30-Minute Honey Whole Wheat Skillet Bread — Skillet breads bake quicker than bread in loaf pans, so you get to enjoy this bread sooner rather than later. It’s soft, fluffy, chewy, and lightweight with a moist crumb that reminds me of the texture of a moist muffin.
No-Knead Whole Wheat Skillet Bread
Every once in awhile, I get lucky with a recipe. The stars align and things works out better than anticipated.
This cast iron skillet bread is that recipe.
Recipes like this are the good karmic payback for all the caketastrophes, seized chocolate, wasted butter, and various fails that I experience. Fresh, warm, no-knead whole wheat bread in a half hour is great karma.
It’s the easiest bread I’ve ever made. It only takes 3 minutes to mix up the batter in one bowl. It’s so easy you’ll think you’ve missed something.
Simply combine all the ingredients all at once in one bowl, pour buttermilk over the top, stir until just moistened, and turn dough out into the skillet and bake. No kneading, no mixer, no dough hooks. Nothing fancy or complicated, and no tricky steps.
It’s reminiscent of Irish soda bread in appearance, but I avoided the pitfalls that come with soda bread. Usually that’s dry, bland, crumbly, and by the next day it’s even drier. This bread is anything but dry.
I had a little buttermilk to use and wanted a quick and easy bread but didn’t want to remake Browned Butter Buttermilk Banana Bread. Even I didn’t need another banana bread recipe. This week.
Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls were out of the question because they aren’t quick. I loved the loaf of bread that’s created when making Fruit, Seed and Nut Crackers. It’s so good I almost didn’t even want to make crackers with it and haven’t been able to get it out of my mind.
So I recreated a version of it, minus the fruit, seeds, and nuts. I baked in a skillet rather than loaf pan so that it bakes more evenly, and in about one-third the time.
What’s in Whole Wheat Skillet Bread?
To make this no-knead whole wheat bread recipe, you’ll need:
- Whole wheat flour
- All-purpose flour
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Canola oil
- Honey
- Unsulphured molasses
- Brown sugar
- Buttermilk
How to Make Cast Iron Bread
Simply combine all the ingredients except the buttermilk in a large bowl, then slowly add the buttermilk to the mixture. When pouring the buttermilk over the dry ingredients, start with 1 cup, and stir.
The dough should be quite loose, shaggy, and very moist. The flour is like a sponge and seems to inhale the liquid. If it’s at all dry, add up to 1/4 cup more buttermilk so that it’s nicely moistened. I used 1 1/4 cups buttermilk total.
The dough will be lumpy, bumpy, thick, and not at all smooth. Don’t overmix and don’t try to make it smooth. It’s like pancake batter, less is more when it comes to stirring and mixing.
Turn dough out into the skillet in a circular mound that’s about 6 inches in diameter and bake for 15 minutes at 400F, rotate the skillet 180 degrees to ensure even baking, lower the oven temp to 350F and continue to bake for 10 minutes at 350F, or until browned and done.
Starting out with a hotter blast of air and then reducing the temperature helps create internal steam, helping the dough rise better, which creates a puffier loaf than if you bake at 350F the whole time. The same principle applies to muffins create bakery-style, high-domed muffin tops.
After removing the skillet from oven, turn bread out of the skillet and onto a rack immediately because the carryover heat will continue to cook the bread and the bottom will become too browned.
After the bread has cooled completely, I wrap it in plasticwrap, and slide it into a large Ziplock or airtight container, where it’ll keep for 4 days, or freeze for up to 3 months. But leftovers weren’t an issue here.
It’s moist and flavorful enough that ripping off soft hunks and enjoying them plain and fresh was just fine; and with a little hummus or butter, even better.
I used it for PB & J sandwiches with Homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter. So good.
It’s soft, fluffy, chewy, and lightweight without being airy, crumbly, or dry. The crust isn’t a tough or overly hearty and the interior has a moist crumb that reminds me of the texture of a moist muffin. Buttermilk always works miracles keeping things light, moist, and tender.
It’s has just a very slight hint of both honey and molasses amidst the heartier wheat flavor. It’s not a ‘sweet bread’ and the honey just takes the edge off the wheat, which can sometimes be a little bitter or earthy.
On a work-reward scale, this is the type of recipe you wish every other recipe could be like. Three minutes of effort for a scrumptious loaf of soft bread.
The hardest part is waiting 25 whole minutes for it to come of of the oven.
What Skillet Should I Use?
I used my Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 10-1/4-Inch Skillet to make this cast iron skillet bread recipe. If you don’t have an oven-safe skillet, this 10-inch pre-seasoned cast iron pan
is $15 bucks. With almost 2800 4.5/5 star ratings, you really can’t go wrong. Or, bake it on a baking sheet. No excuses not to bake this easy loaf.
Can I Use All Whole Wheat Flour?
For the flour, I used a combo of whole wheat and all-purpose, one cup of each. I’m sure you could use a combination of your favorite flours including whole wheat pastry flour, bread flour, ground oats, rye, or almond flour. I’d be reluctant to use more than 50% wheat or another similarly low gluten flour because they’re more resistant to rising.
