The Easiest Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe You Need in Your Life (dairy-free + vegan, too!) (2024)

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An easy gluten-free flatbread recipe (naan) that only takes 5 ingredients to make. It’s done in 35 minutes and can be eaten as a side with curry, or used as the base for pizza, gyros, or your favorite wrap.

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The Easiest Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe You Need in Your Life (dairy-free + vegan, too!) (1)
The Easiest Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe You Need in Your Life (dairy-free + vegan, too!) (2)
The Easiest Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe You Need in Your Life (dairy-free + vegan, too!) (3)

This gluten free naan bread recipe should probably come with a warning label.

Like…

Carbs will be extremely easy to consume label.

Or, you will eat so much bread label.

This gluten-free naan bread recipe is easy and results in a super tasty, soft, bendable, and versatile flatbread.

All you’ll need is a handful of ingredients (five ingredients, to be exact) and you’re on your way to the most delicious naan bread ever.

The Easiest Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe You Need in Your Life (dairy-free + vegan, too!) (4)

What baking ingredients do you need?

This is the best bread recipe because you only need five ingredients, and one of them is water.

Here’s what you need:

A good gluten free flour blend, salt, water, cane sugar, and yeast.

That’s it.

Ok, and oil for the pan, but that doesn’t really count, does it?

What kind of flour is best

The Easiest Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe You Need in Your Life (dairy-free + vegan, too!) (5)

Since there are so few ingredients in this bread, it’s important to use good ones, especially the flour! Not all gluten free flours are created equal. My favorite gluten free flour to use is this homemade blend.

If you want to use a pre-made bend, I like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1, Pamela’s All-purpose, and King Arthur’s Measure for Measure. Mostly, I just advise against gluten-free flours that contain garbanzo beans, or chickpea flour. It has a distinctly “gluten free taste” that is, in a word, nasty (to me ;)).

You can use any gluten-free all-purpose blend that you like, of course! Do not use plain rice flour, almond flour, or coconut flour. Even though they are gluten free, you want to use a flour blend so that the naan is soft and flexible. This requires starch and some sort of gum for the best texture.

Jump over to this recipe for my gluten free flour blend that has a great ratio of grain, starch, and gum. Then come on back. I’ll wait.

The Easiest Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe You Need in Your Life (dairy-free + vegan, too!) (6)

Gluten free naan doesn’t mean dry

This gluten free naan recipe is actually quite soft and bendable, just like the naan bread I remember eating at a restaurant in my pre-gluten-free life time. It has beautiful chew, especially hot off the pan.

I really like to brush on some oil as soon as I take these off the griddle and wrap them in a damp cloth to keep them warm.
These are best the first day, but can be refrigerated or frozen after cooking and reheated as needed.

What to eat with your gluten free naan bread

The Easiest Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe You Need in Your Life (dairy-free + vegan, too!) (7)

I like to make these…well…whenever I can justify it.

Here are some ideas for what to eat this gluten free naan bread with, just to get you started:

  • Side with Chicken Tikka Masala
  • Crust for open faced “grilled cheese” (with carmelized onions)
  • Wrap for Greek gyros
  • Falafel wraps with goat cheese
  • Crust for mini pizzas

How to roll out gluten free naan bread

Gluten free bread is notoriously sticky. It’s very much like working with a thick batter rather than regular (wheat-based) dough. While this easy bread is not nearly as batter-like as this delicious gluten free sandwich bread, it is still on the sticky side.

You can do one of two methods:

  1. Use gf flour/starch to roll out the naan.
  2. Use water on your hands to press the naan.

If you choose to use the water method, you’ll re-wet your hands and you’ll have to press the dough right onto the hot griddle. This is not great for beginner bakers.

Ya have to work fast and have no fear of getting burned.

You’ll also want to have an oiled cooking surface, no matter which method you go with.

The Easiest Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe You Need in Your Life (dairy-free + vegan, too!) (8)

Yield: 8-12

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Additional Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

An easy gluten-free flatbread recipe (naan) that only takes 5 ingredients to make. It's done in 35 minutes and can be eaten as a side with curry, or used as the base for pizza, gyros, or your favorite wrap.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups gluten free flour blend
  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon cane sugar or honey
  • 1 packet dry yeast (or 2 1/4 teaspoons dry yeast)

Instructions

  1. In a measuring bowl, add warm water (about 110 degrees F, not too hot) and stir in sugar to dissolve it slightly. Gently stir in the yeast and allow mixture to proof for 5 minutes, getting nice and bubbly.
  2. While the yeast is proofing, combine flour and salt in the bowl of a mixer. I like to use my KitchenAid stand mixer, but you can mix this by hand in a large mixing bowl as well.
  3. Once yeast is done proofing, add it to the flour and mix it until smooth and fully incorporated.
  4. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and cover the dough with plastic wrap or a reusable silicone cover.
  5. Allow to rise in a warm spot for 20-25 minutes. If you're in a hurry, you can shorten the time, but this will create a denser flatbread.
  6. Heat a griddle or large pan to 400 degrees F. Lightly grease the pan with a high heat oil like coconut or grapeseed.
  7. To make your naan, lightly flour a flat surface and scoop 1-4 to 1/2 cup worth of dough into the center. Flour the top of the dough ball and your hands and then use your hands to roll it into a ball.
  8. Place the round dough ball back on the floured counter and dust the top again with flour. Use a rolling pin or smooth round glass to roll out the naan until it's 1/2 thick.
  9. Use a flat spatula to help pick up the rolled dough and place it on the hot griddle.
  10. Repeat with the rest of the dough.
  11. Cook the naan on each side for 2-4 minutes, until puffy and opaque.
  12. An alternate method is to roll the dough with wet hands. To do this, wet your hands and take a large golf-ball sized piece of dough. Roll it into a ball and then flatten slightly before putting it on the hot griddle and quickly flattening with your hands.

