Health

15 Steps Adults Need to Take to Recover from Childhood Trauma

15. Seek help when it’s not working If you’ve tried the steps in the process and looked after your health, but you feel it’s not working… Simi - June 8, 2018

Childhood trauma is more common than we’d like to admit. There are many instances that may result in childhood trauma, such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, and life in a conflict zone to name a few. Because they are individuals, children deal with trauma differently. Some speak immediately, but others have a fear of speaking out, so they suppress it. For many, they only begin the process of recovering from childhood trauma once they are grown-ups.

A lot of adults seeking to recover from childhood trauma did not trust the adults around them when the incidents occurred, or they felt the adults were as powerless as they were and so they did not speak up. Many manage to erase the incidents from their conscious awareness. But this seldom lasts forever, and so as grown-ups they must face their trauma and begin the process of recovering from it.

Childhood trauma can be a very isolating experience. Adults recovering from trauma often express surprise when they find out that they were not the only ones who experienced it. This is very common when it comes to sexual abuse.

Abusers tell children that it’s a secret and not to speak about it, and this makes children feel that no one else is experiencing it and no one else will understand what they’re feeling. So, it sometimes takes years, if not decades, before they feel safe to report the abuse they experienced. Here are some steps to follow for those adults seeking to recover from the childhood trauma they experienced.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

1. Find your roots

This is an introspective process which requires much honesty and will expose you to reliving the events that have caused you pain. This may sound like a bad idea, but confronting trauma is the only way to fully deal with it. It should have started immediately after the trauma. But, for a variety of reasons, you were unable to do so at the time. But it is not too late. It will be hard, but it can be done. Before you start, prepare your body and mind for what is to come. Understand that things may need to get worse before they get better. You need to be in a relaxed state, physically, emotionally and mentally.

Take a walk around your home and identify a room that you feel comfortable and safe in. It could be your bedroom which is like a sanctuary from the rest of the world. It could be your living room, in the comfortable, secure depths of your favorite sofa. Make sure that the place you use is quiet and free from distractions.

Think about how you want to position your body. You might feel comfortable sitting, lying down or curling up. If necessary, try them all to decide. Make sure you are dressed in non-restrictive clothing. If your clothing is making you feel uncomfortable, you won’t be able to put 100% focus on the process.

Prepare your mind and body by taking up your comfortable position in your chosen room. Close your eyes and breathe deeply. Take the time to flex and feel the muscles in your body. Empty your mind of all thoughts that are irrelevant to this process, and you are ready for the next step.

NEXT >>

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

2. Go back in time

Take a trip back to a time in your childhood when you experienced trauma. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? In fact, this can be a difficult process, and it may take you a few tries to get it right. That is why experts recommend that you experiment with this process by first focusing on recent events that have upset you. If you can transport yourself back in time to these events, you will be able to build up the confidence to go back to the events of your childhood that caused the trauma.

Once you can ‘time travel’ back to an incident (whether recent or the childhood trauma itself), you need to immerse yourself in the events that occurred on that day. Make it a full sensory experience. There will sounds, scents, and tastes that you remember which will come to the fore while you are immersing yourself in the event.

Try to remember as many details from the event as you can. The smallest detail could be the key to your healing, so don’t disregard anything. Keep a journal handy so that after a session you can write down everything you have remembered. Your memories of one event may vary when you recall it multiple times. Record what you have remembered each time. The actual events will untangle themselves from your memory as time goes on.

Don’t be discouraged if you feel that you’re not making progress. The minute you feel that you aren’t concentrating, or you can’t recall something that you feel is important, don’t punish yourself by trying to carry on at that moment. Take a break. Reorganize your thinking, calm yourself, and try again.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

3. Explore your senses

Whilst immersed in the memories of a particular experience, your senses will be on high alert. You may smell something familiar, like your mother’s cooking. You may hear something familiar, like a sibling’s voice. You may picture something, like a holiday at the beach. You may taste something familiar, like ice cream. If only all the senses you will experience while immersing yourself in a traumatic experience would be so pleasant.

Unfortunately, you are going to hear sounds that upset you, like gunshots. You will taste fear in your mouth. You will see images of the event that has traumatized you. You will smell odors associated with fear, pain, and helplessness. It is quite normal to be afraid of the prospect of ‘going back there.’ Remember that your feelings are valid, and you have to go through them to recover.

When you feel unpleasant emotions or sensory memories upset you, take the time to breathe in and out and relax. Examine your body and how it is responding. Have you broken into a sweat? Do you feel pain somewhere in your body? Are areas of your body tensed? Do you feel nauseous? Do you feel like crying, or are you already crying?

Take note of the physical reactions you have when you go back in time to recall the traumatic event. Record them in your journal. You might find that when you revisit the experience multiple times, you will either have the exact same reaction each time, or your reaction may vary. Over time, your reactions may become less severe. This is your body beginning to master its response to the trauma, allowing you to continue with the process of dealing with it.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

4. Give it a name

Think carefully about your body’s responses and what emotions they indicate. People usually associate feelings of fear and pain with childhood trauma. But there are a great many other emotions that you could have experienced. For example, you felt helpless watching your father physically abuse your mother. You felt angry when no one listened to you when you tried to tell them you were being sexually abused.

