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The easiest no-knead skillet bread. The recipe only calls for 4 simple ingredients! Mix together, let the dough rise, pan and bake. You won’t get your hands or counters messy!

No-Knead Skillet Bread in a cast iron

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If there is anything I know about yeast bread it is that for those who haven’t made it before it can feel intimidating. I know this because I once was that person.

I thought yeast was this scary ingredient that I didn’t understand. And people tell me all the time that they are nervous about working with yeast.

Well I’m here to get your feet wet with working with yeast! This easy no knead skillet bread recipe will build up your baking with yeast confidence! And it only calls for 4 simple ingredients!

A piece of No-Knead Skillet Bread topped with garlic puree

This bread really could not be more simple! The make the dough, you just stir all of the ingredients together.

The dough then sits few an hour so the yeast can activate and feed for a while, and then it is baked. That’s it!

There are many things to know about yeast and bread making. If you are interested in learning more in-depth information about baking yeast bread, I suggest you check out my Yeast Bread Essentials Course!

But for this bread you really only need to know 1 thing: Yeast likes warm temperatures, but not hot temperatures! Your water should be warm, slightly warmer than body temperature, but not hot!

You will kill the yeast if you use too hot of water. But other than that, this no knead skillet bread is virtually fool proof!

No-Knead Skillet Bread in a cast iron and a slice taken out

Now that I am a more experienced bread baker, I still find myself coming back to this bread recipe. It is great for having fresh bread on a busy weeknight. That feels so decadent!

I love to add fresh herbs to my bread- rosemary is a favorite. You could add olives, nuts, roasted garlic, or really anything your heart desires!

No-Knead Skillet Bread with garlic puree
Garlic Puree recipe: Simmer peeled garlic cloves in canola oil for 45 minutes stirring frequently. Strain oil, reserving for other uses. Mash garlic cloves and store in the fridge for 3-4 days for spreading on breads, stirring into soups. or flavoring mashed potatoes.

One of the things that continues to fascinate me about bread is that it only requires a few simple ingredients: just water, flour, salt, and yeast.

Those humble and few ingredients result in such a beautiful and comforting product! It feels like magic!

I hope this recipe inspires you to start making yeast bread a habit in your home!

No-Knead Skillet Bread slice with a side of garlic puree
No-Knead Skillet Bread in a cast iron
Yield: 1- 10" or 12" Loaf

Easy No-Knead Skillet Bread

Prep Time 1 hour 45 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

This is the easiest no-knead skillet bread. Just mix all of the ingredients together, let the dough rise, put it in a pan and bake! You won't get your hands or counters messy!

Ingredients

  • 4 1/3 cups (520 g) bread flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 1 package (2 1/4 tsp, 7 g) active dry or rapid rise yeast
  • 1/2 TBSP (8 g) fine sea salt or kosher salt
  • 2 cups (450 g)  warm water (about 110-120 F, NOT HOT water)
  • about 3 tbsp olive oil (or you can use vegetable oil or canola oil)
  • rosemary (*optional)

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, yeast, and the salt. You can also add in spices or herbs of choice here. I like to add about 1 1/2 tbsp of fresh rosemary.
  2. Add the warm water to the bowl. Make sure the water is just warm and not hot. Stir with a spoon or rubber spatula until well combined. It will be a very wet dough, almost like a thick batter.
  3. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel and let sit at room temperature until about double in size. This will take about 45 minutes for rapid rise yeast, and an hour and a half with active dry yeast.
  4. Do not punch down the dough. Add about 1 TBSP of oil to the bottom of a cast iron skillet or any other oven safe skillet (a 10" or 12" skillet works well).
  5. Drizzle about a tablespoon of the oil over the dough and also drizzle some on your hands. Rub the oil on your hands, this will help the dough not stick. Gently release the dough from the sides of the bowl and then gather it all up in your hands. Gently shape it into a ball. This will be kind of difficult because the dough is sticky, but just do your best. It doesn't need to be perfect.
  6. Place the dough in the oiled skillet, cover loosely with a towel. Let it rise again until full of air - about 30 minutes for rapid rise yeast and 1 hour for active dry yeast.
  7. Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
  8. Drizzle a little more oil over the top of the bread, and score the dough with a knife creating an X or a few slices across the top. Sprinkle with coarse salt and rosemary leaves if desired.
  9. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is starting to brown. Then turn on the broiler for about 5 minutes and watch the bread closely. This is just to help the top brown up some more.
  10. Allow the bread to cool for at least 1 hour before slicing and preferably longer. Letting the bread cool before slicing will solidify the texture and also help it to stay fresh longer.
  11. Store sliced bread open at room temperature, sliced side down on a cutting board for up to 48 hours. After that, more it to a bag and seal it. I prefer to slice it up and freeze it after 2 days. It refreshes well from frozen in the toaster.

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Nutrition Information:


Amount Per Serving: Calories: 98
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Category: All Recipes