Rosemary & Swiss Skillet Bread

A rustic-style skillet bread loaded with nutty Swiss and fragrant rosemary.  

Rosemary skillet bread

In the same vein as my recipe for an olive and jalapeno cheddar skillet bread, here we have another rustic loaf filled stuffed with cheese and herbs and baked in a cast-iron skillet.  

The nutty, creamy Swiss is a natural complement for the woody and earthy tones of fresh rosemary. The recipe itself is simple enough, and most of the time is spent waiting for the bread to rise. One thing to note, feel free to be generous with the yeast and use as finely diced cubes of Swiss as you can. Too much heavy cheese has a way of limiting the amount of rise you’ll get when baking.  

What’s better than fresh-baked bread straight from the oven? Serve it up right away with some fresh-churned garlic basil butter or dip it into a mix of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and Parmesan cheese.  

Whatever you do, I’d also recommend serving it up with a carafe of red or white table wine. Something about the melty swiss and fresh rosemary just begs for wine.  

TIME 

  • ~2 hours prep/rising 
  • ~30 minutes cooking 

WHAT YOU’LL NEED 

  • 1 cup of warm water (~105-degrees Fahrenheit) 
  • 2 packages active dry yeast, or ~3 tbsp of yeast  
  • 1/2 tablespoon salt (More or less to taste) 
  • 3 1/2 cups all-purpose or bread flour 
  • 1 tsp garlic powder 
  • 2 tbsp onion powder 
  • ~1 cup of swiss, finely cubed  
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil 
  • 1 tsp black pepper 
  • 1 tbsp sugar  
  • 1 tbsp Italian dried Italian seasoning 
  • 3 cloves minced garlic 
  • 3 tbsp freshly chopped rosemary, more or less to taste  

WHAT YOU’LL DO 

  • In a large mixing bowl, combine sugar and warm water, then add yeast. Let sit for 10 minutes, covered.  
  • Add 3 1/2 cups (1 at a time) of flour to the bowl. Stir, and then add the following: olive oil, black pepper, salt, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, and chopped rosemary.  
  • Mix everything together (either by hand or with a stand mixer) until mixture forms into a dough ball. Mix and knead the dough for about 10 minutes.  
  • 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 thoroughly with oil. 
  • Take the dough and on a clean surface, stretch out into a rectangle. Add a small number of Swiss cubes, fold the dough over, and add more Swiss until all cubes are incorporated throughout the dough. Shape the dough back into a round ball.  
  • 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. Feel free to top with any additional seasonings, such as rosemary, salt, or dried herbs.  
  • 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 the oven and place the bread on a cooling rack. 
  • Leave to cool for about 20 more minutes. 
  • Serve with some homemade butter and enjoy! 
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