In order to identify your own emotional responses to your experiences, understand what your emotions are. Know what each emotion means so that you label yours accurately. It is natural that you will have felt a myriad of emotions. You need to catalog them all and acknowledge them all. Try to capture every emotional nuance of your experience so that you can process and deal with all the emotions you went through.

Your journal is vitally important at this stage. Write down each emotion as you feel it or as you recall it. Write down statements such as ‘I felt angry when my feelings were dismissed after my dad died, I felt hopeless when I realized that no matter what I did my uncle would continue to touch me, I felt frightened when I heard the gunshots that killed my mother, or I felt hurt when I was bullied at school.’

Writing statements such as these give a constructive label to your emotions and the events that gave rise to them. As you think about and mull over the events that traumatized you, you will surprise yourself by expressing emotions you hadn’t allowed yourself to feel at the time. Trauma can take away your ability to feel anything but numb, so when you process it, a lot of emotions may be unlocked.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

Credit: Shutterstock

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

5. Make peace with what you felt

Now that you have identified all the emotions you felt during a traumatic experience, it’s time to accept them. This may prove difficult for you, especially if you have never acknowledged them in the past. But remember that without acknowledgment, you cannot effect change in yourself. It might seem easier to lock those emotions away but doing that will harm you even more over the long term.

It might take feeling all those emotions again and express them through tears and anger. But whatever happens, when you get the opportunity to feel your feelings on your own terms you can start to feel a sense of inner peace and acceptance.

Part of a mindful response to childhood trauma is finding peace in what happened to you and the emotions it caused you, which will allow you to forge a path to acceptance and forward movement. Take the list of emotions you wrote down in your journal when you were working through your memories of the experience that traumatized you. Examine each and every one of them, making sure you understand it and why you felt it. Accept how you felt.

Understand that your feelings were valid and that as an individual you had the right to feel what you did. Do not doubt your feelings because others who were there experienced different emotions to you. If your brother felt angry when you both experienced domestic violence but you felt helpless, your feelings are no less credible than your brother’s. We are all wired differently and so our responses and emotions in situations vary. Don’t invalidate your feelings based on the feelings of others.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

6. Go through your feelings

As discussed earlier, many children go through a range of emotions that they never express after a trauma. They feel numbed by what has happened, or afraid to talk about what they have experienced, or they cannot find the words to express what has happened and how they feel. The reason that childhood trauma often follows people into adulthood is the fact that these emotions were never expressed and addressed.

Whilst waiting to express the emotions you felt during a childhood trauma as an adult is not ideal, it is not uncommon, and it is not an irretrievable situation. Now is your opportunity to summon the strength to feel your range of emotions and express them. This is a cathartic experience for many.

Experts suggest that when you reach this stage that you express these emotions as you would have at the time, you were traumatized. Do not feel ashamed if you cry. It is a normal childhood reaction to a bad situation or experience. If you feel angry, find a way to express it such as hitting a punchbag, screaming into a pillow, etc. Don’t indulge in self-harm or destructive behavior during this stage. You will not feel better if you punch a hole in the wall, you’ll feel guilty about it.

A process such as this can be exhausting on so many levels, especially once you release the floodgate and express all your repressed feelings. Do it in a safe environment where you feel secure and where you have some privacy. The last thing you want to do is worry about someone walking in on you and having to explain what you’re doing.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

7. Learn from what you felt

It is unlikely that all your unexpressed emotions from your childhood are related to a single experience. It is more probable that there was a string of events that occurred. Each event may have triggered the same emotional response or a different one. As individuals, there is no predictor of the emotions you may feel in reaction to an event.

Use your journal to study the pattern of your emotions. This might be a good time to make sure you’ve cast yourself back in time to all the events you believe may be preventing you from moving forward. If new ones occur to you, go through the process of re-experiencing them, and write down the emotions they brought up for you. Look at common emotions and emotions that occurred rarely.

For example, you might find that anger is a common emotion for you and that you have felt it on more than one occasion during a traumatic event. Similarly, you might find that helplessness is not something you have often felt during the traumatic events that have shaped you. Look at your life today, and see if these emotions still occur in the same pattern. Do you get angry frequently?

As a way of moving forward past what you have felt, ask yourself what message each emotion is trying to give you. What does an angry response tell you? Perhaps it tells you that you don’t deal with your frustrations and emotions until they’ve built up to boiling point. What does the helplessness and fear you felt tell you? It possibly tells you that you know you cannot control everything that goes on around you and that scares you.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

8. Open up and share your feelings

Now that you have had the time to identify, name, acknowledge, and express your feelings, you will find yourself amenable to sharing your feelings with a trusted confidante. It might be possible for you to share your journey of emotional self-discovery with someone who was there during the time you experienced the trauma. You may feel more comfortable speaking to your partner or a friend who may or may not even have known about the trauma you experienced.

In sharing with other people, it will be necessary to explain the circumstances of the trauma and everything that happened so that they can understand. But don’t stop there, and don’t dwell on the events alone. Go further into the matter by discussing the emotions you felt at the time and how you reacted. Speak about the impact the event has had on you as an individual. Describe the process you have undergone to work through what you feel.

Sharing something like this with someone who truly cares about you can be liberating. It can also open your eyes to new perspectives and give you insights you might not have had before. Maybe it can even open the door for the other person to take strength from you and begin to address a trauma they experienced. It would make the painful process you’ve worked through even more rewarding if you knew it was going to help someone else.

