Tessa’s Recipe Rundown
Taste: I absolutely adore the fresh, earthy, piney taste of rosemary, especially when combined with salty Parmesan cheese!
Texture: The bread develops a wonderfully crisp, rich crust, while the inside is light and tender.
Ease: Ridiculously easy.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe: The dough comes together in a matter of minutes and using the cast iron pan means no shaping. Not to mention it creates a beautiful crust!
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Bread really doesn’t need to be intimidating or complicated, which is why I love to share recipes like this super easy No Knead Rosemary Parmesan Skillet Bread!
It’s so simple, and the perfect beginner bread if you’ve never baked your own bread before.
There’s nothing like a loaf of fresh-baked bread, warm from the oven! The smell is absolutely intoxicating. I think I was born to bake bread. It’s one of my very favorite things to do.
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How to Make No-Knead Rosemary Parmesan Skillet Bread
Which Yeast Should I Use for Skillet Bread?
- No Knead Rosemary Parmesan Skillet Bread utilizes a shortcut ingredient: instant yeast, also called rapid rise or quick rise yeast.
- One of the three should be available at most grocery stores or you can buy my all-time favorite yeast on Amazon.
- These types of yeast are specifically formulated to allow you to skip proofing (aka the step where you combine the yeast with warm liquid for 5 minutes). You can add instant yeast directly into the mix with all of the ingredients.
What if I Only Have Active Dry Yeast?
If you don’t have or can’t find instant yeast, you can easily use active dry yeast instead at a 1:1 ratio. Add it right in with the dry ingredients like instant yeast, but just note that the dough will take about 20% longer to rise.
Alternatively, you can speed up that rise time slightly; simply combine it with the warm water and a pinch of the sugar called for in the recipe, and allow it to proof until it becomes bubbly (about 5 minutes) before adding into the bowl with the other ingredients. Learn more about the different types of yeast, and how to substitute yeasts, here.
How to Tell When Dough Has Risen
- After mixing, place the dough in a lightly oiled mixing bowl or directly into the oiled skillet.
- I like to take a picture of the dough before rising, so I can compare to see how much it has risen later.
- Cover the bowl or skillet loosely with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft-free location.
- The amount of time the dough will take to rise depends on your kitchen environment.
- Ideal rise temperatures are between 80°F and 90°F.
- Lower temperatures will require more rising time; hotter temperatures will require less rising time.
- The dough is done rising when it’s about doubled in volume and puffy.
Can I Mix Up the Toppings?
Absolutely! Feel free to add different herbs and spices, change up the cheese, and experiment with adding other toppings. Crumbled feta or goat cheese, torn fresh mozzarella, olives, cherry tomatoes, or fresh garlic cloves are all delicious touches. Homemade everything bagel seasoning also adds a fun flavor.
How to Serve No Knead Rosemary Parmesan Skillet Bread
- Serve alongside a delicious soup, like my Chicken Pot Pie Soup
- Dip the bread in oil & balsamic
- Slather with butter
- Serve with pasta
- Or any other way your heart desires!
More Recipes You’ll Love:
- Garlic Knot Rolls – soft, fluffy, and drenched in garlic butter!
- Copycat Olive Garden Breadsticks
- Red Lobster Homemade Cheesy Garlic Biscuits
- Homemade Hawaiian Rolls
- Ultimate Dinner Rolls
- Focaccia Bread
No Knead Rosemary Parmesan Skillet Bread
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Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) instant yeast
- 2 cups lukewarm water (about 100°F)
- 4 1/2 cups (574 grams) all-purpose flour,
measured correctly - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the yeast and water. Add half the flour in and stir with a wooden spoon. Add the rosemary, salt, and remaining flour and stir until combined. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Or, you can let the dough rise in the skillet (next step).
- Brush 2 tablespoons olive oil over the bottom of a 10 or 12-inch cast iron skillet. Sprinkle the dough and your hands with flour before shaping it into a disk. Dough will be sticky, it doesn’t have to be perfectly shaped. Place in the skillet, cover loosely, let rise until puffy, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Drizzle additional olive oil over the top of the bread. Slash the dough with a sharp knife to create an X shape. Sprinkle with rosemary leaves. Bake for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle all over with the Parmesan cheese. Return to oven and bake for an additional 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Recipe Notes
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This post was originally published in 2016 and has been updated with additional baking tips. Photos by Jess Larson.
