat, wide spatula and a tea towel on the counter next to the skillet.
- If you’ve chilled the dough in portions, unwrap and work with one piece at a time. If the dough hasn’t been divided, divide it in two equal halves, each weighing about 5 ounces.
- Turn each piece of dough out onto a very lightly floured flat surface, and sprinkle lightly with extra flour. Cover the other piece(s) of dough loosely with a cloth to prevent it (them) from drying out.
- Sprinkle the dough lightly with more flour and begin to roll it into a round, sprinkling lightly with more flour as necessary to prevent sticking. The edges will be jagged and a bit rough.
- Gather the dough together and repeat the process at least once more, until the dough is smoother. Roll the dough into an approximately 10-inch round, turning and flouring lightly as necessary. The edges should be less rough, but this is rustic flatbread.
- Brush about 1 tablespoon of neutral oil on the hot skillet. Pick up the prepared raw piece of flatbread and place it flat in the center of the skillet, taking care not to bend any of the edges.
- Allow it to cook for about 1 minute without disturbing it, or until the edges begin to lift. Slide the spatula underneath the flatbread, ensuring that there are no spots that might stick.
- Flip the flatbread over and allow it to cook for another minute, pressing it firmly back onto the skillet with the spatula to prevent it from puffing up. You can also take a toothpick and prick any bubbles to deflate them.
- Continue to cook the flatbread, flipping it frequently, until it is set on both sides and doesn’t glisten anywhere. It should take 2 to 3 minutes total. Remove the flatbread from the skillet, place it in the center of the tea towel (See Recipe Notes), and fold the edges of the towel over on it to enclose it.
- Repeat with the other piece of dough, oiling the skillet lightly as necessary.
- Once the flatbreads are done cooking but are still very warm, open the tea towel and remove both pieces of bread. Place one about 4 inches from one short end of the towel, fold the edge over the bread, and roll the bread tightly in the towel.
- Place the second flatbread on the unrolled portion of the towel, and repeat the process, rolling until the two flatbreads are tightly wrapped in the towel. Allow them to cool for at least 5 minutes wrapped in the towel before unwrapping and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Soft Gluten Free Flatbread | 5 Ingredients
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (105 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click thru for full info), plus more for sprinkling
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- 5 tablespoons (38 g) tapioca starch/flour (See Recipe Notes)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon (14 g) extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup (4 fluid ounces) plain unsweetened plant-based (for vegan) milk or cow’s milk, chilled
- Neutral oil for the skillet like grapeseed, canola, or vegetable
Instructions
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, tapioca starch/flour, salt, and baking powder, and whisk to combine well. Add the oil, and mix to combine.
- Add the milk, and mix until the mixture comes together. If necessary to bring the dough together, knead together with clean hands. The dough will be thick but relatively soft.
- Ideally, divide the dough into 5 ounce portions (as written, the dough makes 2 portions), wrap each tightly in plastic wrap, and chill for 30 minutes and up to 3 days. You can also work with the dough immediately, if you don’t have time to chill it.
- When you’re ready to make the flatbreads, heat a cast iron skillet that’s at least 10-inches in diameter, or a heavy-bottom nonstick skillet, over medium-low heat. Place a flat, wide spatula and a tea towel on the counter next to the skillet.
- If you’ve chilled the dough in portions, unwrap and work with one piece at a time. If the dough hasn’t been divided, divide it in two equal halves, each weighing about 5 ounces.
- Turn each piece of dough out onto a very lightly floured flat surface, and sprinkle lightly with extra flour. Cover the other piece(s) of dough loosely with a cloth to prevent it (them) from drying out.
- Sprinkle the dough lightly with more flour and begin to roll it into a round, sprinkling lightly with more flour as necessary to prevent sticking. The edges will be jagged and a bit rough.
- Gather the dough together and repeat the process at least once more, until the dough is smoother. Roll the dough into an approximately 10-inch round, turning and flouring lightly as necessary. The edges should be less rough, but this is rustic flatbread.
- Brush about 1 tablespoon of neutral oil on the hot skillet. Pick up the prepared raw piece of flatbread and place it flat in the center of the skillet, taking care not to bend any of the edges.
