Embark on a journey into making homemade bread with this easy and quick No Knead Skillet Bread recipe. Perfect for bakers of all levels, this bread requires minimal hands-on time but delivers maximum flavor and an irresistible crust paired with a soft middle.
Warm, homemade, and flavorful No Knead Skillet Bread is so easy to prepare that you’ll want to make it again and again. It’s the perfect recipe for those who want to indulge in the aroma of freshly baked bread without the hassle of intricate preparation. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or trying your hand at bread for the first time, this skillet bread is a foolproof route to a comforting and delicious loaf.
Why This Bread Recipe Works
- No-Knead Ease: With no kneading required, this recipe is great for beginners or those short on time.
- Minimal Prep: The recipe requires little active participation; most of the required time is for rising and baking.
- Skillet Baking: The cast iron skillet ensures a beautifully crisp crust and even baking.
- Flavorful Additions: Fresh rosemary and garlic infuse the bread with aromatic flavors.
Skillet Bread Ingredients
- 2 cups lukewarm water
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
- 4-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- sea salt
How To Make No Knead Skillet Bread
- Dissolve the active dry yeast in warm water in a large mixing bowl. Blend in a cup of flour and the kosher salt, stirring with a wooden spoon to incorporate.
- Add the chopped rosemary and minced garlic into the mixture and gradually add the rest of the flour, stirring well after each addition until the dough forms. Once the dough comes together, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for an hour or until doubled in size.
- Spread olive oil around the base and sides of the skillet with a paper napkin or your fingers. Then, flour your hands to prevent sticking and transfer the dough to the oiled skillet after that initial rise.
- Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and set it aside for 30 minutes to let it rise again.
- Then, drizzle the top with olive oil and sprinkle it with sea salt. Score the top of the loaf with shallow cuts to help it expand while baking. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the oven, and carefully turn the bread onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Recipe Tips And Variations
- To ensure the yeast activates properly, the water should be slightly warm; about 105˚F. Avoid using water that feels too hot to the touch, as high temperatures can deactivate the yeast.
- This recipe was specifically developed with all-purpose flour, and while a bread flour might work, I have not tested that yet.
- The cast iron skillet is essential for this recipe, providing the perfect heat distribution for a crisp crust. Other pans may not yield the same results.
- Ensure your skillet is well-oiled to prevent sticking and to achieve a crispy crust.
- Substitute rosemary and garlic with other herbs or add cheeses for different flavor profiles.
- Monitor your bread, as oven temperatures may vary; it should be golden brown when done.
- Remove the bread from the skillet as soon as it comes out of the oven; bread left in the pan will be soggy.
- Allow the bread to cool for at least one hour before slicing it.
How To Serve Bread
This skillet bread pairs wonderfully with soups, it is a sturdy vessel for sandwiches, a great side to a salad, or can simply be savored with a dab of butter or a drizzle of olive oil.
Storage
Keep your bread fresh by storing it in a bread box or wrapping it in a clean cloth inside a plastic bag. For longer storage, slice, and freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
More Bread Recipes
Rosemary and Garlic No-Knead Skillet Bread
Ingredients
- 2 cups lukewarm water, about 105˚F
- 1 package (2¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- ½ tablespoon kosher salt
- 4⅓ cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the water and yeast. Add 1 cup of flour and salt and stir with a wooden spoon until combined.
- Stir in the rosemary leaves and minced garlic. Add remaining flour, one cup at a time, stirring until thoroughly combined.
- Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil in an 8 or 10-inch cast iron skillet; using a napkin or your fingers, coat the bottom and sides of the skillet with the olive oil.
- Flour your hands. Remove the plastic wrap and using your hands, transfer the dough to the prepared skillet and shape it into a disk.
- Cover with a kitchen towel and let rise for 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 400˚F.
- Remove the kitchen towel, drizzle the remaining olive oil over the top, and sprinkle the dough with sea salt.
- Score the top of the dough with some shallow knife cuts.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the top is nicely browned.
- Remove from oven and turn the bread out onto a wire cooling rack.
- Let the bread cool for 1 hour or so before you cut into it. Letting it cool down sets the texture and keeps it fresh for longer.
- Cut and serve.
Notes
- Warm Water: Lukewarm water is about 105˚F. If you don’t have a thermometer, feel it with your fingers; it should be warm but not hot. Remember that if the water reaches temperatures of 120°F or more, the yeast will begin to die off.
- Flour: This bread recipe was made with all-purpose flour. I haven’t tried it with bread flour or any other varieties.
- Variations: Substitute the rosemary and garlic with other herbs or add crumbled or shredded cheeses for different flavor profiles.
- Cast Iron Skillet: My go-to for baking these types of breads has always been a cast iron skillet. If you do not have a cast iron skillet, use a stoneware baking dish instead.
- Cooling: It is crucial to remove the bread from the skillet as soon as it comes out of the oven; bread left in the pan will get moist and soggy. Also, let the bread sit and cool for a solid hour before slicing it.