You also need to share your feelings with the people who were there and who you feel failed you in that situation. You have been hurt, and you have the right to express that to those who hurt you. However, it may be better for you, in the long run, to write that person a letter about your feelings but keep it instead of sending it. Opening up to people who have hurt you can give them power over you again, which you obviously want to avoid.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

9. Release your feelings

The feelings you have now had the chance to work through and express have taken their toll on you in the years between the trauma and now. Suppressing and repressing feelings causes stress which can damage the body physically.

Now it’s time to start to let those emotions go. It’s time to free your mind and body from the toxic stress caused by your unaddressed emotions. They are preventing you from moving forward in life and achieving the goals you’ve set for yourself. But don’t be fooled by how simple it sounds. There is a difference between acceptance and letting go. When we accept something, we acknowledge that it happened, and we decide to go on in spite of it. Letting go is about leaving what happened behind and no longer allowing it to dictate your future. This is a process that might take you some time.

You might feel that you’ve let something go only to find it has remained in your life’s baggage. Be kind to yourself and don’t have unrealistic expectations. It might take more than one attempt to let something go, and that’s okay. Make it a conscious event, by ceremonially burning the letter you wrote to the person who hurt you or thinking about the option of releasing petals which represent your hurt and trauma into a river or the sea to be borne away from you.

Once you have truly released your emotions about the trauma you have experienced, you will feel as if a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. The burden you have carried alone and in silence will no longer be your master. This gives you the chance to look forward with nothing holding you back and move into your future with a renewed sense of confidence.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

10. Reclaim your sense of self

On the path to dealing with the emotions you experienced during childhood trauma, you will have begun to unlock your sense of self. Being able to identify the feelings you felt, understand them, acknowledge them, and let them go gives you an opportunity to surrender their control over you. When you release your feelings, you become unburdened by them. This will give you control over yourself and your destiny.

Your true self, now unfettered by all those negative emotions from childhood trauma, will have a different perspective on life. Your goals and ambitions may change due to your new emotional perspective. You may find yourself able to enter new relationships with a degree of closeness you never imagined possible. Embrace these opportunities as rewards for the difficult process you have gone through.

Whatever you do, bear in mind that this is a rare chance for you to reinvent yourself and change your approach to your future. That can have life-changing consequences. For the first time, you will be looking far beyond what happened to you and examining what you plan to happen to you in the future. If you make the most of it, you can make what you have been through work for you.

Many people may not make immediate changes in their work or personal lives. They may instead choose to reclaim themselves by helping others. This is very satisfying to them as it gives them a way to ‘pay it forward’ and help someone else escape the shackles of childhood trauma. If this is an option that sounds attractive to you, find out what opportunities there are in your area for you to help others by supporting them through the process.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

11. Take care of yourself

People who have gone through childhood trauma can experience physical as well as emotional symptoms, even if they were not bodily harmed during the trauma. The sense of fear and hopelessness can cause them so much stress that it can have an effect on the heart. Many report heart palpitations when they become aware of a trigger that makes them remember their trauma.

Childhood trauma can also affect brain development. During childhood, the brain is constantly developing as you acquire new skills. Studies have shown that the stress caused by childhood trauma can have a negative impact on your brain’s development, particularly in the areas that regulate your responses to stress. These are the amygdala, hippocampus, and prefrontal cortex.

The body responds to stress with the brain instructing the release of hormones to help you cope. This is done through the HPA-axis (hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal gland). The adrenal glands produce the hormones cortisol and adrenaline to help you cope with a stressful situation. This stress response pathway can be affected by an adverse childhood experience. One of the functions of the hormone cortisol is to protect the immune system.

If the adrenaline glands do not produce enough of this hormone or do not secrete enough, the immune system can be compromised, rendering you more susceptible to infection and illness. It is advisable that you have regular health check-ups to make sure that there are no long-lasting effects of your childhood trauma on your body over and above those resulting from injuries you may have sustained during the event. If there are, you should be aware of them so that you can employ the proper treatments to manage them.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

12. Don’t get caught up in bad habits

Childhood trauma can make you susceptible to different coping mechanisms, not all of them healthy. Some habits are hard to break because they are addictive, which means you’ll have to undergo a whole new process to quit them. Others, like the promiscuous behavior of a sexual abuse victim, could be easy to stop once the process of letting go is complete.

Quite often, smoking is a habit that people who had a childhood trauma may pick up. The belief that smoking will make you feel better because it relieves stress is the reason so many people resort to it. However, over time, the sense of stress relief is no longer there, but stopping is difficult due to the addiction to nicotine and the fact that the habit of smoking has become part of your routine. Similarly, using drugs such as marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and speed may offer temporary relief from the emotions you feel, but in the long run, you need more and more to get the same relief.

Alcohol abuse is also prevalent in adults after childhood trauma. The long-term negative effects of alcohol on the body and brain are well-documented, but it continues to be a problem, as alcohol gives people an escape and some desperately sought solace when they are in emotional pain as a result of what happened to them as children.

