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Making Pandan Flatbread for Doner Wraps: A Fusion Bread Recipe

UUnknown

2026-02-19

10 min read

Make fragrant pandan flatbreads for fusion doner wraps with natural colour, texture tricks, dough technique and storage tips—step-by-step for vendors & home cooks.

Make a show-stopping pandan flatbread that actually holds a doner

If you’re tired of limp, flavorless wraps that fall apart mid-bite, or of relying on artificial food colour and unremarkable bread, this recipe answers the problem. Here’s a full, tested how-to for making fragrant pandan flatbreads that are vivid green, pliable enough to contain saucy doner fillings, and scented with the unmistakable pandan aroma diners love in 2026.

Quick overview — why this matters now

In late 2025 and into 2026, chefs and street-food vendors doubled down on natural colouring and aroma-driven dishes. Pandan, once niche, is now mainstream on menus from London to Los Angeles because it delivers both scent and a unique green hue without synthetic dyes. This recipe is tuned for real-world service: it produces 8–10 18–22cm wraps, uses pantry-friendly techniques, and includes storage + holding methods that keep wraps tender under heat lamps and in delivery bags.

At a glance

Yield: 8–10 wraps (approx. 18–22cm / 7–8.5" each)
Hands-on time: 40–50 minutes
Total time (with short rest): 1.5 hours; or overnight cold-retard for deeper aroma
Key benefits: natural green colour, pandan aroma, flexible texture for doner fillings

Ingredients & equipment

For the pandan concentrate (natural colouring & aroma)

75 g fresh pandan leaves (green parts only), roughly chopped
150 g warm water (not boiling)

For the dough (500 g scale)

500 g strong white bread flour (11–13% protein)
300 g total liquid (use 100 g pandan concentrate + 200 g lukewarm water)
30 g neutral oil (sunflower, grapeseed, or light olive oil)
15 g caster sugar (sweetness brings out pandan aroma)
10 g fine sea salt
7 g instant yeast (1 packet)
Optional: 1 g baking soda (to slightly intensify green; use sparingly)

Equipment

Blender or stick blender, fine sieve or muslin, digital scale
Large mixing bowl, nonstick skillet or flat griddle (tawa), rolling pin
Clean tea towel or wrap storage box for holding

Technique: step-by-step

1. Make the pandan concentrate

Chop the pandan leaves and put them in the blender with 150 g warm water. Blitz at high speed for 20–30 seconds until the mixture is a bright slurry.
Strain through a fine sieve lined with muslin into a bowl, pressing firmly to extract liquid. You should end up with ~100–130 g of deep-green pandan liquid; measure out 100 g and reserve the rest for drinks, sauces, or freezing.
Tip: don’t use acidic ingredients (lemon, vinegar) in the extract — acid dulls chlorophyll. If you want a stronger hue, increase the leaf:water ratio or briefly add a tiny pinch (about 1 g) of baking soda when mixing the dough (see safety notes below).

2. Mix the dough

Combine flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast in a bowl. If you’re using baking soda to brighten colour, add it now but keep the dose tiny — overdoing it gives a metallic taste.
Stir the 100 g pandan concentrate together with 200 g lukewarm water and 30 g oil.
Make a well in the dry mix, pour in the liquids and bring together with a wooden spoon or dough hook. The target hydration is ~60% — a soft, slightly tacky dough that will become elastic.
Knead by hand for 8–10 minutes or with a mixer + dough hook for 6–7 minutes until the dough is smooth and passes a light windowpane test. Add a little flour only if the dough is dangerously sticky.

3. First rest / fermentation

Shape dough into a ball, oil the surface lightly, cover and let rest for 30–45 minutes at room temperature. For more depth of aroma and slightly chewier texture, cold-retard the dough in the fridge for 8–18 hours — this is ideal for restaurant prep and taste development.

4. Divide, rest, shape

Divide into 8–10 equal pieces (about 60–70 g each for 10 wraps, 75–90 g for larger 22cm wraps).
Let the balls relax under a damp cloth for 10–15 minutes so gluten relaxes — this makes rolling easier.
Roll each ball on a lightly floured surface to an even circle, 1.5–2 mm thick for pliability. Thicker will give you a more naan-like bite; thinner is lighter and better for hefty fillings.

5. Cook on skillet / griddle

Heat a heavy skillet or griddle to medium-high. Dry heat is best to get quick puff and char; avoid oiling the pan.
Cook each flatbread 30–45 seconds per side until it shows brown spots and small blisters. Press gently with a spatula to ensure even contact.
Don’t overcook — you want pliability, not dryness. Once cooked, stack wraps and cover with a clean cloth to keep steam and softness.

Why this dough technique works for doner wraps

Doner fillings are heavy and juicy; the wrap needs the right balance of stretch and tear resistance. The 60% hydration plus a short rest creates a soft crumb and enough gluten to hold up to saucy proteins. The oil keeps the crumb tender and prevents sticking under heat lamps or in delivery boxes.

Pandan is not just colour — it’s aroma. When the bread is warm, that sweet, grassy scent pairs brilliantly with smoky doner meats and tangy sauces.

Colour, aroma and natural colouring science

Pandan’s green comes from chlorophyll; heat and acid can dull it. There are three practical takeaways:

Use concentrated pandan liquid made from leaves to get both colour and authentic aroma — extracts give colour but can lack depth.
Avoid acid (citrus, vinegar) in the extract stage; add pickles and acidic sauces to the final wrap, not the dough.
Careful alkalinity: a hair of baking soda brightens green because it converts chlorophyll to a more vivid chlorophyllin — but too much ruins flavour. Stick to ~1 g for 500 g flour if you need an extra pop.

