Stovetop Bread (Printable)

Create tender, golden bread in a skillet—no oven required for this easy method that delivers bakery-style results.

# What You Need:

→ Dough

01 - 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 ½ teaspoons instant dry yeast
03 - 1 teaspoon sugar
04 - 1 teaspoon salt
05 - 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus extra for greasing
06 - 1 cup warm water (110°F)

# How-To:

01 - Combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly to distribute evenly.
02 - Add warm water and olive oil to the dry mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, sticky dough forms.
03 - Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead vigorously for 8–10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.
04 - Place dough in a greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour until doubled in size.
05 - Punch down risen dough to release air. Shape into a round loaf by tucking edges underneath.
06 - Grease a heavy-bottomed skillet or nonstick pan with olive oil. Place shaped dough in the center.
07 - Cover skillet with a tight-fitting lid. Cook over the lowest heat setting for 15 minutes, checking occasionally to prevent burning.
08 - Carefully flip bread using a spatula. Cover and cook for 12–15 minutes until golden brown and hollow when tapped.
09 - Remove bread from pan and transfer to a wire rack. Cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing to preserve texture.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • No oven required, making it perfect for tiny apartments, dorm living, or summer days when you refuse to heat up the kitchen
  • The crust develops this incredible golden crunch while staying pillowy soft inside, like something from a professional bakery
02 -
  • Low heat is absolutely critical, high heat will burn the outside before the inside cooks through, creating a disappointing charred exterior with raw dough inside
  • The tight-fitting lid traps steam, which is what makes the bread puff up and stay soft instead of becoming a dense disk
03 -
  • If your dough feels too sticky to handle, add flour one tablespoon at a time, but resist adding too much or your bread will become tough and dense
  • The hollow sound when tapping the cooked bread is the most reliable way to know it is done, more accurate than visual cues or timing

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