You'll Love these Cast Iron Skillet Bread Recipes (#4 will make you drool!) (2024)

FAQs

Is cast-iron good to bake bread in? ›

Regular old cast-iron Dutch ovens work pretty darn great for baking bread, but I still prefer using a vessel designed specifically and only for the task, for a bunch of reasons I will get into below.

I simply heat a medium-sized skillet over medium heat, and toast the bread directly in the pan. Just put the bread directly on the hot pan—I use a non-stick pan, so no butter or oil needed, but a well-seasoned cast-iron skillet would be great here too—and let it crisp and brown, 1-2 minutes per side.

What is the best size Dutch oven for bread? I like to use a 4 or 5-quart Dutch oven or a 3.2-quart combo cooker for baking bread. These sizes are large enough to accommodate most bread recipes. If you have a larger Dutch oven, that will work just fine, too.

You need to rinse and thoroughly dry the skillet after each use. Fortunately, cast iron happens to have a nonstick coating that prevents food from burning. Cast iron skillets have been designed to perform a lot of cooking and that's why it is safe to use them in an oven.

The quality of absorbing heat and holding onto it makes cast iron ideal for any recipe that starts on the stove and ends in the oven. From searing a thick steak or spatchco*cked chicken that finishes in the oven to caramelizing apples for a tarte tatin, cast iron is the best possible choice for this kind of cooking.

Yes, you can season the pans for frying, sautéing, or baking in cast iron cookware like pans, pots, or skillets with butter, but it's not the right choice to season it for the first time. Butter immediately starts to smoke when added to a heated pan because cast iron can withstand a lot of heat.

Wash your cast iron cookware by hand. You can use a small amount of soap. If needed, use a pan scraper for stuck on food. For stubborn, stuck-on food, simmer a little water for 3-5 minutes, then use the scraper after the pan has cooled.

Remove dough from the fridge and score with a razor blade. 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.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Bake bread for about 30-33 minutes, or until golden brown on top. Give the top of a loaf a gentle tap; it should sound hollow. Invert the baked loaves onto a wire cooling rack.

Any tips for preventing a thick, hard crust on the bottom of my bread done in a Dutch oven? Make sure you are using a heavy gauge Dutch oven and that it isn't too close to the bottom heat element in your oven. If you are still getting a thick, hard crust, you can put a pillow of foil down, like this.

Why is my Dutch oven bread hard on the bottom? ›

Depending on the size of the loaf, the bottom crust might get overdone or burned. One way to avoid this is to bake smaller loaves that don't stay in the dutch oven as long.

When you buy from Le Creuset, you're paying for high-quality pots and pans that are designed to stand the test of time. Rather than aluminum or stainless steel, Le Creuset craft their pieces from cast iron, which has a much higher heat capacity.

Yes, round slow cookers or oval slow cookers can both be used to bake bread. You're only limited by the size of your slow cooker. In my six-quart oval slow cooker, I was able to bake both round loaves and sandwich loaves inside bread pans.

Should I grease my Dutch oven before baking in it? It's generally not recommended to grease the inside of a Dutch oven for baking, since it can cause your bread to char. Instead, line the Dutch oven with parchment paper before baking.

Our favorite loaf pan is the Williams Sonoma Goldtouch Pro Nonstick Loaf Pan, which baked picture-perfect loaves. We also liked the round-edged Nordic Ware Treat Nonstick Loaf Pan. It had handles, making it easy to pull out of the oven.

Stainless steel: Stainless steel is always a solid choice for bakeware and cookware, as it's tough and conducts heat well. For baking, it's best to have a dull rather shiny pan, as it'll result in a browned crust. Aluminum: In terms of bakeware, aluminum is one of the best choices.

Aluminum is a good conductor of heat and distributes heat evenly, which is important for baking. It's also lightweight, durable, and resistant to warping. Stainless steel is also a popular choice for baking pans, as it's durable, easy to clean, and resistant to rust.

Stoneware and cast iron will hold a lot of heat but that isn't very useful for this type of bread. The big difference that a stoneware loaf pan will make is in the bread's crust. Unglazed stoneware will let some moisture escape during baking.