If you have ever had a proper shawarma or falafel wrap and wondered about that big, soft, blistered bread holding it all together, this is it. Laffa bread is a large Middle-Eastern flatbread - soft, chewy and completely pocket-less - and it is the best wrap there is for loading up with grilled meat, salad and sauce. The good news: you do not need a special oven to make laffa bread at home, just a hot pan and a little patience.
This is the same laffa I make for my chicken shawarma, now written up on its own so it is easy to find. It uses six simple ingredients, the dough does its own thing while it rises, and each bread cooks in a couple of minutes in a hot pan. Once you have made your own warm, floppy laffa, the shop-bought wraps never quite measure up again.
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Pin itWhy You’ll Love This Laffa Bread
- No special equipment. No taboon, no tandoor, no pizza oven - a hot frying or griddle pan on your stove does the job.
- Soft and foldable. Unlike pita, laffa has no pocket, so it wraps around fillings without cracking or splitting.
- Six everyday ingredients. Plain flour, water, oil, yeast, sugar and salt. That is the whole list.
- Make-ahead friendly. The cooked breads freeze beautifully, so you can always have wraps ready to go.
What Is Laffa Bread?
Laffa (also spelled lafah, and sometimes called Iraqi pita) is a large, soft flatbread that comes from the Iraqi-Jewish community and is now a street-food favourite across Israel and the Middle East. Traditionally it is baked by slapping the dough onto the scorching wall of a clay taboon oven. The name comes from an Arabic root meaning “to wrap” - because laffa is the wrapper, not the container.
Laffa vs pita - what is the difference? A pita is small and thin and puffs up in the oven to form a hollow pocket that you stuff. Laffa is much larger (around 30-40 cm across), thicker, chewier and softer, and it has no pocket at all. Instead of stuffing it, you lay the filling on top and roll it into a wrap - which is exactly why it is the bread of choice at shawarma and falafel stands, where it has to hold juicy fillings and sauce without falling apart.
A Closer Look at the Ingredients
- Plain flour The base of the bread. Sieve it for a smooth dough. Plain (all-purpose) flour keeps laffa soft and easy to roll; for a chewier bite you can use bread flour - see the swaps below.
- Lukewarm water Warm, not hot. Start with 240 g and add a splash more only if the dough feels dry. It brings everything together into a smooth, elastic dough.
- Instant yeast The lift. Here it is woken up in the warm water with the sugar first, so you know it is active before it ever meets the flour.
- Olive oil Keeps the crumb soft and pliable and adds a little richness. A neutral oil works fine if that is what you have.
- Sugar and salt A little sugar feeds the yeast and helps it froth; salt seasons the bread and keeps the rise steady.
Ingredient Substitutions
- Plain flour - swap for bread flour if you like a chewier, stretchier bread. Add a splash more water, as bread flour soaks up a little extra.
- A more rustic flavour - replace up to 15% of the flour with wholemeal for a nuttier, taboon-style taste.
- Instant yeast - the same weight of active dry yeast works too. It is already woken up in the water here, so nothing else changes.
- Olive oil - any mild oil (sunflower, vegetable, light rapeseed) works in its place.
Equipment You Will Need
The kit is basic, but a few choices make better bread.
Recipe Card for Laffa Bread
Laffa Bread
Equipment:
- Frying or griddle pan a heavy pan holds the heat best
- Clean tea towel to steam the breads soft
Ingredients:
- 360 g plain flour - sieved, plus extra for dusting
- 240-260 g lukewarm water - start with 240 g and add more only if needed
- 10 g salt
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Instructions:
Make the Dough
- In a bowl, combine the lukewarm water, sugar and instant yeast. Leave to stand for 10 minutes, until frothy.
- Add the sieved flour, salt and olive oil to the yeast mixture. Knead for 5-8 minutes by hand or with a mixer, until smooth and elastic. If the dough feels dry, add a little more water (up to 20 g) a splash at a time.
- Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with a clean towel and leave to prove somewhere warm for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Shape and Cook
- Knock the dough back and divide into 6 equal pieces. Roll into balls and rest on a floured surface for 10 minutes.
