My Latest Obsession, SKILLET BREAD. This No-Knead Cheddar Skillet Bread with White Pepper is an Homage to Grandma’s Pizza.
This cheesy bread was inspired by last week’s No-Knead Skillet Olive bread. It was so good that I wanted to try a different skillet bread recipe. Since it’s reminiscent of focaccia, I thought of grandma’s pizza. Grandma used to put white pepper on the crust of her homemade pizza. It gave it a mysterious kick that I loved! I’ve never been able to duplicate her pizza, so I stopped trying, but this slightly spicy bread reminds me of her!
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Instead of olives, this time I stirred 8oz of cubed cheddar cheese into 3 cups of flour in a large bowl.
In a medium bowl, I added 2 cups lukewarm water and stirred in the yeast packet, then 2 tsp salt, 1/2 tbsp granulated onion, 1/2 tsp granulated garlic, 1/4 tsp ground white pepper, and 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper. I added 1/2 cup flour and stirred well.
Next, I stirred the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mixed them well. Then I covered it with plastic wrap and put a tea towel over it and set it in a warm place to rest and rise for an hour.
TIP
My kitchen is cold so I pre-heated my microwave with a cup of water just to take the chill off and warm it up a little. Then I tucked the bowl of dough inside the cozy, slightly warm microwave to rise for an hour.
After the hour had passed, I oiled the bottom and sides of my 10″ cast iron skillet with a drizzle of olive oil and poured the dough into the skillet, using lightly oiled fingers to get it out of the bowl. Gently pat the dough to evenly fill the skillet.
Next, I covered it with the tea towel and put it back in my slightly warm microwave to sit and rise for another half hour.
I preheated my oven to 425f and decorated the top of the bread with fresh instant pot black beans, crushed red pepper, roasted peppers, 1/4 tsp white pepper, and cilantro leaves.
I baked it for a half hour and it was golden brown so I took it out and carefully turned it out onto a baking rack to cool. Be very careful because it’s heavy and scorching hot!
After it cooled for at least a half hour we cut into it and ruined our dinner!
It makes the best sandwiches too!
If you love this skillet bread, try my No Knead Olive Skillet Bread!
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No-Knead Cheddar Skillet Bread
Equipment
- #8 or 10 inch cast iron skillet (a dutch oven would also work)
- plastic wrap and/or tea towell
- knife
Ingredients
- 2 cup water Luke warm
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (one packet)
- 1 ½ tsp salt I used pink himalayan.
- 3 ½ cups AP flour
- ½ tsp Lawry's coarse ground garlic powder with parsley
- ½ tbsp granulated onion I prefer granulated onion like this over onion powder.
- ½ tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz cheddar cheese Cut in small cubes. I often use half smoked cheddar and half Pepperjack.
- ½ tsp white pepper 1/4 tsp white pepper for the bottom of the bread, 1/4 tsp for the top (Optional)
- ½ tsp crushed red pepper flakes optional
Instructions
- Add 2 cups lukewarm water to a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Add the yeast packet, or 2 1/4 tsp of yeast, and stir well.
- Add 1/2 cup flour and the salt to the medium bowl and stir well.
- Next, in a large mixing bowl, add 3 cups flour
- Add the cubed cheese to the flour and mix well.
- To the medium bowl with the yeast, add the garlic, granulated onion, 1/4 tsp white pepper, 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes and stir.
- Slowly stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well.
- Cover with plastic wrap and place a tea towel over it. Place it somewhere warm to rest and rise for 1 hour.
- After the dough has rested an hour, oil the bottom and sides of a 10” cast iron skillet with 1/2 tbsp olive oil.
- Pour the dough into the skillet using your fingers to pull it out of the bottom of the bowl. It will be sticky!
- Lightly oil your fingers and press the dough around gently to even it out. Don't poke the cheese cubes down into the bread. Most will sink to the bottom anyway.
- Cover the skillet with a tea towel and put it back in a warm place to rest and rise for a half hour.
- Preheat your oven to 425° F.
- After a half-hour, remove the tea towel and decorate the top of your bread. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 tsp white pepper, red pepper flakes, and anything else you want to use to decorate it. Parsley flakes, a little shredded cheese… A drizzle of olive oil…
- Bake for 30 minutes and check to see if it's golden brown on top. If not, give it a few more minutes until it's golden brown.
- Remove the skillet from the oven very carefully turn the bread out onto a cooling rack and let cool (pretty side up) for at least a half of an hour before slicing!
Notes
- It is very moist! If you increase it to 4 cups of flour you will have a less fragile, slightly higher loaf.
- I like to slice a large round of bread like this by cutting it in half once. Then cut the half into shorter slices.
- This makes amazing sandwiches if any is leftover.