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

The Easiest Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe You Need in Your Life (dairy-free + vegan, too!) (9)
The Easiest Gluten Free Flatbread Recipe You Need in Your Life (dairy-free + vegan, too!) (2024)

FAQs

What is the trick to making good gluten free bread? ›

Tips and Techniques to make better Gluten Free Bread
  1. Use psyllium husk powder.
  2. Let the dough rest (not exactly the same as a bulk proof)
  3. Mix or knead thoroughly.
  4. Use less yeast.
  5. Bake in a tin with tall sides.
  6. Bake for longer, often at a lower temperature.
  7. Create steam in the oven.
  8. Use the tangzhong or scalded flour method.

Why is gluten free bread so hard to make? ›

Gluten free bread takes much longer than a regular loaf to bake and therefore a sticky crumb is generally the result of under baking. It is easy to see why this can happen, gluten free bread dough needs more moisture and is often difficult to knead with conventional methods.

Can vegans eat flatbread? ›

The less processed bread is, the higher the likelihood it's vegan. Moreover, flatbreads, savory, or dry types of bread are more likely to be vegan, whereas fluffier brioche-types often contain dairy, eggs, or both, making them non-vegan.

Is naan vegan or vegetarian? ›

Unfortunately, the majority of naan isn't suitable for vegans as they often contain ghee (clarified butter), yoghurt, milk or even eggs. However, it's not impossible to find vegan-friendly naan in supermarkets, it's just worth double-checking ingredients lists.

What is the biggest challenge of making gluten-free bread? ›

One of the challenges is that when gluten-free dough is thickened with additives like starches and gums, it becomes sticky. Some bakers dust sticky dough with flour, but that's problematic with gluten-free formulations.

What flour is best for gluten-free bread? ›

What's the best gluten-free flour for baking? Bob's Red Mill gluten-free 1-to-1 baking mix is my favorite gluten-free all-purpose flour blend for baking. It has a mild texture and plenty of "stick" thanks to a blend of sweet rice flour, brown rice flour, and sorghum flour, plus some starches and xanthan gum.

Which yeast is best for gluten-free bread? ›

What type of yeast should be used to bake Gluten Free Bread? Active dry yeast and instant yeast both work well and are often interchangeable. Be on the lookout for any Rapid Rise yeast that is best for one rise. For most of us that's the way gluten free bread is baked, a single rise in the tin.

What is the trick to baking with gluten-free flour? ›

Gluten-free flours often contain fine starches, so they absorb more liquid than conventional flour. To address this, gluten-free recipes usually call for more liquid and produce looser batters. They may also call for a larger quantity of leavening, like baking powder, to help add volume and lighten the texture.

What is the hardest thing to make gluten-free? ›

Aaron Reed, senior food technologist, Cargill, echoed that bread is the hardest product to replicate when developing a gluten-free product. To help maintain loaf form, he suggested using setting ingredients, such as egg whites or other proteins, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose or methylcellulose.

Can vegans eat peanut butter? ›

The bottom line. Most types of peanut butter are free of animal products and can be enjoyed as part of a vegan diet. However, some varieties are made in facilities that also process animal products or contain refined sugar that was produced using bone char or non-vegan ingredients like honey or fish oil.

Do vegans eat sourdough bread? ›

Is sourdough bread vegan? Yes, sourdough bread is generally vegan-friendly as it has very few ingredients, all of which are vegan – bread flour, water salt, and sometimes sugar.

What bread is always vegan? ›

Vegans can eat bread that does not contain animal products or byproducts. This includes breads that only use some variation on flour, water, yeast, and salt including ciabatta, baguette, focaccia, sourdough, pita, and ezekiel breads.

Can vegans eat rice? ›

Yes, absolutely! Rice is a common grain in all cooking and has a significant place in the plant-based world too. Some rice dishes may not be suitable for vegans though, so if you're eating out or following a recipe make sure there are no meat, fish or other animal products being used before you tuck in!

Can vegans eat hummus? ›

Hummus is a vegan staple that allows you to have some versatility in your diet. It's an immensely popular food amongst vegans so you may have found a new favourite yourself. It's available in a wide range of flavours and is very versatile in the kitchen so you can experiment with it if you wish to.

Can vegans eat yeast? ›

Although yeast is technically alive—it's a single-celled organism that metabolizes food into energy—it's no more an animal than other fungi such as mushrooms. Therefore, yeast is generally accepted as part of a vegan diet.

What makes gluten free bread better? ›

Gluten-free bread lets you enjoy bread without the risk of causing harm to your intestines. And when you swap out white flour for a gluten-free alternative, it might make your bread healthier in certain ways. Other flours often have nutrients you wouldn't get with white flour.

Why is my homemade gluten free bread so dense? ›

There are a few common reasons why your gluten-free bread may be turning out dense: Insufficient Leavening: Yeast or baking powder creates air pockets in the dough, allowing it to rise and become light. If you don't use enough leavening agents, your bread will not have enough gas bubbles to create that airy texture.

Why add vinegar to gluten free bread? ›

The addition of vinegar and sour cream helps the dough to be a bit more flexible when rolling out and also to brown slightly more easily when baked in the oven. Rice wine vinegar doesn't have a strong taste so it is useful for this dough, but it can be replaced with other acids.

References

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