Can I Use Gluten-Free Flour?
I don’t know how gluten-free flours and baking blends will behave, but because of the buttermilk, you have as good of a chance of any as getting some height and lift, even without gluten.
Can I Use a Buttermilk Substitute?
If you don’t keep buttermilk on hand, pick up a container of Cultured Buttermilk Powder. Not all grocery stores have it, but it’s in the baking aisle. It’s shelf stable, and just mix a couple tablespoons with water for buttermilk.
Or, make homemade buttermilk by adding 2 tablespoons white vinegar (or lemon juice) to 1 cup milk, wait 10 minutes to allow it to curdle, stir; use as necessary. Or, add 1/4 cup yogurt to about 1 cup milk, stir, and use as necessary.
Those options give you many of the benefits of a cultured milk and for a this recipe, they’ll likely be fine. However, I don’t recommend the shortcuts for a very fancy cake or fussy recipe that calls for buttermilk. Use the real thing.
Tips for the Best Whole Wheat Bread
If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, I recommend using a 9×9-inch baking pan and bake it in there, or use about half of a 9×13-inch pan. The bread is not at all dry or crumbly. In fact, it’s so moist that I fear if you bake it in a 9×5-inch or standard loaf pan, rather than a skillet, it’ll never cook through in the center before the edges burn.
If you’re not consuming this bread immediately and it stays on a rack to cool for an hour or two, you may observe a fair amount of water released that’s pooled underneath the rack. Mine released about 3 tablespoons in 1 hour.
I store all my fully cooled bread by wrapping it in plastic wrap, then placing it inside a large Ziplock where it stays fresh for up to 4 days. Bread may also be frozen for up to 3 months.
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30 Minute Honey Whole Wheat Skillet Bread
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon unsulphered molasses (I recommend a medium molasses
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed (I use light brown)
- 1 ¼ cups buttermilk*, see Buttermilk Tips below if you don't have it on hand
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Spray an enameled cast-iron skillet with cooking spray, grease a seasoned cast iron skillet, or prepare an oven-safe skillet; set aside. My skillet is 10 1/4-inches and I recommend a skillet from 8 to 12 inches in diameter. Alternatively, bake bread on a Silpat-lined or greased baking sheet.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients in the order listed, except the buttermilk, and give a quick stir to mix them.
- Pour 1 cup buttermilk over the top. Stir to combine. Dough should be quite loose, shaggy, and very moist. The flour is like a sponge, and if dough is at all dry, add up to 1/4 cup buttermilk so that it's nicely moistened, and stir until just combined (I used 1 1/4 cups buttermilk total). Dough will be lumpy, bumpy, thick, and not at all smooth; don't overmix and don't try to make it smooth.
- Turn dough out into skillet in a circular mound that's about 6 inches in diameter and 3 to 4 inches high. Score top of bread with a knife, making a cross.
- Bake at 400F for 15 minutes. Lower the temperature to 350F and bake for 10 minutes, or until bread is golden and done. (When I lower the temperature to 350F, I also rotate my skillet by 180 degrees to ensure even baking).
- With a large spatula, slide or nudge bread out onto a wire rack immediately to cool. Don't keep it in the skillet because it will continue to cook and bottom will get too browned. Serve after it's sufficiently cooled.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I’m eating my first piece now! ABSOLUTLEY DELICIOUS:) will most definitely be making again!
Thanks for trying it and glad you love it!
Just tried this today. Wanted to let you know my hubby likes it better than my other whole wheat quick bread recipes–it has a lighter texture. I couldn’t locate my iron skillets (still putting things away after the kitchen renovation … ) so I made it on a baking sheet. It didn’t puff up very high but we like our breads in all shapes and sizes! Thanks for yet another good recipe!
Kris I’m thrilled to hear this and I think if you baked it in your skillet rather than freefrom on a baking sheet, you’d get the rise and puff, but sounds like everything worked out just fine! :)
Here’s another one you may like if you like this concept
just made this a 2nd time, this time I used scant less than 1C buttermilk, and baked in round pyrex casserole dish…still not as high as picture (because I used bread flour instead of AP?) But still delicious and moist. Oh, also only baked for 10 min at 400 and 7 min at 350 (but maybe my oven is hot) absolutely LOVE this bread and I’m not a fan of wheat bread by any means.
Hi Carol and thanks for trying the recipe and so glad you love it – even though you’re not even a big wheat bread eater! With recipes like this where pan sizes can vary, buttermilk, flours, climate, etc…it’s impossible to say why some loaves rise higher than others. I use King Arthur flour nearly exclusively in my baking and swear by it. Some brands of wheat are very dense and that can inhibit rising/puffing. Also if you cut back on the milk, that can also do it, too. The more liquid available, generally the more it will help a loaf rise (this is true in yeast bread baking too). Sloppy (to a point) is a good thing with breads. Sounds like it turned out just fine though!
