I love fresh-baked bread. The heady, fermented scent of the yeast, the enticing aroma of the baking bread, there is nothing better on a cold dreary winter day.
I've baked bread in a bread machine, I've baked bread in a Dutch oven, but I had never baked bread in my cast iron skillet before seeing a tantalizing recipe for cast iron skillet bread in a 2013 issue of Mary Jane's Farm magazine.
What made it even more interesting is that there is no kneading required!
So of course I had to try it. I mean, how could I not?
So I spent the afternoon measuring and stirring and resting and baking. The result was nothing short of delicious. This recipe is a keeper for sure.... however...
The dough was super sticky and wet. And sadly, when I slit the dough just prior to baking, it deflated the dough and the bread emerged from the oven looking slightly like a fallen souffle.
It still tasted wonderful, but wasn't nearly as beautiful as the photograph in the magazine (which I wish I had snapped a photo of for future reference!).
So two changes I did make to the original recipe was to increase the amount of flour slightly, and make sure that I used a lot of flour when I turned the dough out before cutting it into the four pieces.
And I decided not to make slits in the top. I think because you're dividing the dough into the four balls, each is able to rise without any slits. So two thumbs up there.
Bottom line, if you're looking for a really easy, slightly unconventional bread recipe, I think you'll like this one. The bread comes out so soft with a great crumb, and a nice golden crunchy crust. It's delicious warm slathered with butter, but also makes a great sandwich bread.
Scroll down to the bottom for the printable recipe.
No-Knead Cast Iron Skillet Bread
1.5 tablespoons sugar
2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon neutral oil
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
5 cups all-purpose flour
Butter to grease pan
1 egg, whisked lightly with 1 tablespoon water
Sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the warm water in a large mixing bowl. Stir briefly. Let sit for 15 minutes until the yeast starts to bubble and foam.
Add the oil and Kosher salt. Mix well, then add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring between each addition until smooth and the flour is incorporated.
Once the flour has all been incorporated, continue to stir/mix for 2 to 3 minutes, then cover with a clean kitchen towel and let sit for 10 minutes in a warm spot.
Once the ten minutes is up, punch down or stir the dough to deflate it, then cover and let sit, covered, for 10 more minutes. Repeat the deflating/resting four more times.
Note: The dough will be very sticky.
Once the dough is done rising, turn it out onto a liberally floured surface. Flour your hands and divide the dough into four equal pieces with a bench scraper and form into balls.
Rub a thin layer of butter or oil over the bottom and sides of a large 10" to 12" cast iron skillet.
Place the balls of dough into the skillet. Cover the skillet with the towel and let rise in a warm place for about an hour, until almost doubled in size
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
After the dough has doubled in size, brush the tops of the balls with the egg wash, sprinkle with the flaky sea salt and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until light golden on top, and the center temperature reads 190 degrees.
Let cool for a few minutes, then remove from the skillet, slice with a serrated knife, and serve with butter or olive oil for dipping. This bread also slices nicely for sandwiches.
Wrap leftovers tightly and store at room temperature, in a bread box, or in the refrigerator for longer storage.
Recipe inspired Mary Jane's Farm magazine Black Skillet French Bread recipe.
