This crusty, cheesy, yeasty bread is super easy and ready to eat in about 2 1/2 hours! As an homage to Grandma, I add white pepper to the crust! Skillet bread is my new obsession! *As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Prep Time2hrs40mins
Total Time2hrs40mins
Course: Appetizer, bread, Breakfast, Side Dish, Snack
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.
If you love this recipe, you may also love my no-knead olive skillet bread!*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Support your favorite food bloggers by rating or liking our recipes, or start your Amazon shopping from a link on a food blog. The blogger receives a small commission, at NO cost to you.