As one of the ancient world’s most traditional products, flatbreads offer consumers a lineage of which few other products can compare.
Considered one of the oldest foods in the world, the storied breads radiate an aura of distinctiveness and authenticity yet remain accessible across demographics and dayparts with its handheld and convenient profile. Traditionally baked by direct heat from a tandoor or clay oven, flatbreads continue to be both a vehicle for accompaniment and a product that’s good enough to eat alone. Soft Candy Machine
These simple formulations, representative of a range of lands and cultures, include tortilla, naan, lavash, pita, focaccia and fry bread. Pillowy soft and possessing a gentle chewiness, flatbread is a versatile product offering a range of applications from pizza and sandwiches to salads and sides as well as an accessible application for inclusions.
“Consumers have a back-to-basics mindset, focusing on simple ingredients and fewer processed foods when it comes to premium or specialty products in the deli, bakery or across the entire store,” said Beth Gordon, online marketing and sales manager, Atoria’s Family Bakery, Gilroy, Calif. “They read nutrition labels, ingredient lists and brand stories to inform their purchase decisions.”
Third generation Atoria’s Family Bakery uses a recipe Atoria brought from her home in the Assyrian villages near Mesopotamia. When Grandmother Atoria was unable to find real, authentic flatbreads in America, she started making her own. Continuing the tradition of making real bread with simple ingredients, the bread remains on-trend today more than 30 years later.
Often used as a replacement for buns and other thicker breads, its Whole Grain & Flax Lavash is one of the company’s original and most popular flatbreads. Sold in full and mini sizes, the products are attractive to consumers looking for heart health, blood sugar control and weight management options, according to Gordon. The new Cauliflower & Coconut Mini Lavash was created specifically to provide a lower-carb, lower-calorie option for health-focused shoppers.
Toufayan, Ridgefield, N.J., began introducing the then-unknown pocketed pita bread to deli, supermarket and health food store buyers in New Jersey after founder Harry Toufayan, an American Baking Hall of Fame inductee, immigrated to America from Egypt in the 1960s. After introducing pita bread, naan was the company’s first ethnic flatbread. Today, the company offers a range of flatbreads including pita with a multigrain version that’s naturally vegan, Lavash-Plus, a flatbread with 6g of protein, tandoori, tortillas, wraps and a Mediterranean-style flatbread with 8g of protein.
Decades later, bakeries still have the pleasure of introducing flatbreads to new audiences. Byblos Bakery, Calgary, Alb., works with local schools to demonstrate the different ways of eating pita. The “For Pita’s Sake” program teaches eating habits consistent with Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating. Through the programming, which works in conjunction with school health curriculum, schoolchildren learn how to use pita bread to create a quick meal or snack.
What’s old is becoming new with Toronto-based startup FGF, which is taking flatbreads to a new level. Calling itself “a technology company that bakes,” FGF is looking to reinvent the way great food is made with a product-first, customer-centric mentality. The company produces Stonefire brand authentic naans, pizza crusts and flatbreads and Santosh brand tandoor baked vegetarian and vegan authentic naan and roti, a round flatbread native to the Indian subcontinent.
Stonefire is a three-time winner of the No. 1 most trusted artisan flatbread brand in America by Brand Spark International (2019, 2020, 2021). Hand-stretched before being baked in the company’s patented tandoor tunnel oven, Stonefire’s newest introductions include garlic mini naan and everything naan dippers, bite-sized naan for dips and spreads. The company also produces artisan thin and regular pizza crust and artisan flatbread and naan crisps.
The popularity of the category shows no signs of stagnation as it gracefully walks the line between innovation and authenticity, making flatbreads a go-to-choice for foodservice, commercial and instore. That why it’s hard to believe that a little over a decade ago, naan was largely unknown among consumers. Today, naan ranks No. 1, offering consumers a “feeling like they