From savoury to sweet, you can whip up just about anything in a skillet

Arthi Subramaniam

A skillet can do it all, from cakes and pies to crumbles and cobblers. It especially loves fruits. When they cook, the juices and natural sugars caramelise and that’s what brings out the flavour. Crusts and crumble toppings also come out nice and crunchy because of the fat in them. A skillet is perfect for coffee cakes, sticky buns and other sweet rolls, too.

POTATO-RAISIN BREAD SPIRAL

This skillet recipe is a nod to the old Irish fruit pan bread. The potato and raisins help to keep the bread moist. If you prefer a glossy appearance, glaze the bread with a beaten egg before placing it in the oven.

Ingredients

1 medium baking potato, peeled and cubed

1 1/2 cups water

1 package (0.25 ounce) active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

1/3 cup sugar, divided

4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, divided

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 cup raisins

1 teaspoon salt

Vegetable oil, for greasing

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Method

1. Place the cubed potato in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Then reduce the heat to low, cover and let simmer until the potatoes are tender, 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Drain potatoes, reserving the cooking water. Mash potatoes in a small bowl and set aside. Transfer 1 cup of the potato water to a large bowl. Whisk in yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar until dissolved.

3. Add 2 tablespoons of the mashed potatoes to the yeast mixture.

4. Add 1 cup of flour. Beat with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer on medium speed until the ingredients are combined. Let the mixture rest until it bubbles up slightly, about 20 minutes.

5. Add the remaining sugar, 3 cups flour, eggs, melted butter, raisins and salt.

6. Beat with the electric mixer on medium speed until the dough is soft and combined. Add 1/2 to 1 cup more flour as needed so that the dough comes together and away from the sides of the bowl. With the mixer fitted with a dough hook, beat the dough until it comes into a ball, 3 to 4 minutes. (You can also knead by hand until it comes into a ball, about 5 minutes.)

7. Lightly grease a large mixing bowl with vegetable oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and place in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about 1 hour.

8. With oiled or floured hands, punch down the dough. Turn it out onto a floured surface and roll with your hands into a rope that is 20 to 22 inches long.

9. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 12-inch skillet with vegetable oil. Pick up the dough rope and lay it in the skillet, starting at the edge and letting it coil like a snake, ending in the centre. Cover the skillet with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 40 minutes.

10. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake until the top of the bread is golden brown, 20 to 22 minutes. Tent the skillet with foil and continue to bake until the bread sounds hollow when tapped, 20 to 25 minutes.

11. Remove the skillet from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the skillet. Lift up the potato bread and place it on a wire rack to cool completely before slicing, about 30 minutes.

 Best ever skillet pizza.

BEST EVER SKILLET PIZZA

It is important to heat the skillet at 450 degrees before placing the dough in the pan. You can use store-bought dough here. If you freeze the dough, make sure to let it rest on the counter for an hour to thaw. This dough takes slightly less time to cook (15 minutes) than the homemade crust (15-20 minutes).

Ingredients

1 pound store-bought pizza dough

1 to 2 teaspoons cornmeal

1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1/2 to 3/4 cup tomato sauce

2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Honey, for brushing

Red pepper flakes, optional

Method

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Heat a 12-inch skillet on the stove top over medium-heat until quite hot, 3 to 4 minutes.

2. While the skillet is heating, stretch out dough to get it as thin as possible, about 12 inches in diameter. You can do this in the air or by pressing it out with your hands on a cornmeal-dusted work surface.

3. Sprinkle cornmeal in the hot skillet. Taking care not to burn your fingers, place the dough in the pan on top of the cornmeal. Press dough halfway up the sides of the pan (it will shrink back and that’s OK).

4. Whisk together olive oil and garlic and brush the mixture over the dough. Spoon on the tomato sauce. (Add desired toppings at this point.)

5. Scatter cheese all over. Brush honey on the crust edges and sprinkle red pepper flakes on top of the honey, if desired. Turn off the stove and place the skillet in the oven.

6. Bake until the cheese has melted and just starts to brown, and the crust edges are browned, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edges and slide the pizza out onto a board to slice and serve.

Tribune News Service