Flatbread

Flatbread

Homemade flatbread
Type Bread
Main ingredients Flour, water, salt
Cookbook:Flatbread  Flatbread

A flatbread is a bread made with flour, water and salt, and then thoroughly rolled into flattened dough. Many flatbreads are unleavened—made without yeast—although some are slightly leavened, such as pita bread.

There are many other optional ingredients that flatbreads may contain, such as curry powder, diced jalapeños, chili powder, or black pepper. Olive oil or sesame oil may be added as well. Flatbreads can range from one millimeter to a few centimeters thick.

Flatbread was already known in Ancient Egypt and Sumer. In ancient Mesopotamia (modern day Iraq), the Sumerians discovered that edible grains could be mashed into a paste and then baked/hardened into a flatbread.

Jewish matza eaten on Passover

Unleavened breads (such as matzoh which is not prepared with leavening agents) are usually flatbreads and hold special religious significance to adherents of Judaism and Christianity.

List of flatbreads

Europe, Central and West Asia

Afghan bread
Georgian Tonis Puri

Middle East and Africa

Different types of pita, Mahane Yehuda marketplace, Jerusalem

South and East Asia

A selection of Tajik non (naan)

Americas

Preparing tortillas

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Flatbread.
  1. Sanchuisanda is described in "Peoples of China's Far Provinces", by Wong How-Man, National Geographic, March 1984.