# Anyone make Skillet bread?



## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

When I was growing up we ate a lot this bread. Mom would make up a quick mixture of flour, baking powder, egg, salt, and water and then she drop quarter cupfuls into a hot, oiled skillet and fry the bread for a few minutes on each side. It was bread made quickly and it looks like a fat pancake that is unsweetened. If we was having breakfast gravy she would pour the whole batter mixture into the frying pan and end up with one great big fat looking pancake. Then we would just break peices off and sop up our gravy with it. But with the smaller individual fryed bread we would sometimes use the leftovers for sandwich bread. This could also be done with cornmeal too, if you needed some quick cornbread to go with your beans.

I think mom always made skillet bread during the summer time cause she didn't like to fire up the oven since we didn't have A/C back in those days. Or I should say, only the very rick people had A/C, us poor country folks only had window fans. 

I was thinking if times are gettin to hard for you and you can't afford to buy or bake bread, then you might could get by with making Skillet Bread.


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## oth47 (Jan 11, 2008)

Regardless whether made with flour or cornmeal,these were called flitters..haven't had them in a long time.Gosh,what a memory jolt!!


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## hintonlady (Apr 22, 2007)

Sounds yummy if you aren't worried about the fried part.

I tried to look for some quick recipes. Found some that used flour and no egg or some that used corn meal and an egg. Can you be more specific which one your Mom made. I am sure both are good and also distinctly different.

I also like to make chapati, nann, tortillas, biscuits and fry bread when in a rush. If I have time I make a baguette that would knock anyones socks off, all with only flour, yeast. water and salt. Of course it rises several times and takes the better part of a day. 

It takes a little practice to make them better than store bought but it is sooooo worth the effort. Bread making in general is a lost art, it's a shame too because so many folks have such find memories of it in their Mommas or Grandmas kitchen.

Sorry to ramble and hijack, bread making is like a secret passion of mine.


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

a recipe us non-cooks could follow would be nice. If i just dumped some flour, oil, egg and BP in a hot skillet...I would get rocks. Seems if a heat source was hard to get this would be a great bread to make. ( as well as other times, of course, but JIC)


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## oth47 (Jan 11, 2008)

Don't need a recipe,this was hard times bread.Grandma seldom used egg,just self rising flour if she had it and water or milk..if plain flour she added the baking powder,stir it up,drop it in the pan,let it fry.If she had the sugar and vanilla to spare,sometimes she'd add it so soothe a sweet tooth for me.She also made what she called batterbread,flour and water stirred together and baked in the oven.When I made batterbread for the kids they called it johnnybread and still eat it..I love it.


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

> Sounds yummy if you aren't worried about the fried part.


There is minimal oil used, just a light coating on the pan


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## MamaTiger (Jun 11, 2008)

Hoe cake was the name my daddy had for this sort of bread. Flour, lard or some type of grease, and milk or water mixed together. Pat into a cast iron frying pan and cook til brown then turn and cook some more. We like it with syrup.

Fried cornbread--my grandmother used to make a mixture of flour and cornmeal with oil and salt and water--batter should be a tad runny. then drop by spoonfuls into hot frying oil. Cook, turn over, and cook a bit more. Place on newspaper to drain. Excellent hot or cold.


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## Betho (Dec 27, 2006)

Interesting! I'll have to try it sometime. Never made that but I do make tortillas! I am 90% to perfecting my recipe for the best big, thin, stretchy, chewy burrito style tortillas.


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## Cyngbaeld (May 20, 2004)

I nearly always make some sort of skillet bread instead of raised and baked. Too many yrs without an oven, I guess.


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## Jerngen (May 22, 2006)

Hmmm...... never experimented with this type of bread before. Can definitely see the benefits to it tho, will be trying it soon. Especially with camping season coming up soon!


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## Jerngen (May 22, 2006)

Betho said:


> Interesting! I'll have to try it sometime. Never made that but I do make tortillas! I am 90% to perfecting my recipe for the best big, thin, stretchy, chewy burrito style tortillas.