- Roll each ball into a large, thin circle. Cook on a medium-high frying or griddle pan for a couple of minutes per side, until puffed and speckled with brown. For a smoky flavour, you can grill them outside instead.
- As each laffa comes off the heat, stack them wrapped in a clean tea towel. The trapped steam keeps them soft and foldable. Serve warm.
Notes:
Nutrition:
Tips for the Best Laffa Bread
- Get the hydration right. Start with 240 g of water and only add more if the dough feels dry. A smooth, slightly soft dough makes a soft, foldable bread.
- Give it a full proof. A full hour, until the dough has doubled, is what makes it easy to roll and keeps the bread soft.
- Medium-high heat, not scorching. A couple of minutes each side is plenty - too hot and the bread chars before it cooks through.
- Do not over-flour when rolling. A light dusting is enough; too much scorches on the pan and toughens the bread.
- Stack them under a tea towel. The trapped steam keeps the breads soft and foldable - this is the single most important trick.
Variations
- Za’atar laffa - brush the rolled dough with olive oil and scatter over za’atar just before it hits the pan.
- Garlic and herb - work a little crushed garlic and chopped parsley into the dough for a fragrant wrap.
- Seeded top - press sesame or nigella seeds onto the surface before cooking for extra crunch.
- Mini laffa - divide into 8 or 10 smaller pieces for snack-sized wraps and quick lunches.
What to Serve With Laffa Bread
Laffa is built for wrapping. It is the classic bread for my chicken shawarma and for falafel - pile the filling down the middle, add salad, pickles, hummus and a drizzle of tahini or garlic sauce, then roll it up tight. Torn into pieces, it is also perfect for scooping up hummus, baba ganoush or a bowl of cool tzatziki, and it makes a lovely soft base for grilled meats and grilled halloumi and aubergine. Serve it warm, straight from the pan.
FAQ for Laffa Bread
What is laffa bread?
Laffa is a large, soft, pocket-less Middle-Eastern flatbread of Iraqi-Jewish origin, traditionally baked in a clay taboon oven. It is thicker and chewier than pita and is used to wrap shawarma, falafel and grilled meats, or torn up to scoop through dips.
What is the difference between laffa and pita?
Pita is smaller and thinner and puffs into a hollow pocket that you stuff. Laffa is much larger, thicker, chewier and has no pocket at all - you lay the filling on top and roll it into a wrap. The name laffa itself means “to wrap”.
Can I make laffa bread without a taboon oven?
Yes - and most people do. A frying or griddle pan on medium-high heat is all you need: cook each rolled round for a couple of minutes a side until it puffs and speckles. A very hot cast-iron pan or a pizza stone gives a more charred, taboon-style finish if you want it. The trick is a hot, dry pan and a quick cook, so the bread cooks through but stays soft.
What do you eat with laffa bread?
Laffa is the classic wrap for shawarma, falafel, grilled chicken and kebabs, loaded with hummus, tahini, salads and pickles. It is also served torn alongside hummus, baba ganoush and grilled vegetables as a scoop, or simply with a drizzle of olive oil and za’atar.
How do I store and reheat laffa bread?
Laffa is best warm and fresh, ideally within a few hours. To keep it going, cool the breads fully and store them in a sealed bag for a day or two, or freeze for up to three months with parchment between each so they do not stick. Reheat straight on a hot dry pan for twenty to thirty seconds, or wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave for a few seconds to bring the softness back.
Why did my laffa turn out dry or stiff?
Usually one of two things: too much flour in the dough, or a pan that was not hot enough. Keep the dough soft and slightly tacky, get the pan properly hot so the bread cooks quickly, and stack the finished breads under a tea towel so the steam keeps them soft and pliable.
A Few Words from the Chef
There is something special about pulling a warm laffa straight off the pan, wrapping it around a pile of hot shawarma, and eating it before it has even had time to cool.
Honestly, making this bread beats any shop-bought flatbread hands down - fresh really is best. Give it one go and the packet wraps never look quite the same again.
If you make a batch I would love to hear how you filled them - tell me in the comments below.
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