Sourdough Flatbread Recipe with Active Starter

Last Updated on January 8, 2025 by TheFarmChicken

This flatbread is a pleasant surprise. Not only is it jam packed with good for you ingredients, but it is also very good! You can feel good about fueling your body with these fermented sourdough flatbreads. I wrote the recipe to use active starter to ensure a good ferment on the grains, but you can use sourdough discard too if you would like.

If you make this Sourdough Flatbread Recipe with an Active Starter you will be able to use them for your lunch wraps, a taco night or they would even work with cheese melted in them to serve with tomato soup. Really any way that you use real bread you should be able to substitute one of these delicious sourdough flatbreads. In a pinch they could also be used to make a simple flatbread pizza.

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What is sourdough/ sourdough starter and how do I get started?

If you are looking to get started with sourdough, be sure to check out these resources, Learning Sourdough with Agnes and How to Use a Sourdough Starter.

If you would like to start sourdough more quickly you can buy some dehydrated sourdough starter and rehydrate it. You can check out my dehydrated sourdough starter, Agnes, in my Farm Goods store.

Using Sourdough Flatbread for Pizza Crust

Making a sourdough flatbread pizza is simple.

Take the cooked flatbread.
Spread pizza sauce on the top of the flatbread
Finish with your favorite pizza toppings.
Place on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes at 400 degrees or until it is melted and golden brown.

A great way to make a meal in a pinch.

Ways to Enjoy this Sourdough Flatbread:

Grilled Cheese
Sandwich fillings inside
Tacos-Loved them used for this!
Chips to dip in things or as crackers.
As a garlic bread with butter, garlic powder and parmesan cheese on top. Melt it all in the oven.

The Simple Ingredients You Need to Make Sourdough Flatbread

Active Sourdough Starter- you can also use sourdough discard, but I like using the active and bubbling sourdough starter to get a good fermentation on the flour.
Buttermilk– Buttermilk does so much for the flavor and is great for making these and my sourdough tortillas.
Olive Oil– I like using olive oil for this flatbread. I usually worry about the food tasting too much like olive oil, but this was NOT the case for this recipe!
Water- I usually use a distilled or filtered, room temperature water.
Sea Salt– Just a little salt for flavor.
Quick Oats– Quick oats are still considered a whole grain, and they incorporate easier into this flatbread recipe then the old-fashioned oats that haven’t been broken down
Rye Flour– So good! The rye flour not only brings nutrients to this flatbread but also so much flavor!
Whole Wheat Flour– Another nutrient rich ingredient that gives the flatbread a wholesome and delicious flavor.
All-purpose flour or Bread Flour– Acting as a neutral the regular flour is the perfect base.

Other Sourdough Recipes to Try:

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Sourdough Flatbread Recipe with Active Starter

160g active sourdough starter, or discard
120g buttermilk
25g olive oil or vegetable oil
220g water
75g quick oats
100g rye flour
100g whole wheat flour
200g all-purpose or bread flour
10g sea salt

In a large mixing bowl measure out the buttermilk, sourdough starter, olive oil and water. Mix this together until combined with your hand or a dough whisk.
Next, add the quick oats, rye flour, whole wheat flour, and all purpose or bread flour to the large bowl. Mix this until you have a shaggy dough and then let rest for 30 minutes covered with a tea towel.
After the 30 minutes add the salt and knead for 6 minutes until the dough has come together.
Cover with plastic wrap or a bowl cover and refrigerate overnight or 12-16 hours.

The Next Day:

When you are ready to roll out the flatbread take the dough from the fridge and place on a clean work surface.
Divide the sourdough flatbread dough, with a bench scraper, into 10 or 12 equal pieces depending on the size of flatbread you would like. (The ones pictured are divided into 10 pieces – roughly 125g each.)
Once you have the dough divided take and roll the dough into a ball aside. I just place mine to the side of my workspace while I finish rolling the rest of the pieces.

Cooking the Flatbread:

Preheat your griddle, or cast iron skillet, to a medium-high heat 5 minutes before you are ready to start frying your flatbread.
Taking one ball at a time roll out the flatbread on a lightly floured surface. I like to roll them out slightly thicker than you would a tortilla. I prefer to roll them into rectangles, but you can also do circles if you prefer.
Cook on the hot skillet or griddle on each side 2-3 minutes or until it is cooked through, and you have nice brown speckles on your flat bread.
Move to a tea towel and cover, adding to the stack as you make more.
Finish all the dough balls and enjoy!
You can enjoy right away or place in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Simply remove from freezer and either warm in the microwave or place on the griddle to warm back up.

Ingredients

160 g active sourdough starter or discard
120 g buttermilk
25 g olive oil or vegetable oil
220 g water
75 g quick oats
100 g rye flour
100 g whole wheat flour
200 g all-purpose or bread flour
10 g sea salt

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, measure out the buttermilk, sourdough starter, olive oil and water. Mix this together until combined with your hand or a dough whisk.
Next, add the quick oats, rye flour, whole wheat flour, and all purpose or bread flour to the large bowl. Mix this until you have a shaggy dough and then let rest for 30 minutes covered with a tea towel.
After the 30 minutes add the salt and knead for 6 minutes until the dough has come together.
Cover with plastic wrap or a bowl cover and refrigerate overnight or 12-16 hours.

The Next Day:

When you are ready to roll out the flatbread take the dough from the fridge and place on a clean work surface.
Divide the sourdough flatbread dough, with a bench scraper, into 10 or 12 equal pieces depending on the size of flatbread you would like. (The ones pictured are divided into 10 pieces – roughly 125g each.)
Once you have the dough divided take and roll the dough into a ball aside. I just place mine to the side of my workspace while I finish rolling the rest of the pieces.
Preheat your griddle, or cast iron skillet, to a medium-high heat 5 minutes before you are ready to start frying your flatbread.
Taking one ball at a time roll out the flatbread on a lightly floured surface. I like to roll them out slightly thicker than you would a tortilla. I prefer to roll them into rectangles, but you can also do circles if you prefer.
Cook on the hot skillet or griddle on each side 2-3 minutes or until it is cooked through, and you have nice brown speckles on your flat bread.
Move to a tea towel and cover, adding to the stack as you make more.
Finish all the dough balls and enjoy!
You can enjoy right away or place in a freezer bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Simply remove from freezer and either warm in the microwave or place on the griddle to warm back up.

Servings: 10 flatbreads

flatbread used as grilled cheese and tomato soup

I hope you enjoy making this easy sourdough flatbread recipe with active starter. You can make it with an active starter or make it as a sourdough discard flatbread; either would work. I loved using these for grilled cheese, as a wrap for lunch or on taco night topped with sour cream! So good! I’m hoping to share a pita bread recipe with you soon! The ferment and the extra grains added to these flatbreads make it so good and good for you! Let me know what delicious ways you like to use them and comment below with any questions. Thank you for stopping by TheFarmChicken.

Happy Sourdough Baking,

Mariah Nienhuis | TheFarmChicken

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
Psalms 103: 12

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Frequently Asked Questions:

Is flatbread healthy?

Really, just like regular bread, it has to do with the nutrients put into the bread. This flatbread is healthier than most because of the addition of rye flour, whole wheat flour and oats. More whole foods usually means more nutrients which you guessed it makes it a healthier choice.

What to eat with sourdough flatbread?

There are so many options. Try with hummus, soups, sandwiches or try as a flatbread pizzas.

Can you eat flatbread on its own?

Yes! It makes for a delicious stand-alone snack. Think of it like a cracker. Enjoy!