Please share the recipe with us some time


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## Guest (Jan 17, 2011)

We always called it fry bread, though it wasn't really fried. It was just cooked in a greasy skillet.


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## Shrarvrs88 (May 8, 2010)

called it fry bread, herre, too. Yummy stuff.


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

I've been experimenting around here lately trying to figure out just what mom used when making skillet bread. I think I'm close.

1 cup flour
1 tbsp baking powder
1 egg
Dash of salt 
enough water to make the mixture creamy. but not too runny. Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a skillet, or cooking spray on heated griddle about 350 degrees. Spoon mixture into hot skillet and let fry. When bubbles appear on top and start busting it is time to turn the cakes over. Then fry for a couple minutes and they should be ready. They will puff up into a thick pancake. 

I used the very same recipe for corn patties. Just substituted self rising cornmeal for the flour. They were very good. Although next time I'm gonna do some experimenting and mix in some chopped onions and jalapeno peppers and see what they taste like.


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## mpillow (Jan 24, 2003)

Oldcountryboy said:


> I've been experimenting around here lately trying to figure out just what mom used when making skillet bread. I think I'm close.
> 
> 1 cup flour
> 1 tbsp baking powder
> ...


Maybe Sauteed first? the onion and pepper...add to mix...use the same pan for cooking?...infused cast iron....yummy!


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## Txrider (Jun 25, 2010)

oth47 said:


> if plain flour she added the baking powder,stir it up,drop it in the pan,let it fry.


That's what I do, I cook it sometimes when out camping. It's nice with a little Cinnamon and some raisins in it too with a little sugar if desired. Easy to carry the ingredients pre mixed in zip lock baggies and just add water and cook when I stop to camp. Usually alongside some kind of meat or something.


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## logbuilder (Jan 31, 2006)

Found this on a search:

SKILLET BREAD 

2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 c. cold water
Shortening for frying

Stir dry ingredients together in a bowl. Stir in water until thoroughly combined and batter is smooth.

Melt about 3 tablespoons shortening in large iron skillet over medium-high heat. Drop batter into skillet as you would for a medium size pancake. Cook until golden brown on each side, adding shortening as needed. Center will be moist, outside crispy. Serve hot with butter or use to dip in soups or stews.

I'm gonna be trying it.


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## tamsam (May 12, 2006)

I don't remember what we called it but my Mom and Grandmother would make buscit dough and bake in a greased cast iron fry pan. Dang it I may try this soon. Just have to get self rising flour. Sam


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## Callieslamb (Feb 27, 2007)

Why didn't you just say you were making pancakes? :smack


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## NoClue (Jan 22, 2007)

I've never made it, but one of the best meals I ever ate was skillet bread and red-eye gravy. I don't even know the name of the woman who made it for me - she was a friend of my first evil step-mother who felt compassion for me during a bad time in my life. Funny how, nearly 40 years later, I still remember the taste of that bread.


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## Ruby (May 10, 2002)

I've made both the flour ones and the corn meal ones. For the flour ones just use a cup or so, depending on how much you want to make. Add a teaspoon (when I say teaspoon I'm talking about a regular small spoon you eat with, not a measuring spoon) of baking powder, about a fourth teaspoon salt mix together. Then add enough water to make a dough that is thinner than biscuit dough but not as thick as pancake batter. Mabe a just a little thicker than cake dough. Spoon it into hot grease. Your pan don't neet to be so hot it will burn the batter because it will rise and not get done in the center. It's something you will just have to practise with.

The corn meal one is made just like corn bread only you make the batter a little thicker and spoon it into the grease.

Haven't made these in about 3 years because I'm trying to keep my weight down but they are really good. Eat them with beans, or even like pancakes with butter and syrup. Sausage and gravy. Just anything you would normally eat bread with. Nothing is better than a good pot of pinto beans, crispy fried potatoes and a fresh out of the garden tomato and a couple rounds of fried bread.


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## Guest (Jan 18, 2011)

Callieslamb said:


> Why didn't you just say you were making pancakes? :smack


It's not like a pancake. The texture is more similar to a biscuit.


