Rustic Garlic Rosemary Skillet Bread Recipe
This Rustic Garlic Rosemary Skillet Bread is a flavorful homemade bread featuring roasted garlic and fresh rosemary, baked to perfection in a cast-iron skillet. The bread boasts a crispy golden crust with a soft, airy interior, bursting with aromatic herb and sweet garlic notes. Perfectly suited for sharing or accompanying meals, this no-knead recipe offers an easy way to create bakery-quality bread at home using simple ingredients and traditional techniques.
- Prep Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 1 rustic skillet bread, serves 6-8 1x
- Category: Bread
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
For the Bread Dough:
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (or bread flour)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 packet (2 ¼ teaspoons) active dry yeast
- 1 ¼ cups warm water (about 110°F)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Flavoring:
- 4 cloves garlic, roasted and mashed
- 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
- 1 teaspoon olive oil (for brushing)
- ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt (for topping)
Instructions
- Roast the Garlic: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Cut the top off a whole garlic bulb to expose the cloves, drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil, wrap it in foil, and roast for 30–35 minutes until the cloves are soft and caramelized. Allow to cool, then squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and mash into a smooth paste. Set aside.
- Prepare the Dough: In a small bowl, stir warm water and sugar, sprinkle yeast on top, and let it sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour and salt. Pour in the yeast mixture and olive oil, then add the mashed roasted garlic and chopped rosemary. Mix just until the dough comes together. Cover with a towel and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Shape and Second Rise: Punch down the risen dough gently to release air bubbles. Lightly grease a cast-iron skillet with olive oil and transfer the dough into it, shaping into a rough circle. Cover again and let rise for another 20 minutes while preheating the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Bake the Bread: Before baking, brush the dough top with olive oil and sprinkle flaky sea salt. Bake in the preheated oven for 25–30 minutes until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove and let cool for at least 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Notes
- Roast the garlic a day before baking to deepen flavors further and store mashed garlic in an airtight container in the fridge.
- A cast-iron skillet is ideal for achieving a crisp, evenly baked crust; alternatively, use an oven-safe baking dish or pizza stone.
- Mix dough just enough to combine ingredients; avoid overworking to keep the texture light and airy.
- To add a wholesome touch, substitute half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour.
- Allow bread to cool before slicing to ensure clean cuts and maintain texture.
Keywords: rustic bread, garlic bread, rosemary bread, skillet bread, no-knead bread, homemade bread, roasted garlic bread, easy bread recipe
