14 Cast Iron Skillet Bread Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What size cast iron skillet for baking bread? ›

Rustic Cast Iron Skillet Bread – Extra-Large Loaf. This loaf can be baked in a 10.25” or 12” cast iron skillet. I do not recommend using enamel coated cast iron for this recipe if you are baking it on the grill.

Place a cast iron skillet on the bottom rack of the oven. Place the dough on a piece of parchment paper, if using, and carefully set it on the preheated baking stone. Carefully add the boiling water to the cast iron skillet and close the oven door.

Yes, I always like to preheat the Dutch oven inside my home oven before baking bread.

It's fine to place the dough into a buttered or oiled tin (providing the tin is non stick). This sourdough focaccia can also be baked using just olive oil in a cast iron skillet.

Yes, a 15-inch cast iron skillet is too big for most people. They're not practical since they are difficult to cook with and store.

Cast iron is able to reach high heats and maintain constant temperatures, creating a Maillard reaction on the bread's exterior—aka a seemingly simple but rather complicated set of chemical reactions that take place as food is cooked, affecting both color and the complexity of flavor.

It doesn't matter if you use an enamel-coated cast-iron Dutch oven or a traditional black cast-iron Dutch oven. As long as you have a lid to cover it, the bread comes out perfectly every time. I found that using a 4- to 6-quart Dutch oven yields the perfect round shape.

Raw cast iron needs to be seasoned to make it nonstick and rust-resistant, while enameled Dutch ovens are somewhat nonstick and protected out of the box. High-quality enamel coatings are expensive, which is why enameled Dutch ovens cost more than their standard cast iron counterparts.

Most cast iron skillets these days come pre-seasoned, meaning they're ready for cooking on as soon as you take them out of the box. However, over time, the seasoning erodes, and you'll need to re-apply it by brushing the skillet with a thin layer of neutral oil and heating it until the oil bonds to the metal.

I'd recommend 425-450F to ensure the skillet slightly surpasses that temperature throughout. Wait 30 minutes to 1 hour. Let the cast iron skillet bake in the oven for 30 minutes to 1 hour. You will see some smoke radiate from the pan as the oil begins to polymerize.

Can I use parchment paper on cast iron? ›

Several of our experts recommend using parchment paper when baking with cast iron.

Apply a light layer of butter, cooking spray, or oil on the back of the parchment paper and press it down to your surface. Tear two sheets long enough to extend over the edge of the counter. Place dough (and lightly flour, if needed) on one sheet. Cover with the second sheet.

Summary: Aluminum foil can endure high temperatures, but doesn't have the non-stick qualities of parchment paper. Be sure to grease it thoroughly if using it in the oven.

The two most popular bread pan sizes are 9×5 and 8½x4½ inches. Both sizes are typically 2½ inches tall. While the difference in sizes seems small, it actually equals a 15% difference in capacity. That can really affect the outcome of your bake—especially in quick breads and those that use less than three cups of flour.

Dutch oven bread recipes often call for a 5.5-quart pot, which makes these Dutch ovens more desirable for baking, which inspires more recipes — and the delicious cycle continues. All that to say, if you don't have a Dutch oven yet, a 5.5-quart Dutch oven will set you up for decades of baking.

Also, the 5-qt. Dutch oven is as heavy as I'd want to deal with removing from a hot oven. I think the 7-qt. would also work, but you don't really need one that big for making the bread recipe.

If your loaf pan is too big, your loaf may not rise as tall as you'd like. If your pan is too small, the batter may overflow. Learn how to choose the best pan for the bread you're baking, plus how to make successful pan substitutions.