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## Stephen in SOKY (Jun 6, 2006)

We just used runny biscuit dough. Actually, we kept a tupperware container in the fridge with dough just for fried biscuits. They didn't resemble pancakes at all. We primarily had them in the summer when heating the oven would only exacerbate the already oppressive temperature and humidity. I recall we had beef hash over them often.


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## grandma12703 (Jan 13, 2011)

put some refried beans and lettuce, onions, cheese and it makes a great meal.


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## naturelover (Jun 6, 2006)

Oldcountryboy said:


> I've been experimenting around here lately trying to figure out just what mom used when making skillet bread. I think I'm close.
> 
> 1 cup flour
> 1 tbsp baking powder
> ...


I use this recipe to make skillet bread (and sweet cakes) but I don't have the temperature set that high, and I don't flip it when it bubbles. The bread or cake rises and comes out very thick. 

I pour enough of the batter in to completely cover the bottom of the lightly greased pre-heated cast iron skillet then I *cover the skillet with a cast iron lid*, leaving just a tiny bit of space at one side to allow excess steam to escape. Heat builds up under the lid and causes the bread (or cake) to rise and rise until the top of it is almost level with the top edge of the skillet. The top of the bread or cake will be cooked but not browned. Essentially, what's happening is the bread (or cake) is baking under the lid, not frying. If you want the bread or cake to be quite moist then don't allow any space around the lid for steam to escape, fit the lid tightly instead. Takes about 15 to 20 minutes to bake, depending on the size of skillet and volume of batter used. Works best with a medium sized skillet rather than a large skillet, (about the size of a dinner plate). When done, turn out upside down on to a large plate and allow to cool slightly for a minute before cutting into it.

.


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## Zipporah (Jul 30, 2006)

I grew up eating "Johnny cakes" .I make them with corn meal when in a hurry.One of my favorite breads with beans.


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## Astrid (Nov 13, 2010)

We make "skillet biscuits" in a cast iron pan when the mood hits....


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## Kmac15 (May 19, 2007)

just made some flat bread...YUMMMMM


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## Oldcountryboy (Feb 23, 2008)

Callieslamb said:


> Why didn't you just say you were making pancakes? :smack





ladycat said:


> It's not like a pancake. The texture is more similar to a biscuit.


Ladycat is right, and I don't think my mom ever added sugar to hers as i don't ever remember anything sweet about them. I remember them being fast and easy to fix if she was in a hurry or didn't want to heat up the house with the oven in the summer time. 

I'm glad I've been experimenting with this recipe and will give other recipes posted a try. I may never buy another loaf of bread from the grocery store again. However, I don't think my wife is too crazy about them, but my kids love em. This morning my middle daughter stayed home from school due to a Orthodontist appointment. So I wiped up a batch and we made ourselves some sausage/egg/cheese sandwiches with the skillet bread. Enjoyed ourselves.


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## MamaTiger (Jun 11, 2008)

Old Country Boy--when you spoon the mixture into the skillet, are you using all of the mixture at one time and having one large *cake* or just putting a spoon or two of the mix in and letting it cook, then adding more mixture and repeating the cooking process so that you end up with many little cakes?


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## MaryE (Aug 29, 2007)

Spread a little butter on top and then pour on some molasses and you've got yourself one of my favorite childhood memories. My aunt would also add fried bologna (on the side!).


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

Read all the way thru looking to see if you all were talking about "Fry bread"..nope.

I used to get "jonny cake" which was a large bisquit scored in triangles bake in a skillet and when I went camping I used to make or buy "Indian Fry Bread". This is a yeast raised bread that is deep fried. There was one obviously Native American Lady who made and sold this all camp long. My favorite was filled with wild rice and venison. The fruit filled ones were great too. She used to put a different twist or crimp on the different flavors of pockets so she could tell what was in them after they fried. Cinnamon sugar on the fruit ones...ohh my mouth is watering!

The history of the fry bread was that it was made with the comodities the indians were given so powdered milk is part of the recipe and helps the dough to brown in the frying. Good traveling food, no dishes or cultery needed to eat. Different fillings and could fry up 3 meals in one go.


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