Troubleshooting common issues

Sticky dough

Solution: Lightly oil your hands; give the dough 5–10 extra minutes of knead plus a 15-minute rest. Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time only if the dough is unmanageable.

Tough, chewy wraps

Cause: Over-kneading or overcooking. Solution: Reduce knead time, shorten cooking time, and increase oil slightly for tenderness.

Pale, weak colour

Solution: Increase pandan concentrate amount, use fresher leaves, or add a minimal pinch of baking soda. For vendors, freezing small jars of concentrated pandan keeps colour consistent across shifts.

Storage & make-ahead strategies

Proper storage preserves both colour and the pandan scent — critical for delivery and busy service windows.

Short term (same day)

Stack cooled wraps with parchment between each, wrap airtight in cling film or a sealed box. Keep at room temperature for up to 6–8 hours if service is quick.
To re-soften: steam briefly (20–30 seconds) or microwave under a damp paper towel for 12–20 seconds per wrap.

Refrigeration (2–5 days)

Store in an airtight container with a slightly damp paper towel to retain moisture. Reheat on a hot skillet for 20–30 seconds per side or steam to revive flexibility.

Freezing (best for vendors)

Freeze flat, single-layer with parchment between wraps inside vacuum bags or heavy-duty freezer bags. Freeze up to 3 months.
To thaw: remove from freezer, let sit sealed in the fridge overnight or at room temp for 30–45 minutes. Finish on a skillet with a quick steam to rebuild pliability.

Holding and serving in a doner setting

For on-the-line use, keep wraps in a low-temperature holding cabinet (not drying heat) and cover with a damp towel to preserve steam.
For delivery, wrap the filled doner in a greaseproof layer then foil to hold warmth without sweating the bread. Include a small removable parchment to prevent moisture transfer.
Brush a tiny film of neutral oil on the outside before rolling to prevent sticking and to improve sheen for presentation.

Serving ideas — fusion doner pairings

Pandan’s sweet, grassy notes pair exceptionally with:

Charred lamb doner with tamarind-chilli glaze and quick-pickled cucumber
Coconut yoghurt sauce, lime zest and roasted chilli for a Southeast Asian twist
Smoky chicken doner, fresh herbs (mint/coriander) and sliced fried shallots

For street-food appeal, add bright pickles and a creamy drizzle. The green wrap is a visual hook — use it to highlight signature fillings and a printed name tag (e.g., “Pandan Lamb Doner”) on your menu or ordering app.

Variations, dietary notes & scaling

Vegan: this recipe is vegan-friendly (no dairy). Use oil and exclude butter.
Gluten-free option: try a rice/tapioca blend with binders (xanthan) and adapt hydration; expect a different texture and shorter shelf life.
Scaling: multiply ingredients in a planetary mixer. For large-scale operations, freeze pandan concentrate in ice-cube trays for consistent dosing.

Advanced tips & 2026 trends to leverage

As of 2026, a few operational and culinary trends will help your pandan doner stand out:

Natural colour demand: Consumers and regulators increasingly prefer plant-based colours — promote “no artificial dyes” on menus.
Cold-retard flavour development: Overnight fermentation is now a common step in fast-casual operations to boost aroma and shelf life without extra labour on service day.
Microportioning & automation: Use pre-measured dough balls and portioning trays to speed assembly-line production and ensure consistent wrap size.
Experience-led presentations: Visual, aromatic foods perform better in app listings and social media — pandan’s green and scent are double assets.

Final troubleshooting checklist

Dough too sticky? Give it rest and fold-in oil rather than adding large amounts of flour.
Pale colour? Increase pandan concentrate or freeze extra concentrate for service days.
Wrap tearing under weight? Roll slightly thicker (2–2.5 mm) and ensure adequate gluten development via knead + rest.
Loss of aroma after refrigeration? Warm gently before service to reactivate pandan scent — steam briefly.

Actionable takeaways

Make pandan concentrate fresh; store small batches frozen to keep colour and aroma consistent.
Use 60% hydration and oil for a perfect balance of stretch and tenderness suitable for doner fillings.
Cook fast and hot to preserve green and keep the wrap pliable — then steam/cover to retain softness.
Adopt cold-retard in restaurant kitchens to deepen aroma. Freeze excess wraps with parchment to meet demand spikes.

Parting note

Pandan flatbreads are an easy and effective way to create a memorable fusion doner offering: they look fantastic, smell amazing, and hold up to bold fillings. Whether you’re a home cook testing a dinner-party crowd-pleaser, or a vendor designing a 2026 menu, these wraps give you a real edge — natural colour, island-sweet aroma, and practical holding strategies for service.

Try it this week: make one batch, freeze half the wraps, and run a small A/B test on a single doner — see which sells faster or gets better social shares. Then refine hydration, thickness and holding method for your workflow.

Share your results and photos on doner.live — we’ll feature standout vendor stories and the best-looking pandan wraps in our 2026 street-food roundup.

Call to action

Ready to roll? Make the pandan flatbreads, post a photo and tag doner.live, or submit your recipe tweak and service notes. We’ll help you optimize scale, colour consistency and aroma retention — so your pandan doner becomes the wrap everyone talks about.

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