Need an easy but fabulous bread for Thanksgiving? Or heck, how about dinner tonight! This bread has tons of flavor from the fresh garlic and rosemary. Olive oil in a cast iron skillet gives it this unreal crust. You will love it!
Have you ever done a handstand? How bout a handstand when you’re 37 weeks pregnant? No? Well that’s because YOU’RE NOT INSANE.
Seriously, I can’t do a handstand on a regular day. Meaning a day when I’m not lugging around a 6 and 1/2 pound watermelon (or whatever fruit my baby is resembling these days). (I’m like “a melon strolling on two tendrils…” Sylvia Plath? Anyone?)
The doctor said my baby is oblique. That means she’s not completely head down, she’s diagonal. I told my sister about it. She said that she had a baby that was breech, so she did a handstand in the pool, and baby flipped around. So just do a handstand Karen. Easy. No problem. So what if I don’t have access to a pool? Eric can help me, right? We got this.
Oh, past-Karen. You silly thing. Note to future Karen: don’t do a handstand, EVER, under any circumstances. I should have known that it would be a failure judging by the fact that I can’t even stand up without losing my balance these days.
I have another appointment with the doctor tomorrow, and last week she said if the baby hasn’t turned they will try to turn her manually, which can send you into labor. Wish me luck??
In preparation for potentially painful baby-turning business, I’m scarfing bread. Garlic and Rosemary Skillet Bread, actually. My last meal of preference, I think. (“except for a nice MLT – mutton, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomatoes are ripe [smacks his lips]. They’re so perky, I love that.” (Miracle Max? Anyone? Okay sorry I’ll stop with the obscure quotes.)
Today’s recipe is from my best friend Sarah’s mom, Anne. (Hi Anne!) The first time I tried it was when Sarah and her husband made it for me when we were camping. Yes, CAMPING, like, in the wilderness. I like good food as much as the next person, but camping is one instance where I let flavor fly out the window in favor of convenience. (Read: we pudding cup.) But not Sarah and Brian. They knead dough in the wilderness. And then heat fiery coals and put them all over their Dutch oven to bring me this rich olive oily goodness:
Can you see the crispity crunchy bottom? Have you ever had pan pizza from Pizza Hut? (If you haven’t, how?? why??) But this is kind of how that crust is. They bake those puppies in straight up oil pretty much. And that’s what you do with this bread. A full tablespoon of olive oil goes in the pan before you add the dough. It may look excessive; do it anyway. It’s kind of like these biscuits that are baked in a pan of melted butter. Oh yeah.
This bread would be perfect for Thanksgiving! I know it seems like a ways off but it’s really only a few weeks away. Crazy right??
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Garlic and Rosemary Skillet Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup water, warm - not hot! not cold! Test it with your fingers. Like a nice warm bath.
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast, or 1 package
- 3/4 teaspoon sea salt, or kosher*
- 1/4 cup olive oil, goes in the dough
- 2 & 1/4 cups all-purpose, or bread flour, plus more as needed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for bottom of skillet
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, for top of bread
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 sprigs rosemary, fresh, chopped (or 1 teaspoon dried)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or kosher*
Instructions
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, add warm water, sugar, and yeast. Stir together with a spoon, then set a timer for 5 minutes.
- If your mixture is bubbly and a bit foamy after 5 minutes, congratulations! You didn't kill your yeast. If it's not reacting, then start over.
- Add 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 cup olive oil, and 2 and 1/4 cups flour. Stir together with a spoon until a soft dough forms. Then if you are using a stand mixer, switch to the dough hook and knead for 8-10 minutes. If you're kneading by hand, turn onto a well-floured work surface and knead for 8-10 minutes. Add more flour as needed. I used an extra 1/4 cup. You want the dough to be workable but it is still pretty sticky. (See photos)
- Grease a large bowl. Scrape the dough into the bowl, form a ball, and turn to coat the top with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes. (Hang onto the plastic wrap for the second rise.)
- Coat a 10-inch cast iron skillet** with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Punch down the dough and press it into the bottom of the pan. Use a sharp knife to score the bread on top in a crisscross pattern.
- Brush the top with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Then sprinkle with garlic, rosemary, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise another 20 minutes.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
- When the bread has risen, bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes.
- Remove from the oven when the top is light golden brown all over.
- Remove the bread from the skillet right away and let cool on a wire rack. If you leave it in the pan the crust will get soggy!
- Drizzle with more olive oil, slice into wedges, and serve hot!
Notes
Nutrition
More recipes you will love!
Restaurant Style Olive Oil and Balsamic Bread Dip << you could dip your Skillet Bread in this. OH MAN.
Fast Focaccia Bread << this is such an old recipe but I still use it all the time! Cheese ftw!
Aunt Shirley’s Famous Dinner Rolls << the best dinner rolls guys. THE BEST.
Buttery Sweet Potato Rolls << this would be another good one to make for Thanksgiving!
