One-Hour Skillet Focaccia Bread

Some days I feel like I have a handful of awesome go-to bread recipes, so why bother trying new recipes?  And then I stumble across a recipe like this quick focaccia and remember why—because sometimes you find a completely new kind of awesome to add to your arsenal. 

And by arsenal, I mean arsenal of carbs.

Want the best authentic focaccia ever?  This easy no-knead one is my fave!

I was making dinner the other day for myself and a friend, and was having decision issues. I finally decided to go with my pasta with goat cheese, roasted peppers, and chicken sausage since I could make that in my sleep. 

And I also decided to try two new recipes—kohlrabi fries and these delicious oat brown sugar strawberry shortcakes. Then, since I can’t seem to stop myself from overdoing it, I ran across this quick cast iron focaccia bread and HAD to try it.

It was surprisingly easy and also very forgiving (considering I forgot to follow one of the instructions). The texture was awesome, and I loved the flavor of the spices and parmesan cheese.

But the best part was how fast it was. I’ve talked about how difficult it is to find a good bread recipe that I can make when I realize two hours before dinner that I forgot bread. Most of my great artisan recipes take at least 5 or 6 hours, and many of them are overnight.

So to find something that can be on the table in 1-2 hours start to finish is pretty awesome. 

Related:  A Tool to Decide What Bread to Make Based On How Long You Have…

Put the warm water, sugar, and yeast in the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer. You can give it a quick stir or two, just to get the yeast wet, then let it sit until it gets foamy on top (5-10 minutes).

Add 1 cup of flour and the salt, then turn the mixer on low speed and mix until combined.

Add the oil and mix well. Finally, gradually add as much of the remaining cup of flour as you can (it’s okay if it’s only like 3/4 of it) and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

Preheat the oven to 220 F and then turn it off (keep the door closed) and grease the skillet.

Place dough onto a floured surface and fold a few times until you feel it become smooth and not sticky anymore. Shape it into a ball and then roll the dough out into a circle about the size of your skillet.  Place in the greased skillet and stretch up the sides.

Cover with a kitchen towel and place the skillet in the (turned-off) oven for 20 minutes so it can rise. 

Mix up the melted butter, shredded parmesan, and Italian seasoning into a bowl of awesomeness.

Once the dough has risen, take the skillet out of the oven and preheat the oven to 400 F. While the oven is heating, make indentations in the dough with your fingers.

Brush the dough with the butter mixture. Sprinkle a few pinches of sea salt on top of the dough, gives it a nice salty crunch at the end.

Bake for around 20 minutes, until golden brown.

Once done, remove from the oven and brush with additional melted butter or a little olive oil to give it a nice golden finish. Let cool until safe to touch and slice.

Other amazing bread recipes you’ll love:

• Easy Awesome Challah Bread
• Crusty French Baguettes in Less Than An Hour
• Easy Drop Biscuits from Outlander Kitchen
• Simple Rosemary Unleavened Flatbread
• Easy Soft Dinner Rolls
• Samin Nosrat’s Ligurian Focaccia (authentic & amazing…18-24 hours)
• “Quick” Rosemary & Caramelized Onion Focaccia (about 4 hours)

Original recipe here

Quick Focaccia Bread in a Cast Iron Skillet

Yield: 1 12-inch skillet

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

This easy, quick focaccia bread only takes an hour or so, and is made in a cast iron skillet...perfect for any special meal or even a weeknight dinner!

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Ingredients

• For the dough:
• 3/4 cup of warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon of granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of yeast
• 2 tablespoons of olive or canola oil
• 2 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• Sea salt for sprinkling on top
• For the parmesan butter:
• 3 tablespoons of unsalted or salted butter, melted
• 1 tablespoons of shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon of Italian seasoning
• Additional: Extra oil or butter for brushing

Instructions

1. Place water, sugar, and yeast in the large mixing bowl of a stand mixer. You can give it a quick stir or two, just to get the yeast wet. Then leave it and let it sit til foamy on top (5-10 minutes).
2. Turn the mixer on low speed and add 1 cup of flour and the salt. Mix until combined. Add oil and mix well.
3. Finally, gradually add as much of the remaining cup of flour as you can (it's okay if it's only like 3/4 of it) and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Preheat the oven to 220 F and then turn it off (keep the door closed) and grease the skillet. 
5. Place dough onto a floured surface and knead the dough few times until you feel it become smooth and not sticky anymore.
6. Shape into a ball and then roll out the dough into a circle the size of your skillet. Place in skillet and stretch up the sides. Cover with a kitchen towel and place in the (turned-off) oven for 20 minutes to rise.
7. Take the skillet out of the oven once the dough has risen and preheat the oven to 400 F.
8. While the oven is heating, make indentations in the dough with your fingers. Mix the melted butter, parmesan and seasoning in a small bowl.
9. Brush the dough with all of the butter-herb-parmesan mixture, then sprinkle some sea salt on top (just a few pinches).
10. Bake for around 20 minutes, until golden brown. Once done, remove from the oven and brush with the additional melted butter or olive oil. Let cool until safe to touch and slice.

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