Laffa Bread is a traditional Middle Eastern bread that is easy to make at home, right on the stove top, and has so much more character than plain pita bread. You’ll return to this easy flatbread recipe again and again for serving with hummus, or making wrap sandwiches.
First up, I don’t get this aggressive very often, but … don’t lose track of this post! Pin it, bookmark it, memorize it, do whatever you need to do to make sure you don’t lose it before you make this amazing bread. Make it once and you’ll be making it forever, it’s that good.
Everybody knows that homemade hummus is the way to go. It’s so easy and it’s so much better than even the best stuff you can buy. But the real star of this post is the bread you serve with it. Laffa bread is a middle eastern bread that is thicker and chewier than pita. It’s used to wrap meats like kebabs and shawarma in food stands. It’s super popular in Israel and Palestine, and it’s perfect for scooping up hummus. Once you taste laffa bread you’ll never go back to pita again.
The bread dough rises for about an hour, then gets formed into individual pieces, rests for 10 minutes and then gets rolled out and cooked quickly on a griddle.
I find it amazing that so many different breads have such unique characteristics even though they start out with the same simple ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, sugar, water and oil. This bread cooks in just a couple of minutes, and is chewy and very elastic. It’s not a fussy bread—it rolls out easily and the shape isn’t important, you’re going to be ripping it apart anyway.
TIP: The scorch marks give this bread it’s characteristic look as well as a nice grilled flavor, so make sure your grill pan is nice and hot!
You may want to try homemade pita bread, too. I’ll show you How to Make Perfect Pita Bread Every Time.
Ingredients
- 7 cups unbleached bread flour plus another ½ cup in case the dough is little to sticky
- 1 package dry rapid rise yeast
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 cups of warm water
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 15 ounce can of chickpeas, drained and well rinsed
- 2-3 Tbsp tahini sauce
- juice of 1 lemon
- salt and pepper to taste
- olive oil and toasted pine nuts for garnish
Instructions
- Laffa Bread: Combine the dry ingredients. Add the oil and water and if you are using a food processor process for about 60 seconds until a very smooth, soft, and slightly sticky ball forms. If using a mixer, mix with the dough hook until the dough is very smooth, soft and elastic. If making by hand; after you add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients, mix by hand in the bowl for a few moments until well combined and coming together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about ten minutes until smooth and elastic.
- In all cases after the kneading, place the dough in an oiled bowl and loosely cover with plastic wrap. Then cover the bowl with a tea towel and place it in a draft free warm corner so the dough may rise. In about an hour, when the dough has doubled or more, punch the dough down. Divide the dough into 10-12 equal balls, and then roll the balls until smooth. Place the balls on an oiled cookie sheet. Cover them with a damp tea towel and let the dough balls rest for about ten minutes. Resting makes the dough easier to roll out.
- Pre-heat a grill pan to medium. I found that the large non stick grill pan was the easiest to work with. Take a ball of dough in your hands and flatten it out on an oiled wood surface. Roll it out with a rolling pin or use your hands. Make a circle about 12 inches in diameter and place the Laffa on the hot grill surface. When you see the edges looking dry and the bread is poofing up turn it over. Laffa only takes a few minutes to grill. Place the finished Laffas in between some kitchen towels to keep warm.
- Hummus: Put the garlic and chickpeas in a food processor or blender and process for 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as necessary. the mixture will be very dry at this point.
- Add in the tahini and lemon juice and processes until smooth. Add a little bit of cold water the thin the hummus if it is very thick.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper, and add more tahini or lemon if you like. Spoon the hummus into a shallow bowl and top with a drizzle of olive oil and some toasted pine nuts.
notes:
- I am so happy with this recipe, it turns out the perfect laffa bread. I used my kitchenaid mixer with the dough hook and it was great. Even here in February in New England, the warmth from a sunny window rose the dough beautifully. My bread cooked for about 2 minutes on the first side and just a scant minute on the other. I recommend really pre-heating your griddle well.
- This recipe makes 10-12 individual loaves so I froze half the dough in a heavy weight zip lock baggie after the initial rise.
Thanks for pinning!
48 Comments
Brenda in TX
December 3, 2018 at 5:52 pmFound it!
It was missing though…Internet quirk. CRAZY
Sue
December 3, 2018 at 7:36 pmWe’re at the mercy of technology :/
Brenda in TX
December 3, 2018 at 5:36 pmThis is crazy—I must be blind, but i’ve reread this post 3 times and can not view the real recipe. Did it disappear?