Other skillet breads from friends you might like!
One Hour Skillet Garlic Parmesan Focaccia from The Comfort of Cooking
No-Knead Skillet Bread from The Cooking Actress
Parmesan Ranch Skillet Bread from Crunchy Creamy Sweet
Love this!
Has anyone tried it with gluten free flour?
I’m thinking of gifting for Christmas but have a couple of celiac on the list.
There’s a yoga position a midwife I met swore by. Though I no longer remember the name of the position, it involved kneeling with head and shoulders resting on the floor, and one’s bottom “up.”
Best of luck with the birth and your baby.
Can I substitute White whole wheat flour instead? I am prediabetic and cannot have anything that isn’t 100% whole graim
Hi Liz! I haven’t tried it! You bread might be a little heavier but I’m sure it will still work. Let me know how it goes!
Ok. This was amazing! I added the garlic and herbs in the dough for more flavor and am going to start another loaf this afternoon. So amazing with a bowl of soup or made into a sandwich. A definite keeper!
Ooh I haven’t ever used this bread as sandwich material, where have you been all my life?? Genius. I need to try it! Thanks for reviewing!
I just made this recipe and I’m already looking forward to making it again. It’s fantastic and the instructions are explained very well.
So glad you enjoyed it Nadia! Thanks for taking the time to review.
Family loved it!! For a thinner bread is used a 12 in cast iron turned out great with a little crunch😋
Ooh great tip Lac, sounds so good! Thanks so much for reviewing!
I’ve made this at least 50 times, with my kids, with my neighbors kids, by myself. It always comes out amazing. It is so easy. I add way extra olive oil to the bottom of the skillet and it makes it extra delicious. We’ve even made Sicilian-style pizza on top of it
How awesome is this Rebecca! I’m so glad you are loving the recipe so much. LOVE the idea of doing pizza on top! Yum. Thanks so much for reviewing!
I have made this bread so many times – I’ve lost count!! Everyone raves about it and it is now a staple amongst family & friends! :)
For the first time, I’m thinking about prepping the dough the day before serving/gifting it to folks (so it’s super fresh the day-of). Do you think I could store the dough in the fridge overnight?
Thank you!!
I’m so happy you are enjoying the recipe Sophiana! I’ve never tried to make this bread ahead of time. Let me know how it goes if you try it out!
This looks divine!! Can this be made in an enameled cast iron?
If your enameled pan can go in the oven then yes!
This is absolutely delicious. The rosemary and garlic are fabulous and make the whole house smell amazing. My four guests finished the whole loaf in one sitting and raved about it the whole time. One of them made me promise to make it again. I will! Thank you for this recipe!
Finishing the whole loaf in one sitting is definitely the way to go! Love it. I’m so glad it was a hit! Thank you so much for reviewing.
OMGosh, this bread is Delicious! The skillet gives this bread a wonderful crispy crust. I added minced garlic and chopped rosemary to the dough for added flavor. The crumb of the bread is so tender. This one is a keeper.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe Patricia! It’s true, the skillet really is a game changer :) Thanks so much for commenting!
This was delicious !! I wanted focaccia bread with my soup but I didn’t have 8 hours to let it rise so I found this and loved it !!! Came together so quickly and easy cleanup with the skillet. I had people over for dinner so it worked great for a crowd.
I’m so glad it was a hit Rachel! This bread is so perfect with soup. Good choice! Thanks for reviewing!
I was looking for a recipe yo use my fresh rosemary and came across this, I am also a fan of garlic. I just made it – it is delicious. Easy to make, you just give it a little time to let it rise. It melts in your mouth, the combination of garlic and rosemary is excellent.
My family loves it, it is going like a hotcake (which it actually is) and I will make it again soon. Just read the reviews and will add garlic and rosemary to the dough next time.
Thank you for posting this recipe!
I’m so glad it’s going like hotcakes Christiane! That’s always so satisfying. Thank you so much for taking the time to review!
I don’t have a cast-iron skillet but I still want to do this on the stove (1. for the crust and 2. because it’s nearly 100 degrees here in San Diego…. I will do anything to avoid heating my whole house up with that dang oven). Can I do this in a saute pan or saucepan on the stove? My saucepan is just a regular skillet you’d make scrambled eggs in or something, and my saute pan has higher sides that go straight up instead of at an angle like the saucepan. Let me know! Thx
Hi Elizabeth! Unfortunately you can’t make this on the stove, it needs to be baked. You can try making a flatbread on the stove though! I just posted this naan that you can make in the pan you described: https://thefoodcharlatan.com/homemade-naan/ fold some rosemary and garlic into the dough, it will be delicious!
Thank you for your quick reply! I see now that I misread the directions… I will take a wack at the skillet naan! Thanks!!
-Elizabeth :)
Delicious, next time I will add garlic in the dough
Great idea Jim! Thanks for commenting with your notes!