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

FAQs

Is cast-iron good for bread making? ›

But the real magic comes from the cast-iron Dutch oven, the perfect vessel for baking bread. It acts like an oven-within-the-oven, maintaining a high and steady heat that transforms this sticky dough into a gorgeous round loaf with a crisp crust and excellent crumb structure.

Transfer the dough to the prepared Dutch oven, cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Put the pot over medium-low heat and cook until the internal temperature of the bread registers 200 degrees F, 20 to 25 minutes.

The disadvantages of cast iron

Additionally, cast iron pans require regular maintenance, including seasoning and careful cleaning, to prevent rust and maintain their non-stick surface. Improper cleaning or using harsh cleaning agents can strip away the seasoning and damage the pan.

For one, cast iron pans aren't perfectly smooth and foods like eggs may get stuck. For the best results, make sure to keep your cast iron pan seasoned, and preheat the skillet for a few minutes before you add any food to it. This allows the pan to heat evenly and prevents most food from sticking. Add fat as needed.

Cast iron: While cast iron requires more care than the other materials on this list, its heat retention and distribution are second to none, resulting in beautifully browned loaves every time. However, it's heavy and is hand wash only.

Yes, I periodically season the Dutch oven I use to bake my bread—it is cast iron after all. I simply apply a thin layer of vegetable oil all over the pot.

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.

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.

Usually bread will be dense when there is too much flour. Keep in mind this dough will be sticky and shaggy, do not add any more flour than specified. Other factors that come into play are humidity and age of flour. Little yeast, long rise, sticky dough are keys to a good, light loaf.

The lid of the Dutch oven traps in the steam created from the liquid in the bread dough. It's the steam that gives you good oven spring and an airy crumb. Without it, the crust would harden too quickly and your bread would likely not expand to its full potential.

What is the best pan for toasting bread? ›

Toast scratches, so save your best Non-Stick pans for omeletes and dig out that old pan. You could use heavy Cast Iron Skillets (which feel like a waste to heat up for a slice of bread) or Carbon steel pans.

When you butter your bread before toasting it, the butter has nowhere to go but down as it melts, so it seeps into the whole piece of bread rather than staying on the top surface (via The U.S. Sun). Instead of dry toast slathered with cold, thick butter, you get unctuous toast with a crispy top and perfect mouthfeel.

For the ideal grilled cheese, look for bread with a soft-but-hearty texture with even slices of medium thickness (about 1/4 inch). Hearty sandwich bread, sourdough, brioche, and rye all work very well. Avoid rolls and loaves with large holes in the interior.

To prevent burning, use coarse cornmeal or wheat bran

Coarsely ground corn (polenta or corn grits) works exceptionally well to provide a thin layer of insulation between your dough and the Dutch oven. This layer helps keep the dough from sticking to the cast iron but also lifts it up to prevent burning.

A great loaf pan bakes evenly browned, neatly shaped loaves. It should be made from aluminized steel for optimized browning and have a nonstick coating that releases loaves immediately when turned over and is easy to clean. Finally, a good loaf pan is versatile and can handle yeasted bread, batter bread, and sourdough.