Once you have gone through the process of addressing the emotions you felt during the trauma, and you are able to let them go, you may find yourself in a position to get out of these bad habits because your reasons for succumbing to them are no longer so dominant in your life. The courage and willpower to do so are now within your reach.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

13. Get plenty of exercise

Exercise is a great way to take your mind off the events you have gone through. Or, it may offer you the chance to sort your emotions out in your mind. Either way, exercise is an important regimen throughout the process of dealing with the feelings caused by childhood trauma and beyond. Yoga, which combines exercise and mindfulness is often used as a tool during the process to help keep you focused on the task at hand but also provides a way to obtain and feel the serenity and inner peace.

Exercise gets the blood pumping and the heart rate up. An increased heart rate means that oxygen and nutrients are being pumped all around the body at a faster rate. This includes the brain. Exercise is well-known to improve memory which can be helpful during the stage of the process when you are trying to recall all the events and the emotions you felt as a child.

Furthermore, exercise is a great way to work through emotions. Feeling angry and working through it by using a punchbag is a productive way to express the feeling. Power exercises such as weightlifting give you the opportunity to gain complete control over your body through your brain. This is a great pre-cursor to gaining control over your emotions and how you express them.

Endurance exercises such as running, cycling, and swimming release endorphins and chemicals such as dopamine and norepinephrine from the brain into the body. This help to deal with the stress and anxiety your childhood trauma may bring upon you. They also help after you’ve had a session that has left you very emotional. Getting active afterward can help you to recover.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

14. Sleep is a wonderful tool

Just as exercise is critical during and after the process of dealing with the emotions brought on by childhood trauma, so is sleep. Many people who went through childhood trauma report that they have difficulties sleeping. When the body is not getting enough sleep, the mind cannot do the necessary work to heal the harm that has been done. Having difficulty sleeping is an indication of unexpressed emotions that have not been addressed.

If you have trouble sleeping, try some natural remedies and methods before you turn to prescription drugs to make you sleep. Most are habit-forming and, in many instances unnecessary, as there are alternative options before you. Remedies as simple as warm milk and honey can make a difference. Lavender is well-known for its sleep-inducing properties. Lavender candles and bath products are great but using lavender essential oil together with a carrier oil (such as almond oil, olive oil, or coconut oil) and massaging the tense areas of your body can work wonders.

Some of the methods recommended for getting a good night’s sleep are taking a hot bath shortly before going to bed. Make sure that you have created a sleep-friendly environment in your bedroom. This includes ensuring the room is at the right temperature, that your bed is comfortable, that you are wearing non-restrictive sleepwear, and that the room is dark enough. These sound like simple things to do, but you’d be surprised how many people’s sleep space is not conducive to a good night’s rest.

Right throughout the process of dealing with the after-effects of your childhood trauma and beyond, a good night’s sleep is essential to maintaining a healthy mind which allows you to let your feelings go and move on to a successful future.

<< Previous

NEXT >>

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

15. Seek help when it’s not working

If you’ve tried the steps in the process and looked after your health, but you feel it’s not working and nothing is getting better, it may be time to admit that you need the help of a professional to get you through it. Do not interpret this as a failure on your part, but rather a need for support.

When you see a professional, you will be able to discuss the events that occurred in your childhood. They will then guide you through the process of identifying, understanding, acknowledging, and expressing the emotions you felt and still feel. Sometimes, the trauma is so great that you cannot deal with it alone and having an impartial professional help you may be the only way you’re going to manage. Don’t be ashamed by consulting a professional and avoiding it. All you’re doing is making the effects of your childhood trauma worse and jeopardizing your chances of recovering from it.

If at any stage during the process, you feel the symptoms of depression engulfing you, consult a professional immediately. When depression is not dealt with, it worsens. A depressed person feels like they are at the bottom of a pit trying to climb out. The longer they postpone treatment, the deeper the pit will become and the harder it will be to climb out of it.

Symptoms of depression include but are not limited to feelings of helplessness, mood swings, insomnia, drastic changes in the appetite, a lack of interest in things that used to excite you and reduced libido. A professional will diagnose you and determine if you need antidepressant medication, therapy or a combination of both.

<< Previous

Food

15 Easy Skillet Bread Recipes That Are Healthier Than Store-Bought Bread

Baking bread can be a cumbersome, time-intensive process. A lot of recipes require extensive kneading of the dough, waiting for the dough to be ready, careful… Simi - June 7, 2018

Baking bread can be a cumbersome, time-intensive process. A lot of recipes require extensive kneading of the dough, waiting for the dough to be ready, careful monitoring of the baking process, and endless checking to make sure that the minutest detail is adhered to so that you don’t have a flop. After putting in all the time and effort, not to mention the ingredients, the last thing you want is a misshapen disaster of a loaf of bread that no one in your family wants to eat.

But don’t let this put you off trying to bake your own bread. There truly is no better aroma to fill the house than that of freshly baked bread. And once you’ve made your first successful loaf, your family will be clamoring for more because its taste is unrivaled and far better than store-bought bread.

So, if you’re new to bread-making, or you just want to try a different approach, consider using your dependable cast-iron skillet to bake bread with easy-to-follow recipes. If you don’t have a cast-iron skillet, you really ought to consider buying one, as it is highly versatile and can be used for a variety of dishes other than baking bread.