- Allow it to cook for about 1 minute without disturbing it, or until the edges begin to lift. Slide the spatula underneath the flatbread, ensuring that there are no spots that might stick.
- Flip the flatbread over and allow it to cook for another minute, pressing it firmly back onto the skillet with the spatula to prevent it from puffing up. You can also take a toothpick and prick any bubbles to deflate them.
- Continue to cook the flatbread, flipping it frequently, until it is set on both sides and doesn’t glisten anywhere. It should take 2 to 3 minutes total. Remove the flatbread from the skillet, place it in the center of the tea towel (See Recipe Notes), and fold the edges of the towel over on it to enclose it.
- Repeat with the other piece of dough, oiling the skillet lightly as necessary.
- Once the flatbreads are done cooking but are still very warm, open the tea towel and remove both pieces of bread. Place one about 4 inches from one short end of the towel, fold the edge over the bread, and roll the bread tightly in the towel.
- Place the second flatbread on the unrolled portion of the towel, and repeat the process, rolling until the two flatbreads are tightly wrapped in the towel. Allow them to cool for at least 5 minutes wrapped in the towel before unwrapping and serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Caitlin Carsten says
I have to be corn free as well as gluten free. I see the couple of all purpose blend floors you recommend have cornstarch in them. I tried making this recipe with the bobs all purpose flour and the dough is too sticky. Do you have to have the cornstarch to make this recipe?
Nicole Hunn says
As I discuss in the text of the post and in the all purpose gluten free flour blends page that is linked in the recipe card, you must use one of my recommended blends to make this recipe successfully. I recommend against Bob’s Red Mill flour. Better Batter does not have cornstarch in it, Caitlin.
Samuel says
Perfect for making wraps as Nicole said. Great texture and on point, yet another amazing recipe.
Anna says
Hi!!
I found your recipe and I tried. I used sarracin flour for the flour plus the tapioca. It come up twice really gummy that you can’t even manage, it sticks as hell in to the fingers. I had to throw away. Then I tried with coconut flour instead of the sarracin and it came out nicer. However, even that was no sticky, when we tried to put the dough to make the flatbread and shaped to later cook it in the pan we could not make it. It was breaking in pieces, it didn’t had any consistency at all. So again, we had to throw it away.
Why do you think this is happening? I use every step of your recipe and every ingredient. You did not state that is necessary any special kind of gluten free flour, just a gluten free flour right? I used two different ones and seems none is working. Looking forward to hear from you. I am so looking to make this flatbreads.
Nicole Hunn says
Anna, recipes are formulas. Even the best gluten free recipes must use appropriate flours. None of those is an all purpose gluten free flour blend. Every time I have “all purpose gluten free flour” as an ingredient, I link to a page that discusses what blends and where to use, extensively. Please click there and read the whole page and read this post. It discusses the need for specificity, and explains precisely what I mean. That’s why food bloggers have long posts.
Mimi says
Oh my gosh, this is my new favorite gluten free flatbread/wrap, it’s the perfect mix of light and chewy. My dough was soft but still rolled out beautifully with the additional tapioca starch. 5 out of 5 as usual!
Nicole Hunn says
I’m so glad, Mimi! I feel like this is one of those recipes that sneaks up on you. It’s not filling a need you necessarily already knew you had, but once you make it, you get it!
Amanda Marie says
I am on the aip paleo diet and can’t have nuts or dairy. Can I use coconut milk? Also can I use cassava flour?
Nicole Hunn says
I’m familiar with cassava flour, Amanda, and I know the 1:1 claims they make. They’re simply not true. Gluten free baking requires gluten free recipes that are developed for particular types of flours. You cannot use cassava flour here, or in any of my other recipes that aren’t designed for it.
Pauline N. says
Not specific to this recipe, but some call for Ultratex 3. I have found Ultratex 8 fairly easily, but wonder if you could tell me if the amount used needs to be adjusted? Thanks.
Nicole Hunn says
I’m afraid I don’t know, Pauline, but I suspect that it is 8 times as strong as Expandex (in my experiments, Ultratex 3 is 3 times stronger, which I’ve accounted for). Eight times stronger would be extremely significant and make it much more difficult to use effectively for a number of reasons. I don’t recommend trying.