Easy skillet bread recipe! This simple recipe takes just 6 pantry staple ingredients and makes a loaf of light and fluffy bread.
Whether you're intimidated by yeast and looking for a good beginner recipe or just looking for an easy recipe, this is the recipe for you!
This simple skillet bread recipe only takes about 90 minutes total, and it's made with 6 basic ingredients. The hands-on time for this recipe is minimal, and most of the time is just rising or bakign time.
And the recipe makes delicious, fluffy white bread. I serve this as a table bread and just serve it right out of the skillet at dinner.
How to make skillet bread
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, stir the water, honey, and yeast together. Let mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.
Add part of the flour, olive oil, and salt. Knead on low, continuing to add flour ¼ cup at a time until it forms a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides of the bowl.
Once it forms the dough, continue to knead for 5 minutes on low.
Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
Form the dough into a tight ball and place in a cast iron skillet. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
Just before you place the bread in the oven cut two slits width-wise and one lengthwise. Bake. The bread will brown quickly toward the end of the baking time, so keep an eye on it.
Tips
- Water: If you don't have a thermometer, feel the water. It should feel a little warmer than bath water but shouldn't feel uncomfortably warm. If it's too hot for you, it will be too hot and could kill the yeast.
- Oil: I like to use olive oil in this recipe. Another neutral oil should work in place of the olive oil.
- Flour: I haven't tested this recipe with all-purpose or another type of flour.
- Cast iron skillet: I've only used a cast iron skillet to bake this bread.
- After baking, I lightly brush the outside of the bread with butter and lightly sprinkle it with sea salt. It's optional, but the butter does help to keep the crust soft.
How to serve this bread
How to serve this breadSince this bread is soft and fluffy, it's great spread with butter. Though it isn't crusty, this bread is also delicious dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
More easy bread recipes!
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Skillet Bread
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups warm water (105–115 degrees)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 ½ - 4 cups bread flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, stir the water, honey, and yeast together.
- Let mixture sit for 5-10 minutes, or until foamy.
- Add 2 ½ cups of flour, olive oil, and salt.
- Knead on low, continuing to add flour ¼ cup at a time until it forms a soft, smooth dough that clears the sides of the bowl.
- Once it forms the dough, continue to knead for 5 minutes on low.
- Cover and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Form the dough into a tight ball and place in a cast iron skillet. I use a 12" skillet.
- Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.
- Toward the end of the second rising time, set your oven rack to the lower middle position and preheat oven to 400F.
- Just before you place the bread in the oven cut two slits width-wise and one lengthwise.
- Bake for 12-20 minutes. The bread will brown quickly toward the end of the baking time, so keep an eye on it.
- OPTIONAL: I brush a little melted butter over the baked bread and sprinkle sea salt on top.
Video
Notes
- Water: If you don't have a thermometer, feel the water. It should feel a little warmer than bath water but shouldn't feel uncomfortably warm. If it's too hot for you, it will be too hot and could kill the yeast.
- Oil: I like to use olive oil in this recipe. Another neutral oil should work in place of the olive oil.
- Flour: I haven't tested this recipe with all-purpose or another type of flour.
- Cast iron skillet: I've only used a cast iron skillet to bake this bread.
- After baking, I lightly brush the outside of the bread with butter and lightly sprinkle it with sea salt. It's optional, but the butter does help to keep the crust soft.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition Information
Meg
Do you pre heat the skillet? If so, for how long?
Kate
No, you don't need to preheat the skillet.
Kimberly
So easy to do. Have done it several times now and turns out great every time. Will try some herbs next time.
Kate
Thanks! I've added herbs in quite a few times, and it works really well!
David
Worked beautifully. Added some fresh herbs to the dough mix (garlic, rosemary and chives) which really add to the flavour.
Kate
Thank you! I've made several variations on this bread, and I completely agree that fresh herbs are a fantastic addition!
France
What size (diameter and depth) cast iron pan did you use for this recipe?
Kate
I use a 12" skillet for this recipe.
Brenda Hernandez
I'm going to make this recipe thank u ,when the skillet go in the oven do you cover it like a dutch oven to bake the bread ?
Kate
I don't cover the bread as it bakes. The only reason you might need to cover it is if you find that it's browning too quickly, then you can tent the bread with foil.
Marjian
Hi, I live in the UK and its always damp and cold, I have found 30min is nowhere near enough for the first rise to double in size, normally taking 1:30-2h in an airing cupboard.Overall it normally adds up to 3hs in rising/proofing times. Is this recipe achieved by underising at 30 min or is it going to work if I leave it longer?
Kate
Hi! It's difficult to give you a time that will work if you've found that that sort of timeline doesn't typically work for you. I have a couple of photos showing what the dough looks like when it's placed in the skillet and then again right before it goes into the oven. I think those pictures will give you a better idea of what to look for than me trying to give you times.
Also, I think this trick might help. Turn your oven on to 350F (I believe it's 177 C) for exactly 60 seconds. Then turn your oven off. This will give you a warm, draft-free spot to let your bread rise.
I hope that helps!
Stephan Callis
I just put in oven with light on and that works great.
Connie Vidler
what size of skillet did you use.... I have a 14 " skillet. would that make the cook time shorter
Kate
Hi! Good question! I use a 12", and I just added that info to the recipe in case anyone else has that question. You may find that the bread spreads out a bit more with a larger skillet. In that case, I would check it at the early end of the time and go from there.
Jason Wright
Ive made this 6 times now. Ive added herbs and even used duck fat and avocado oil in exchange for olive oil. Ive all used all purpose flour each time. The biggest key i have found was 115 degree watee for my yeast. Too hot its very heavy, too low and it doesnt rise enough either. Just right and its amazing! Cheers
Kate
Thank you for sharing that! It's amazing what a difference something like water temp can make when baking bread! Thanks again for the comment!
Brynsley
So easy to make and super delicious. I ended up doing 3.5 cups of the flour in Total. It took me 20 min for it to brown perfectly. I finished with a vegan butter and rosemary salt. It was PERFECT
Kate
Yay!! I'm so glad that it worked out well for you!
Jeanne
I'm new to baking and this recipe seems great for a beginner. I started the recipe 3 times and I wasn't able to get my yeast to get foamy.
Kate
The two most common why your yeast may not foam are 1) old yeast or 2) using water that's too hot and killing the yeast. If you don't have a thermometer to check the water temp, you can guestimate it. The water should feel like warm bath water because if it's too hot for you, it's probably too hot for the yeast. I hope that helps for next time!
Hedy Weddington
Just made my first loaf and wow! Had to sit on my hands to wait one hour to slice into it but when I did it was yummy. Question. Can I add herbs or cheese or lemon zest to this basic recipe and everything else stays the same? Thank you
Kate
Thank you! You can! I've made different versions of the bread like garlic and herb.