Choose one of these simple skillet bread recipes to try. They are easy to follow, do not require too many ingredients, and their preparation and baking times are more suited to those who want to bake beautiful bread but don’t have a lot of time.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

1. Grandma’s simple skillet bread

This simple recipe is a firm favorite with skillet bread bakers. You can bake it in a few small skillets and serve it warm to your guests. The skillets not only add a rustic feel to your table setting, but they keep the bread warm to. Have plenty of butter for your guests to spread on their bread and expect to be asked to keep the skillets coming!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon dry yeast
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2½ cups flour

Method

  1. Mix the water, honey, and yeast in a bowl. Let it stand for about 5 minutes. You’ll see the yeast start working.
  2. Add the flour, salt, and oil to the mixture.
  3. Use a wooden spoon and then your hands to work the dough, kneading all the ingredients together.
  4. Cover the bowl with cling film and allow it to stand for an hour so that the dough can rise.
  5. Prepare your skillets by greasing them with some olive oil.
  6. Divide the dough (if you are using more than one skillet).
  7. Put the dough into the skillet and shape it to fit the skillet.
  8. Score the dough on the top. This means cutting two lines across the dough from side to side in an X shape or cutting several lines into the dough. It allows the dough to rise during baking.
  9. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°
  10. The baking time will depend on the size and number of skillets you are using. After about 15-20 minutes, put a knife or toothpick into the bread. If it comes out clean, your bread is baked. If not, it still needs more time.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

2. Irish soda bread

Irish soda bread is easy to prepare and can accompany just about any meal. There are many variations on the recipe for Irish Soda Bread, but this one is simple yet delicious.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 4 tablespoons butter
  • 1.5-2 cups buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 lightly beaten egg
  • 1 cup raisins (or currants)

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C).
  2. Sift dry ingredients (flour, salt, sugar and baking soda) in the mixing bowl.
  3. Use a pastry cutter to incorporate the butter into the flour mixer. If you don’t have a pastry cutter, use 2 knives. The mixture will look like a coarse meal.
  4. Add the raisins and stir them in.
  5. Make a well in the middle of the mixture.
  6. Pour the lightly beaten egg and the buttermilk into the well.
  7. Use a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients together. The dough will be ready when it’s too stiff to stir.
  8. Knead the dough in the bowl until it forms a ball. Dust your hands with flour before doing this.
  9. Lightly grease your skillet.
  10. Take the dough out of the bowl and put it on a flour-covered work surface. Shape it to fit into your skillet and put it in.
  11. Take the serrated knife and cut two half-inch lines across the top of the dough in an X shape.
  12. Put into the oven for about 40 minutes. You’ll know it’s baked when the bottom is hollow-sounding when you tap it with a knife. The top will be a golden color.
  13. Remove the bread from the skillet and place it on a cooling rack.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

3. Honey-sweetened skillet cornbread

This sweet bread is a delight and a must-have on a cold winter’s day when you’re curled up in front of a blazing fire. Cornbread has a different flavor to normal bread which makes this recipe extra special. It’s simple and easy to make, with the added advantage that there’s no kneading and downtime waiting for the dough to rise.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup medium-grind cornmeal
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt (to taste)
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • ½ cup honey
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 egg

Method

  1. Preheat your oven to 400°F/200° Warm your skillet up while you’re preheating the oven.
  2. Mix the dry ingredients (cornmeal, sugar, flour, baking powder, and salt if preferred) together.
  3. Put the milk, egg, and honey in a separate bowl and whisk them together.
  4. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and add it to your milk mixture. Stir the butter in.
  5. Put the remaining 2 tablespoons of the butter in the bottom of the skillet and return it to the oven briefly so that the butter can melt.
  6. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir until combined, but no further than that.
  7. Remove the skillet from the oven and swirl the melted butter around to distribute it evenly. Put the dough into the skillet. Make sure it is spread evenly in the skillet before putting it into the oven.
  8. Bake for 20-25 minutes. To see if it’s baked put a toothpick, skewer or knife into the bread to see if it comes out clean.
  9. Serve this bread warm with butter and extra honey.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

4. Skillet rolls with sea salt and herbs

These are delicious pull-apart rolls with a delectable herby flavor.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole milk (warmed to about 110°F/40°C)
  • 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 1 large egg
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled.
  • Granulated sugar – 2 tablespoons and ½ teaspoon
  • 2 teaspoons each of dried rosemary, basil, and parsley
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 3 cups bread flour (keep extra flour handy for work surfaces)
  • Sea salt

Method

  1. Pour the warm milk into a large mixing bowl.
  2. Add yeast and ½ teaspoon of sugar to the milk and stir lightly. Leave to stand for 5 minutes. It should froth up.
  3. Add remaining sugar, egg, 2 tablespoons of butter, salt, dried herbs and garlic powder, and 2 cups of flour. Mix well. Add the final cup of flour. The dough should be soft, thick, and a little sticky. Make sure that dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add extra flour a tablespoon at a time and mix in.
  4. Knead dough on a floured work surface for about 2 minutes.
  5. Put the dough into a greased bowl. Roll the dough around so that all sides get coated.
  6. Cover the bowl with cling film. Put in a warm place for about 2 hours to allow it to rise and double in size.
  7. Put dough on a floured surface and punch to release air bubbles. Cut into 12 pieces, roll into balls and place in a greased skillet. Use the remaining butter to coat top and sprinkle sea salt generously. Allow the skillet to stand for 30-45 minutes covered in cling film. Rolls will double in size.
  8. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180° Bake for 25-30 minutes. Tops will be golden brown.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

5. No-knead herbed skillet garlic bread

This easy recipe produces tasty garlic bread that will be the perfect addition to any Italian meal. It is recommended that you use 3 smaller skillets to bake it, although there is also an option to bake it in a large skillet. Choose to mix by hand or use a mixer.

