Air Fryer Recipe
Flatbread
A delicious and easy-to-make flatbread recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 2 cups plain flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup warm water
Method
- In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, and baking powder.
- Add the olive oil and warm water to the dry ingredients.
- Stir the mixture until a soft dough forms. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach the desired consistency.
- Knead the dough on a floured surface until it becomes smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes.
- Divide the dough into small balls about the size of a golf ball.
- Use a rolling pin to flatten each ball into a round flatbread.
- Preheat your air fryer to 180°C (350°F).
- Place the flatbreads in the air fryer basket in a single layer.
- Air fry each flatbread for 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway through, until golden brown and cooked through.
Why this works in an air fryer
Warm water hydrates the flour so gluten can form during kneading, giving the flatbreads bend rather than brittleness. Baking powder adds a little lift, while olive oil coats some flour proteins for tenderness. The air fryer’s fast convection dries and browns the surface quickly, so thin, evenly rolled dough cooks before it turns tough.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 4-5 litre basket that fits one 15-18 cm flatbread at a time without overlap; in a single-drawer model cook in batches and keep cooked breads under a tea towel, while dual-zone fryers may need 1 extra minute because each smaller drawer has less heat reserve.
Common pitfalls
- Flatbread puffing into a hard bubble by minute 2? Roll it slightly thinner and prick once or twice with a fork; trapped steam is lifting an uneven sheet of dough.
- Pale, floury patches after 4 minutes? Brush off excess bench flour before cooking and add 30-60 seconds; dry loose flour shields the surface from browning.
- Cracker-like and snapping when folded? The dough was too dry or over-floured during rolling; next batch should feel soft and slightly tacky before dusting lightly to roll.
- Dark spots but a doughy centre? The bread is too thick for the air fryer heat to penetrate; roll to about 2-3 mm and reduce the temperature to 170°C if browning races ahead.
Variations & substitutions
- Swap up to half the plain flour for wholemeal flour; it absorbs more water, so add an extra teaspoon or two of warm water and expect a slightly denser, nuttier bread.
- Add 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs, cumin seeds, or nigella seeds to the dry mix; the cook time stays similar, but seeds on the surface may toast faster.
- Replace the olive oil with melted butter for a softer, richer flatbread; brush any extra on after cooking rather than before to avoid premature browning.
- Use Greek yoghurt in place of half the water for a tangier, more tender dough; it browns a little quicker, so check from 3 minutes.
Storage & reheating
Keep cooled flatbreads wrapped for up to 2 days at room temperature or freeze for 2 months, then reheat in the air fryer at 160°C for 1-2 minutes from chilled or 3-4 minutes from frozen.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