Sue
December 3, 2018 at 5:42 pmI just had a momentary malfunction, should be there now!
Karen Lang
November 18, 2018 at 1:40 pmAfter you cook it how long will it stay fresh? I want to bring this to a thanksgiving dinner but would like to make the bread a day or two before.
Sue
November 18, 2018 at 4:56 pmThis type of bread is best fresh, Karen, and doesn’t keep super long. But I would guess if you wrap it well it should last a couple of days.
Kate
October 16, 2018 at 4:50 pmI’m not sure if I didn’t have my grill hot enough or the dough was wrong or what exactly, but I waited and waited for the puffing up and the grill marks that never happened. I eventually just turned the bread over when the edges were dry, but it was still a little doughy in some places. The day was saved by cooking the rest in a hot cast iron pan instead.
Sue
October 16, 2018 at 4:57 pmThe grill should be really hot, Kate, and maybe roll the dough a little thinner?
Jennie
September 18, 2018 at 10:22 pmThanks Sue I’ll give it a go, love your recipes thanks for sharing
Jennie
Jennie
September 18, 2018 at 12:55 pmHi Sue
I would like to make these and your pitta bread recipe,
Do you think you could use a bread maker on the dough cycle to make the dough? I don’t have a stand mixer or food processor. Thank you
Jennie
Sue
September 18, 2018 at 1:26 pmI don’t see why not, and you can certainly make the dough by hand!
Joanna
September 6, 2018 at 1:00 pmHi Sue
When you say bread flour, do you mean wholemeal? I have 80% wholemeal wheat flour and I wonder if it’s fine for laffa. What do you reckon?
Joanna
Sue
September 6, 2018 at 2:25 pmI use actual ‘bread flour’ that just has extra gluten which makes it better for bread making. You can use wholemeal flour, I’m sure, it just might not have as stretchy a texture in the end.
Hara
October 8, 2016 at 8:55 amThis was SO good! It’s a bit of a procedure, but oh was it worth it! They tasted and felt exactly like the ones I had tried in a great hummus bar long ago. Thank you so much Sue!
Sue
October 8, 2016 at 11:35 amYou’re so welcome Hara, I do love this recipe! We discovered it at a hummus bar, too, and I’m so glad I’m able to make it for myself :) Enjoy!
Gail Maddick
May 18, 2016 at 10:06 amI’ve used this recipe many times having bookmarked it as suggested. I am doing something wrong as I now can’t find the hummus recipe?
Sue
May 18, 2016 at 10:26 amI think I took it out inadvertently when I updated the post, I just put it back in, thanks Gail!
Nancy Long
January 3, 2016 at 12:18 pmwhy can I not cut and paste this???? have never had a problem with your recipes before!
Nancy Long
January 3, 2016 at 12:26 pmfinally got it
Sue
January 3, 2016 at 2:51 pmI’m glad you got it Nancy, that kind of stuff baffles me ;)
Foodiewife
November 16, 2015 at 9:36 amHi Sue,
I’m on a Greek salad kick, because a new “fast food” place opened up at our mall. They serve pita bread with it. I figured out their awesome salad dressing, but now I want to make a bread to go with it. They serve pita bread with it, but this recipe looks like what I’m looking for (plus, it looks easy). Question: You say you freeze half the dough. Since I’m cooking for two, how do you you use it. I assume you thaw it, then shape it, let it rise and continue on? Just wanted to make sure. Great post and thank you in advance! Debby.
Sue
November 16, 2015 at 9:48 amWell Debby I’m sorry to say it’s been so long since I’ve made this bread that I don’t clearly remember at what point I froze the dough, but I think your method sounds right. I do remember that the bread is fabulous, though — good luck!
Marti Hall
August 23, 2015 at 8:57 pmThis bread is our go-to for school lunches. We make a double or triple batch (sometimes with half whole-wheat flour) and my kids take them in their lunches with all sorts of fillings; hummus, cream cheese and veggies, even peanut butter!!
I cannot tell you how many times we have made this recipe!
aanrechtblad
June 28, 2015 at 12:47 amNice information, valuable and excellent design, as share good stuff with good ideas and concepts, lots of great information and inspiration, both of which I need, thanks to offer such a helpful information here.
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Sheri Montgomery
March 1, 2014 at 7:51 pmTried both of these tonight and they were amazing! Even my husband loved them and he’s never been a hummus fan. I’ve been intimidated by making hummus until this recipe. Thanks so very much.
