I finally got a cast iron skillet (thanks Zack & Kelly!) and for my first endeavor, I attempted some simple skillet bread.
But not just any old skillet bread. Oh no. I went ahead and packed as much as I could in this loaf. The end result was a sharp cheddar cheesy, almost focaccia style bread with olives and jalapeno. It’s great by itself, served with freshly churned garlic basil butter, or simply dipped in a mix of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Time
- ~2 hours prep/rising
- ~30 minutes cooking
What You’ll Need
- 1 cup warm water (~105-degrees Fahrenheit)
- 1 package active dry yeast
- 1/2 tablespoon salt (More or less to taste)
- 3 cups all-purpose or bread flour
- 1/2 cup diced jalapeno
- 2/3 cup diced green olives
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 ½ cups of extra sharp cheddar, shredded
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp Italian dried Italian seasoning
What You’ll Do
- In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and warm water, then add yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Add 3 cups (1 at a time) of flour to the bowl.
- Stir in olives, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, jalapeno, black pepper, salt, and 1 tbsp of olive oil.
- Mix everything together (either by hand or with a stand mixer) until mixture forms into a dough ball.
- Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot to rise for 1 hour.
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil into cast iron skillet and coat bottom and sides of skillet with thoroughly with oil.
- Take the shredded cheddar cheese and mix evenly into the ball of dough.
- Take the dough and transfer it to the skillet, shape the dough into a small flat disk.
- Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand for about another half hour to 40 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 420 degrees.
- Drizzle a small amount of olive oil on your hands and rub all over the ball of dough.
- Slice the top of the dough with a serrated knife, make 2-3 cuts across the top.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top of the bread is golden brown.
- Remove from oven and place the bread on a cooling rack.
- Leave to cool for about 20 more minutes.
- Serve with some homemade butter and enjoy!