Nutrition
Nutritional info is an estimate and provided as courtesy. Values may vary according to the ingredients and tools used. Please use your preferred nutritional calculator for more detailed info.
I bake this bread 2-3 times a month and it’s a crowd pleaser every time. I’ve also brought this to parties and even gifted it, and have had multiple compliments on its tastiness! It’s SO easy (especially if you have an over-producing rosemary plant in your garden), and perfect for all seasons. Love this bread!
Just wondering… do you have to have a mixer, or a dough hook in order to make this? Or just a bowl and a spoon or fork? No experience making bread, but I’d sure like to try this with your yummy soup recipe (already tried)!
Did you mean to leave this comment on a different recipe? Because this recipe is for no-knead bread – the directions do not include a mixer and a dough hook.
This bread turned out great. It looked amazing and tasted great. Hubby fixed it in his gas grill, I didn’t want to heat up the house. I want to try it again, but I want to use white whole wheat bread. I thought I would just add 1-2 cups. Would that work?
This recipe was easy to follow and it turned out great. It was hot today but Hubby
put the skillet in his gas grill. We ran out of gas when we still had 2 min. left- but bread was nice and brown. I am going to try again but I wan
Came out great! My first time making bread. I followed the recipe and it worked 🙂
That’s wonderful! I’m very glad you enjoyed it! Thank YOU! 🙂
Can I leave it out overnight or just for an hour?
You’ll need to keep it in the refrigerator, covered, to prevent over-fermentation. Also, doughs with an overnight rise will often have a stronger more yeasty flavor.
Could I substitute most any herb in for the rosemary? I’d like to make mine more Italian, so I’m thinking maybe basil or oregano??
Absolutely. Use whatever herbs you like or have on hand.
I think your nutrition information might be off. I plugged it into my app, and for the ingredients and quantities listed, at 10 servings, a it came out to 38g C, 5g P and 3g F, to a total calorie count of 206.
I’ve made this a few times and it’s delicious. Thank you.
Can it be made with gluten-free flour?
Hi!
I don’t know because I have not tested this recipe with gluten free flour. However, I’m pretty sure you’d have to add in some xanthan gum and make other adjustments to make it work.
Easy enough to make but next time I will use my kitchen aide mixer to mix all the ingredients. I purchased a new cast iron pan for this recipe. I seasoned as per the instructions on the pan. Dough rose great, but I could not get it out the pan, which I oiled per recipe. I will try it again tomorrow and use butter instead of oil. I will also increase the rosemary and garlic, per our tastes. I will let you know how it turns out.
It takes awhile for cast iron to build up a nice seasoning and be truly non-stick. Don’t give up on it.
Katerina…..I only have a 12” skillet. I really want to try your recipe. How should I alter the recipe for my skillet? Double seems like too much and probably double the yeast isn’t necessary.
Hi!
Definitely don’t double it, especially the yeast. 😊 I wouldn’t change anything, though. I’ve used a 10-inch and a 12-inch, and it was fine. The bread might not be as tall, but it shouldn’t make that big of a difference.
Have made this at least 10 times and it’s heaven, and I’m not a bread eater😂 love that it doesn’t call for sugar, will never buy store bought bread again! If I wanted to add some reggiano parm, should it be after out of the oven or before baking?
Hi 👋
I am so glad you love this bread! I often do mix in some cheese and I add it together with the garlic and rosemary. Shredded cheddar cheese or reggiano parm are my go-to. 😊
Can whole wheat flour be used in this recipe, 3 cups WW and one AP? Have made this recipe several times and it was great. Just wondering about WW for a change up?
Hi!
Yes, that does work, but the texture is different – it’s dense because whole wheat flour has very little gluten.
I make this all the time but replace rosemary with jalapeno and cheddar cheese. So yummy
Thank YOU! I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂
This recipe came out perfect! I wanted to comment in case there were more skeptics about the lack of yeast proofing, or kneading or anything else in directions! Just made last night, followed recipe exactly and it came out perfect. I like the tip about adding the flour one cup at a time. Baking is so weird, because I only needed 3 cups of flour total for mine. Just follow recipe, mix after each Cup of flour to see if it’s where you want it to be. Mine rose SO quickly and fluffily too. 🙂 thanks for posting this!
Hi, just wondering what size skillet to use? I have a 10” and a 12”. Or does it matter?
Sorry just saw 8 or 10” skillet. Got it!
Can I use Bread machine or instant yeast? That’s all I have at the moment
I made this bread today. I don’t make bread normally because I’m not good at it. Following the recipe exactly, this actually came out exactly like the picture And it’s flavour and texture are absolutely wonderful.
I made it in a very well seasoned 10inch cast iron pan.
Highly recommend this recipe! Can’t wait to try different combinations of spices.
I made this tonight but omited the garlic. I did add about a tbsp of olive oil to the dough. There are three ppl in this household and there’s only a piece and half left! It’s so ridiculously amazing! I’m replacing dinner rolls with this bread for Holliday meals!! I might try a little sage and rosemary next!! So delicious and so easy!