Sue
March 2, 2014 at 6:38 amI’m so glad Sheri — I was thrilled when I discovered that I could make my own laffa bread! Glad we could convert your husband ;)
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Mamie
August 27, 2013 at 7:29 pmCannot overemphasize the importance of removing the skins from the garbanzos. Takes some effort, but so totally worth it. This is the key to the silky smoothy-iness of authentic hummus. Might include some fresh flatleaf parsley because the two go together. Totally crushing on the flatbread.
R
March 1, 2013 at 1:29 amGreat pictures! How big is your grill pan?
Sylvie @ Gourmande in the Kitchen
February 14, 2012 at 4:15 amOh goodness that bread looks good!
grace
February 13, 2012 at 12:38 pmif you refuse to toot your own horn, i’ll do it for you–great recipes! the bread of middle eastern cuisine is my favorite, and hummus is a staple of chez grace. :)
Kulsum@JourneyKitchen
February 13, 2012 at 12:24 pmohhh i can survive on hummus and bread for atleast a week, love it so much!
From Beyond My Kitchen Window
February 13, 2012 at 11:33 amOh yum!! I love the look of both the hummus and the bread. I bet the bread would be awesome done on the outdoor grill too. I will most definitely be trying both of these recipes.
Magnolia Verandah
February 12, 2012 at 11:59 pmOh yes! my kind of comfort food, a perfect dip.
freerangegirl
February 12, 2012 at 11:45 pmToot and pat! I think you have every right to be proud, these look perfect!
Stephanie
February 12, 2012 at 11:04 pmThis hummus looks so rich and flavorful. I’m ashamed to admit I’ve never tried my hand at a homemade variety but your picture is certainly convincing me to just go for it. I love a good hummus; such a nice snack to nibble on.
Sarah (Snippets of Thyme)
February 13, 2012 at 2:47 amI love love love hummus! I could eat hummus and pita, or your laffa bread, any day in place of ice cream! No comparison to the store bought stuff is certainly the truth. I love just about anything in hummus.
Velva
February 12, 2012 at 11:57 pmThis looks amazing…Love it. Fresh hummus and naan bread-delicious.
Velva
Rolling Pin Claire
February 12, 2012 at 9:03 pmYou’re on fire these days. Love your homemade nutella, then your tahini. Now this hummous is fab. Well done you! Love your blog
Amy
February 12, 2012 at 6:29 pmOh this is so great. I have been on a realll big middle eastern kick lately (what? I have no idea why), and this looks perfect. I infinitely prefer pita when there’s no “pocket”–I like them thicker and chewier, and I always make them that way. Maybe they’ve always just been laffa? Oh well, I really want to try out both your hummus and laffa recipe, they look so good. Thanks for the post Sue!
Heather @girlichef.com
February 12, 2012 at 5:59 pmSometimes, you just can’t help but setting your own horn off…when you’re so excited about something…it can’t be contained! I understand! And rightfully so with this post. You’re so right about homemade hummus – it cannot be beat. I remember when I started making my own, hubs and I wanted it for every meal. I packed it up and shared it with my mom and she was flabbergasted (since she’d only eaten store-bought). Ha! Now, Laffa bread on the other hand, I haven’t made or even tried. But I know I need to remedy that soon, just your description and photos have me itching to make some. YUMMY post :D
annie
February 12, 2012 at 4:46 pmOh wow…this looks so good! Home made hummus with your tahini and that bread…YUM!
Steph@TheChickpeaChickadee
February 12, 2012 at 4:18 pmThis looks divine. The hummus looks creamy and delicious. I don’t normally bake bread, but I’m going to have to try your Laffa Bread recipe. Love the grill marks on the bread. Great food styling by the way. Consider this one pinned!
yummychunklet
February 12, 2012 at 2:54 pmWow. Absolutely delicious looking and impressive!
Mary
February 12, 2012 at 2:47 pmThis is awesome, girl! I so want to sit at your table. Well, maybe not for Valentines Day, but in general, I would love to. I haven’t heard of laffa bread before, is it similar to naan? I’ve had that on my list to try for ages now. This looks so delicious. I’ve tried making hummus several times and I haven’t liked any of it. I’m off to search for a hummus recipe here now. Thanks!
Valerie
February 12, 2012 at 2:34 pmThis looks so delicious…garlicky and creamy and irresistible! (I could see myself eating this hummus by the spoonful.) :D