Ingredients

  • 1 standard package of dry yeast
  • 4¹/₃ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 2 cups warm water
  • ¼ – ½ teaspoon garlic salt
  • Dried rosemary
  • Sea salt (to taste)

Method

  1. Mix yeast, warm water, and sugar in a bowl (by hand or with a mixer). Allow it to stand for a few minutes to become frothy.
  2. Sift salt and flour into a large mixing bowl. Add these to the foamy yeast mixture bit by bit, mixing well.
  3. Cover the bowl and allow it to rise for an hour.
  4. Grease your skillet well. You may need to use more than one depending on the size.
  5. Shape the dough to fit your skillet. Put it in the skillet. Cover and let stand for 30 minutes to rise.
  6. Spread some olive oil over the top of the dough. Sprinkle the garlic salt over the top together with the rosemary. Add a sprinkling of sea salt to taste.
  7. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200° Put the skillet in the oven. If you’re using small skillets, bake for 15-20 minutes until the top is a shade of golden brown. If you’re using a full-sized skillet, you’ll need to bake your bread for 35-40 minutes. When you take the bread out of the oven, spray the top with olive oil cooking spray, and serve.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

6. No-knead rosemary parmesan skillet bread

This delicious bread brings together the delightful flavor of rosemary and a cheese lover’s favorite – parmesan. As a no-knead recipe, this is quite easy to make, but be prepared for downtime while the dough must be left to rise.

Ingredients

  • 1 standard package of yeast
  • 4½ cups flour
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cups lukewarm water
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan
  • 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary

Method

  1. Mix yeast and water in a large bowl.
  2. Add half the flour and stir in.
  3. Add the remaining flour, rosemary, and salt and stir until the ingredients are fully combined.
  4. Cover the bowl with cling film and allow it to stand in a warm place for about 1 hour so it can double in size.
  5. Use 2 tablespoons of olive oil to coat the bottom of the skillet.
  6. Dust your hands and work surface with flour, remove the dough from the bowl and shape it into a disk. The dough must be a bit sticky, and it won’t shape perfectly.
  7. Cover the skillet and let the dough rise again for about 30 minutes until it’s puffy.
  8. While the dough is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F/200°
  9. Before you put the skillet in the oven, drizzle the last of the olive oil over the top.
  10. Cut 2 lines into the dough from side to side in an X shape.
  11. Sprinkle some rosemary leaves over the top.
  12. Bake the bread for 20 minutes, then remove it from the oven and sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top. Bake for another 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

7. Campfire skillet bread

This is a unique take on cornbread with a spicy jalapeno flavor. It is perfect for barbecues. Its preparation time is very short (about 15 minutes). It requires no kneading. There is no rising time either, as the recipe does not contain yeast.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 1½ cups flour
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup Monterey cheese
  • 2 thinly sliced scallions
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¼ cup jarred jalapenos
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 10 tablespoons unsalted butter

Method

  1. Make sure your oven rack is in the center of the oven and preheat to 450°/230°.
  2. Put the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl and mix them together.
  3. Add the cheese, the chopped, drained jalapenos and slices of scallions. Mix together with your fingers until everything is coated with the flour mixture.
  4. Whisk the buttermilk and eggs together until smooth.
  5. Melt the butter in your skillet. Leave one tablespoon of butter in the skillet and pour the remainder into the buttermilk and egg mixture, thereafter whisking together.
  6. Fold the liquid mixture into the flour mixture until they are combined to make a batter-like thick mixture.
  7. Scrape the mixture into your skillet which is still hot from melting the butter. Smooth the top with a spatula.
  8. Bake for about 15-20 minutes until the top is golden brown. Insert a knife or toothpick into the bread. If it comes out clean, your bread is baked. If not, give it about 5 more minutes.
  9. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool a little before serving.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

8. Rosemary Foccacia Bread

This is a favorite among bread-makers with limited time. It takes one hour in total to make it.

Ingredients

  • ¾ cup lukewarm water
  • 1½ teaspoons yeast
  • 5½ tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
  • 1¾ cups flour
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary (or 1½ teaspoons dried rosemary)

Method

  1. Mix by hand or use a mixer to combine the warm water and sugar well. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and stir slightly. Let the mixture stand for 5 minutes until frothy.
  2. With your mixer on low speed, add 1 cup of flour, ¾ teaspoon of salt and mix until just combined.
  3. Add ½ tablespoon of fresh rosemary (1 teaspoon of dried rosemary) and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mix until combined.
  4. Keeping your mixer on low, add ½ cup of flour. Add remaining flour bit by bit until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Don’t add in any more flour when the dough does this.
  5. Preheat oven to 200°F/90°
  6. Grease skillet with ½ tablespoon of olive oil.
  7. Dust the work surface with flour, make a disk shape with dough and place it in a skillet. Press dough onto the bottom and sides of the skillet firmly. Cover the skillet with a towel.
  8. Turn the oven off and put the skillet in for 20 minutes to allow the dough to rise.
  9. Remove skillet from oven and preheat to 400°F/200°
  10. Mix 2 tablespoons of olive oil, ¼ teaspoon of salt, and leftover rosemary.
  11. Brush this mixture over the bread. Use your thumb to make indents across the top of the dough.
  12. Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