I made this tonight. Lost track of how much flour and added an extra cup. Lol. Didn’t have rosemary so just garlic.
Still turned out yummy. Crust really crunchy.
Will try again with cheese next time. Tip- Don’t watch tv and make bread.
So I want to make this tonight to go with some mozzarella stuffed meatballs but I’m curious as to the lack of sugar. I’ve been a bread baker since I was 15 and every recipe I’ve ever come across requires a tsp or so of sugar to feed the yeast. Is that skipped because there’s no proofing? I would think, considering the addition of garlic which typically inhibits yeast production that the yeast proofing bit would be essential. But it looks amazing so I’ll give it a whirl as written before tinkering XD
Oh my gosh, what time is dinner!?! hehe 😀 Sounds so good!
I had the same reservations when I read the book, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day, which is what inspired me to make this bread, but yeah, the recipe worked/works! :-)) Would love to hear how it worked out for you. Hope you’ll enjoy it. 🙂
You make my day with this recep. I did it in a black iron skillet and it is spectaculaire. Yommy, With a nice soup full of vegetables for my meal this evening.
I assume the yeast and water need to rest for 10 minutes before adding the flour?
Hi! 🙂
Actually, no. Just stir it together until combined, and then add the flour.
I made this today and it’s very good. Tender inside and crispy outside. It did get stuck, so I might use butter in the pan instead of oil, and I don’t need as much salt on the top, but it’s really good and was super easy to make 🙂
Just made it. I am thrilled! Would be great with some olive oil dip.
I made this tonight….AWESOME!! I followed the recipe to a “t” and it came out perfect! Thank you for posting this!
Thank you, Eileen!! So happy to know that you enjoyed it!
This bread is delicious and super easy! Made it last night along with a big batch of spaghetti and it was a big hit. Can’t wait to try some other flavor combinations. 🙂
Oh man. Now I’m extra glad I picked up that rosemary today at the plant store! I can’t wait to make some of this. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
well, I followed the recipe to a t….and my dough was very wet, not like your picture, and the second “rise, sent it over the edge of the skillet, with no rise in the middle. Baked it anyway, and it’s resting now…smells good, just not as pretty as yours. Do I need to cut back on the H20? Add more salt to diminish the rise?
HI! I really hope the bread turned out for you. It’s a little difficult to advise because I didn’t actually see how wet the dough was, but adding a tablespoon or two of flour would be enough. However, the dough should be sticky and not very dry. Also, about the rise, there are a few possibilities, but mostly it’s the yeast.
1. Yeast is not fresh. 2. Water was too cool to activate the yeast or too hot that it killed the yeast. 3.Rising place was too cool.
Bread making is a science, indeed, and that is why I only have about 3 or 4 bread recipes on the blog. 😀
Let me know how it turned out.
Have a great weekend!
Oh my gosh yes. I FINALLY have my cast iron skillets back from out of storage now that I finally have a big person job and moved. I love me some rosemary.
I love skillet bread but I love it even more when it involves rosemary and garlic…yum!
It looks so golden and delicious and how can you go wrong with garlic and rosemary!
Four bread machines – HA! But hey, I’m a firm believer that one can never have too much bread, so… I love rosemary and garlic together, so naturally I know I’d love this bread. Looks beautiful, too!
This looks so, so good! I can take one of your bread machines, if you have too many. 😀 Happy birthday, by the way. 🙂
Thanks so much, Erin!! 😀
I need this bread in my life! It is perfection. It’s funny you got all those bread machines and I bet you pretty much never use them. It’s so easy to bake bread in the oven.
Omg, this looks amazing. I may actually dream about that crust tonight. And too funny about all the bread machines!
“Must eat bread” is part of my handbook too ;). I want to inhale this!
Must eat is part of my handbook
A good crusty loaf of bread it’s totally my comfort food. You should definitely bake another loaf.
What a gorgeous and easy bread! I usually leave the bread-baking to my husband because all of my homemade bread attempts come out like a brick! I think even I could make this recipe!
This makes me want to drop everything I’m doing and head into the kitchen to bake. What a beautiful skillet-ful of bread!
Can this be my dinner? Maybe with a bit of cheese to really round things out.
You had me at no-knead!!
It really does look lovely and I love that it’s no knead and in the skillet!
I literally wish to reach in and break a hunk of break off the skillet. This looks so appetizing and with me only on a cup of coffee it’s dangerous to show me this post! 🙂
I’m not exactly skilled in the bread-baking department, but this sounds like something even I can’t screw up! And rosemary just so happens to be my favorite herb…Might need to make an appearance in my kitchen…
Gorgeous! I’ve been on a baking spree last week and no-knead bread was one of the things I made. So delicious but disappears within minutes! I love the addition of rosemary!
This turned out so beautiful! Love the addition of garlic. Happy Monday to you!
Thank you, Bettie!! You’ve saved dinner for us hundreds of times with this super easy recipe. Awesome job!! Happy Monday to you, as well! 🙂