The flavor of the bread is very good. I used just one cup of buttermilk and the bread was very moist. I had to cook the bread extra because it wasn’t completely cooked all the way through but it may have made the bread pretty thick. Other than the adjusted cooking time the bread was very good! Love the sweetness it had! And love how quick it is to prepare. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad to hear you enjoyed it and yes sometimes ovens and ingredients vary with moisture so always bake til done, whatever that number happens to be :) Thanks for trying the recipe!
This will decidedly be going on my “must try” list.
Great! LMK if you do!
So…I made this last night for my parents and boyfriend. Later in the evening, my dad called out my name, sounding alarmed. I was like, “What’s the matter?” He asked if this bread was hard to make, I laughed and said no, to which, and I am not kidding, he put his hand on his heart and said, “Oh please make it again. It is amazing.” He wants raisins in it. I didn’t taste the bread myself, so I am not sure if that’s weird, but I am making more tomorrow night at any rate. Thank you!! (I used a 10 inch skillet and it was not right… I could not get it thick to be 3-4 inches and it looked like it could have fit in a 6 in? I only needed one cup of buttermilk, too, maybe less? No clue.) It doesn’t matter…this is a keeper. Thanks so MUCH.
He would probably like these, too, then, right?
Glad you and your boyf and family all loved it and what you did with regard to skillet size, flour, buttermilk, etc. – sounds like it all worked out perfectly. If you liked this bread then yes, you’d like the whole wheat make ahead dinner rolls but I will be honest based on work/reward/taste, you are not going to find a better bang for the buck recipe, if you will, than this skillet bread :) I don’t want to talk you out of the yeast rolls but they’re more work than the skillet bread.
I have a recipe coming later this week though that’s realllllllly good and it’s a no-yeast loaf of bread that’s amazing. Sit tight and wait for that one, too!
I wish I could hug you! Thanks!!!
Cooked amazingly well – gorgeously moist and brown and fragrant. I think my only problem was it tasted too sweet to me, but I’ve noticed that’s a bit of an issue with US recipes – I’m Australian, maybe we just like less sugar? I’d be tempted to add some cinnamon and eat this as cinnamon toast, or maybe halve the sweet components for the next time I make it – do you think it would still work out okay? Lovely recipes, anyway – I’ve tried your honey dinner rolls and your sandwich bread, and they’ve both been amaaaazing :D
There’s only 2 tbsp honey and 1 tbsp brown sugar for the entire loaf of bread but if you found that too sweet, you could reduce those amounts, some.
You need some sugar in yeast-making bread for the yeast, but since there’s no yeast here, you can remove, as desired.
I like honey-whole wheat bread and don’t think 2 tbsp for a whole loaf is much at all but everyone’s ingredients and preferences are different, i.e. some whole wheat flour can be pretty bitter and some people will write saying the bread tastes too ‘wheaty’ otherwise.
So glad you like this recipe as well as the dinner rolls and sandwich bread, too! Thanks for trying all of them! :)
Thanks for the tips! It’s possible our whole wheat flour is different, too. What we call wholemeal flour is really still fairly finely milled, strangely, and I haven’t noticed much of a difference in terms of texture when I bake with it. Ingredients vary so much from country to country!
I’m interested in trying your challah recipe next, we can’t get it here and I’ve only had it once. Excited :)
What a great, easy recipe. Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks, Barbara! Enjoy :)
Wow – I can’t believe how easy this is! What a great recipe!
Thanks, Kristen :)
THANK YOU, THANK YOU!! I own a bakery, Jenny’s Creative Creations, and it takes forever to hand knead and shelf rise our Honey Ma’s Gluten friendly line. This is so fast. I added raisins, nuts, cinnamon, and nutmeg and named it Cowboy Caviar. We sell out daily! As for gluten free, I added a little baking powder to the flours to give them PUFF; works fairly well. Thanks again.
I love the looks of this bread! Just curious, though… the buttermilk powder I bought (from King Arthur Flour) says not to “reconstitute” before baking. Just mix in with the dry ingredients… Will this actually work? You mentioned mixing it with water beforehand. I want to make this bread but am super suspicious of this powder!
You know I don’t use the product tons. When I do use it, I’ve mixed it with water first AND I’ve added it to the dry ingredients. The things I’ve made, i.e. quickbreads and muffins, have turned out either way. That said, for this bread, I used real buttermilk and would suggest either using real buttermilk (since it’s so key to this bread and rising, etc.) OR I would follow the directions to the letter of the law on the packaging for whatever powdered b-milk that you use. LMK how it goes!
Made this…very strange bread. Mine spread quite a bit in the skillet and was sweeter than I thought. Won’t make again.
You could reduce or omit the sugar if you want more of a savory bread and also add more flour/less buttermilk if you want it to spread less. With any type of bread recipe, always adjust your dough to how it looks to you in the mixing bowl, flouring or playing the the liquid ratios just slightly can have a big impact on how much a bread will rise. Thanks for trying it!