9. Maple oats skillet bread

When you try this recipe for rich, sweet, wholesome bread, you have the option of using a bread maker or mixer. This is the mixer recipe.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cook oats
  • 2¼ teaspoons dry yeast
  • 1 cup hot water
  • ¹/₃ cup warm water
  • 3½ cups flour
  • ½ cup PURE maple syrup
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons vegetable oil

Method

  1. Pulse the oats in a food processor briefly so that they form coarse crumbs.
  2. Add the hot water and mix. Allow it to stand until lukewarm.
  3. Put the yeast and warm water in your mixer bowl and allow it to stand for a few minutes. Add the syrup, salt, and oil.
  4. Using the dough hook, add the warm oats and the flour. Mix until a soft dough is formed.
  5. Knead the dough for about 10 minutes on a floured work surface and form a ball.
  6. Grease a bowl and put the dough in it. Cover with a cloth.
  7. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until it doubles in size.
  8. Punch the dough down and form it into a loaf. Put the loaf into the skillet and cover it with a clean towel. Leave the skillet somewhere warm for about 45 minutes until the dough doubles in size.
  9. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°
  10. Brush the beaten egg over the loaf and sprinkle some oats on top.
  11. Bake for about 30 minutes.
  12. Allow it to cool slightly before serving.

N.B. If you use a bread machine, you put the ingredients from steps 3 and 4 into the machine and start it on the dough cycle.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

10. No-knead whole wheat skillet bread

This simple recipe yields a high-fiber whole wheat bread that is wholesome, tasty and healthy. Its no-knead method makes it easier and less strenuous to make, although be prepared for the fact that there are two downtimes during the process when the dough must stand so that it can rise.

Ingredients

  • 4 cups whole wheat flour
  • 2¼ active dry yeast
  • 1½ teaspoons salt
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 1 tablespoon rolled oats
  • Coarse salt
  • Olive oil

Method

  1. Whisk the salt, flour, and yeast together in a large mixing bowl. Pour the warm water on top and use a wooden spoon to mix it together.
  2. Cover the bowl with cling film and a kitchen towel. Allow it to stand for 1 hour to rise. Avoid placing the bowl in an area where it will be affected by drafts or breezes.
  3. Lightly grease the bottom of the skillet with some olive oil.
  4. Put a little extra flour on the dough and dust some onto your hands so that the dough doesn’t stick.
  5. Using your hands, get the dough out of the bowl and straight into the skillet.
  6. Use your fingers or a wooden spoon to spread the dough evenly.
  7. Cover the skillet with a kitchen towel and allow it to stand for another 30 minutes to rise.
  8. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°
  9. Using about 2 teaspoons of olive oil, brush the top of the dough. Cut 2 lines into the top of the dough in an X shape.
  10. Sprinkle coarse salt and rolled oats over the top of the dough.
  11. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the crust is a deep golden-brown color.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

11. Skillet pita bread

As a flatter bread, pita is great for dipping into foods and sauces. Pita is made differently from other bread as it contains a ‘sponge’ which adds a special flavor to the bread.

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon of dry active yeast
  • 3½ cups flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 cup lukewarm water
  • ½ cup water
  • Canola oil (for cooking)

Method

  1. Mix 1 cup of flour with the yeast and sugar, and 1 cup of lukewarm water with a fork. Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel. Allow it to stand in a warm place for about 30 minutes until thick and bubbly. This is what is referred to as the sponge.
  2. Add 2 cups of flour, the salt and half a cup of water to the mixture. Stir well.
  3. Use the dough hook of an electric beater to make the dough smooth or knead by hand for 2-3 minutes.
  4. Add a half cup of flour and olive oil to the mixture. Knead for another 2-3 minutes to bind it together.
  5. Dust work surface with flour. Knead dough on the work surface for 5-7 minutes.
  6. Roll the dough into a ball, and place it in a bowl lined with flour. Cover it with a kitchen towel.
  7. Leave it to rise for one hour. Take the dough out and punch it to remove air bubbles.
  8. Cover the dough and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
  9. Warm canola oil in the skillet on high heat and place a dough ball in the middle. Each side must be cooked for about 1½ minutes. It will puff up as it cooks. Push down the puffs with a spatula so that the edges are cooked.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

12. Cinnamon skillet bread

This sweet bread is ideal to enjoy together with a cup of mid-morning coffee. The braided effect is very attractive and gives it a professional finish.

