Stove-top skillet bread/Photo byGin Lee

Stove-top skillet bread

This is a perfect bread recipe if you don't have an oven or if you don't want to heat up your house while it's baking in the oven. The skillet bread is meant to be cooked on a stovetop burner, but it can also be cooked during the winter on top of a wood stove, and it can also be made over a campfire in a Dutch oven or a cast-iron skillet. Have you ever been in a jam where your oven quit working or you have a gas-heated oven but ran out of fuel? It's been a while since that's happened to me, but it has happened, and nothing is more stressful than not being able to cook the things that you want when you want them. So, today, I thought I would share how I make yummy stovetop bread, just in case you're experiencing one of those types of predicaments.

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 to 2 cups of water
• 3 cups of self-rising flour
• 1 tablespoon of Splenda or sugar
• 1 teaspoon of seasoning salt (I used homemade)
• Canola oil for the skillet and to brush over the dough

Ingredients for my homemade seasoning salt:

Note: This spice recipe will make more seasoning than is required for the bread recipe. Store the extra in a spice jar to have on hand. The seasoning mix can be used in other recipes.

• 1-1/2 tablespoons of lemon pepper
• 3 tablespoons of garlic powder
• 2 tablespoons of onion powder
• 1 tablespoon of dried basil
• 1 tablespoon of dried marjoram
• 1 tablespoon of dried thyme
• 1 tablespoon of dried parsley
• 2 teaspoons of cayenne pepper flakes
• 1 teaspoon of dried tomato flakes

Instructions:

Preparing skillet bread dough/Photo byGin Lee

In a large bowl, start by adding three cups of self-rising flour and one tablespoon of Splenda or sugar together. Stir until both ingredients are combined. Add one teaspoon of seasoning salt and give the flour mixture another quick stir.

Now, pour 1-1/2 cups of water into the seasoned flour mixture and combine with a wooden spoon. Add any additional water if it's needed. The dough should be easy to work with and tacky to the touch, but not overly sticky and wet.

Kneaded the dough/ brushing oil on the dough/Photo byGin Lee

Knead the dough in the bowl with your hands just until it becomes smooth and well combined.

Next, brush canola oil over the dough's surface, then cover the bowl with a tea towel, lid, or plastic wrap. Let the dough rest for about 15 minutes.

Letting the dough rest/Photo byGin Lee

After the dough has rested, generously grease a cast-iron skillet and place it on the burner. Allowing the skillet and oil to get hot. Place the dough in the skillet once the oil is hot and bubbling.

Cooking the bread in a cast-iron skillet on the stovetop/Just flipped the bread over to cook the other side/Photo byGin Lee

Cover and cook the dough on the lowest setting on the stovetop. Allow the bottom of the bread to brown, then flip the bread over to finish cooking the other side. During the cooking time, you may need to add a little more oil to the skillet at various times. It will take 30 to 35 minutes to cook the bread.

Note:

If the edges of your bread aren't browned to your preference, use two large wooden spoons to hold the bread up on the sides and allow the edges to brown. You'll need to turn the bread while holding it in place with the spoons. Every few seconds, rotate the bread until all the edges are browned.

If you want to make your bread in single portions, pinch off a small handful of dough, then roll it in your hands to form a nice shape. Flatten each piece slightly, then place the dough in the heated skillet. Cook until your bread is browned on the bottom, then flip to cook the other side of each.

This bread can also be made over a camp stove or wood stove, and it can be baked in an oven as well.