Last night, I made this delicious recipe and for the last one fourth of the flour required, I realized I wasn’t going to have enough. However, I used 1/4 c. of almond flour and the bread turned out crispy on outside and moist and fluffy on the inside. Another tip when using the skillet, if you noticed the bread’s too crispy when you made it last, turn the oven off the last 3 minutes or so and let it sit in the oven for the remaining time. I pulled it out and the crust looked GOLDEN and beautiful. Also, since I did not have enough flour to form a dough ball for shaping, i just coated my hands with Olive Oil.
Hi – i just made this last night, and it was good but was a little doughy in the middle. Good outside crust and good flavor, just not too fluffy on the inside….a bit dense and doughy. I followed the directions exactly. Should I have cooked a bit longer? What do you think happened?
Made this for the first time and pretty much followed the recipe. I did use half white flour and half wheat flour and made a total of 3 batches. Two of the batches were halved and made using 9″ pans. The smaller loaves were given as gifts to neighbors on News Year Day. Like others cut the heat down and less time to ensure the bread was not overcooked. The only CON is the cheese flakes off when bread is cut.
the only CON is the chees flakes off when bread is cut. All in all very pleased and can’t wait to get more adventurous with the recipe (like putting cheese and garlic in the dough)..
Currently have 3 loaves rising overnight and fingers crossed for the best. Used fresh rosemary from garden but smells so good. Looking forward to baking tomorrow morning and taking hot loaves to neighbors.
Thank you so much for this recipe!!!! It was awesome! I made the bread, roasted garlic shrimp, an arugula salad with lemon dressing, Tuscan chicken and chocolate lava cakes!! What a fantastic 25th Anniversary dinner!!! And the bread was so easy!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Tessa, I wanted to add that I have a beloved cast iron skillet that has been in use in my family by my Grandma then my Mamma and now by me. Grandma told me she had used it since her first daughter was born in 1915! It has as an incredible black patina and works as well as a non-stick pan. It is the perfect vessel for this bread as well as Corn Bread!
OMG! I LOVE this bread! I am a diabetic so I keep close watch on my carb intake. I was attracted to the recipe since I have a large Herb garden and figured I could modify it to use several types of herbs, also- no added fat to the recipe! It was so quick and easy, and soooo delicicious! Long story short, I now bake a loaf a week and I have modified it every time and it is always wonderful. I make and eat a lot of soups (home-made creamy chicken noodle tonight) and a crusty piece of bread is just the ticket for a cozy winter meal. Tonight I have modified this loaf by omitting the cheese and adding toasted sunflower seeds and toasted chopped almonds plus sea salt. It also makes wonderful sandwiches and am planning a terrific tuna salad with chopped apples and celery for lunch next week. Easy, quick and healthy, what’s not too like?
Hi Tessa,
I’m not a baker. No, really, not even close!
BUT I love to cook and am pretty darn good…and since I’m making a new, made-up home recipe for sauce, I figured what goes better with pasta and sauce than homemade bread! And here I am, thanks to Pinterest!
Wish me luck…I need it (it’s in the oven now).
The recipe says 15 min to mix and 40 to bake, but doesn’t include rising time, so that’s pretty misleading and not well edited.
The total time is 2 hours. You have to include the rise time in there.
Hi Laurie – the rise time is included on my back end but for some reason it’s not displaying properly. I’m having this looked into!
I’m making this bread right now! It rose beautifully, and now it’s baking! I’m making it in my cast iron skillet that has been handed down in the family – it’s over 100 years old!
I am 55 yrs old. This is my 1time Ever making homemade bread. I choose your Rosemary and Parmesan Cheese Skillet Bread. I’m at the 1st rising stage. I’m also very excited. I’m making it my life event Facebook. Thank You for these recipes. I’m going to make them all. X