Ingredients

  • ½ cup melted butter, 2 teaspoons melted butter
  • ¼ cup sugar (granulated)
  • 1 cup whole milk (warmed to 110°F/45°C)
  • 2 tablespoons warm water
  • 2¼ teaspoons instant/rapid-rise yeast
  • 3¼ cups flour
  • ½ cup light brown sugar
  • 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Method

  1. Put milk, ½ cup melted butter, granulated sugar, yeast and water into a 2-cup measuring jug. Whisk until yeast dissolves.
  2. Mix flour, salt and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a mixer bowl.
  3. With the mixer on low (using the dough hook), add milk mixture slowly to dry the ingredients. Mix until dough forms.
  4. Mix on medium for 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and stretchy. Add small amounts of extra flour to the sticky dough to achieve desired consistency.
  5. Put the dough into a greased bowl, cover it tightly with cling film and allow it to stand for an hour to rise.
  6. Mix brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon in a small bowl.
  7. Dust work surface with flour. Roll dough into a rectangle with long sides facing you.
  8. Paint the surface with 2 teaspoons of melted butter and sprinkle sugar and cinnamon mix.
  9. Cut dough in half length-wise and ‘braid’ the pieces together, pinching the ends. Put the braided dough into the skillet. Cover with cling film and allow to stand for 45-60 minutes to rise.
  10. Preheat oven to 350°F/180° Brush lightly beaten egg over top and bake for 45-55 minutes. The top will be golden-brown, and the filling will have melted.
  11. After taking the bread from the oven, allow it to cool for 10 minutes in the skillet before removing it.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

13. No-knead olive skillet bread

The slightly acidic bite that the olives bring to the bread in this recipe makes for a unique flavor that is an absolute must for all bread lovers.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups lukewarm water (105°F/40°C)
  • 2¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • ½ tablespoon salt
  • 4¹/₃ cups flour
  • 1 cup olives, drained (chopped or whole) with garlic and herbs
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • Coarse salt
  • Dried parsley for seasoning

Method

  1. Use a large mixing bowl to combine water and yeast.
  2. Add the salt and 1 cup of flour. Stir in with a wooden spoon until combined. Add olives, herbs, garlic and garlic powder. Add the flour in one cup at a time, stirring thoroughly after each cup is added.
  3. Cover the bowl with cling film and allow it to stand for 1 hour to rise.
  4. Put 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet and rub it into the bottom and sides of the skillet.
  5. Dust your hands with flour, remove the cling film, and transfer the dough to the skillet.
  6. Shape the dough into a disk.
  7. Cover the skillet with a kitchen towel and allow it to stand for 30 minutes.
  8. Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°
  9. Use the remaining olive oil to drizzle over the top, sprinkle with coarse salt and add some dried parsley.
  10. Cut 2 lines across the dough from side to side in an X shape.
  11. Bake for 30-35 minutes until the top crust is golden-brown.
  12. After removing the bread from the oven, turn it out of the skillet onto a cooling rack.
  13. Allow the bread to cool before serving.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

14. Peasant skillet bread

In a hurry? No fancy ingredients? Then this no-fuss, quick and easy skillet bread is just for you. Despite its simplicity, the recipe yields a delicious bread that is without a doubt home-baked and the perfect addition to any meal.

Ingredients

  • 2 cups lukewarm water (use 1 cup hot water and 1 cup cold water combined)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • Butter (at room temperature)

Method

  1. Put the sugar in the water and allow it to dissolve completely. Add the yeast. Don’t stir it at all. Put the bowl on one side for 10-15 minutes or until it becomes frothy.
  2. Put the flour and salt in a big bowl.
  3. Add the yeast mixture to the flour and salt. Stir until the flour has been absorbed completely.
  4. Grease your skillet thoroughly with the room temperature butter.
  5. Ease the dough out of the bowl and directly into the skillet.
  6. Preheat your oven to 350°F/180°C, then turn it off and let it cool for a few minutes. Put the skillet with the dough into the oven and let it stand there for about an hour so that the dough can rise and double in size.
  7. Pull the skillet out of the oven. Preheat the oven to 425°F/220° Bake the bread for 15 minutes with the lid of the skillet on (or cover it with foil).
  8. Turn the temperature of the oven down to 375°F/190° Remove the lid or foil from the skillet before baking it for another 15 minutes.
  9. Put the bread on a cooling rack for about 10 minutes before serving it.

ADVERTISEMENT - CONTINUE READING BELOW

15. Cheddar bacon beer skillet bread

As the name suggests, this is a richly flavored bread which can be served as a meal on its own. It’s a great way to add extra flavor to a soup meal. The sharper the flavor of the cheddar cheese you use, the richer the cheese flavor will be. The inclusion of beer in the bread adds a unique taste. This recipe is quick to make because it does not contain yeast which must be given time to rise.

Ingredients

  • 3 cups flour
  • 4½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 4 chopped slices of bacon
  • bottle of lager beer
  • ½ cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
  • 4 tablespoons melted butter

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°
  2. Cook the bacon in the skillet at medium heat. Remove it when cooked and let it drain on paper towels.
  3. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Add the bacon, chopped onions, and shredded cheese. Stir it all together.
  4. Create a well in the middle of the mixture and pour the beer into it. Stir until the dry ingredients are moist but no more than that. It will make a batter-like dough mixture.
  5. Use cooking spray to liberally coat your skillet before transferring the dough into it. Use a spatula to spread the dough evenly across the surface of the skillet.
  6. Bake the bread for about 50-55 minutes.
  7. Check that it is baked by inserting a knife or toothpick into the bread and making sure it comes out clean.
  8. Allow the bread to cool slightly before serving it.
Advertisement