Skillet Irish Soda Bread

This easy skillet Irish soda bread is baked in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Flavored with orange zest and studded with dried fruit, serve warm from the oven with a side of butter and jam. Recipe yields 10 servings.

Skillet Irish Soda Bread

Let’s start with the obvious: this is not a traditional Irish soda bread recipe. Instead, this is an effortless skillet Irish soda bread, with a buttered and sugared topping that gives way to a tender center studded with dried cranberries and golden raisins.

Perfumed with orange zest, this skillet bread is irresistible still warm from the oven and makes a fine breakfast along with butter and jam.

What this recipe lacks in tradition, it makes up for in sheer deliciousness. If you’ve never made soda bread before, I encourage you to start here and never look back – you’ll be devouring this bread all weekend long.

Skillet Irish Soda Bread
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Skillet Irish Soda Bread

Skillet Irish Soda Bread

  • Author: Laura Kasavan
  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Cook Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 55 minutes
  • Yield: 1 10-inch loaf, 12 servings
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Bake
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Description

This easy skillet Irish soda bread is baked in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Flavored with orange zest and studded with dried fruit, serve warm from the oven with a side of butter and jam.


Ingredients

Bread

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 Tbsp aluminum free baking powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 3/4 cups low-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tsp orange zest
  • 1 cup dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins

Topping

  • 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 Tbsp granulated sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet.
  2. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; make a well in the in the center of the mixture. Whisk together buttermilk, egg, melted butter, and orange zest in a medium bowl. Add to flour mixture and fold in just until almost incorporated; gently fold in cranberries and raisins.
  3. Pour batter into prepared skillet and smooth with an offset spatula. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar.
  4. Bake for about 35 minutes, until top and edges are golden and set, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes in the skillet before using a thin spatula to loosen bread from skillet and invert onto a cooling rack. Let cool to slightly warm before serving.

Notes

Adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Keywords: Skillet Bread, Soda Bread

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18 Comments

  1. This bread was delicious! My dad absolutely loved it. It stayed moist for a good week. I kept it in a ziplock bag and sliced it off. It was delicious plain but as it got a little older we loved it toasted with orange marmalade. It was just fantastic. Thanks for such a great & fun recipe to bake in a cast iron skillet.

  2. I think this is a wonderful version of Irish soda bread! I find it gets a bit dry when it’s on the second or third day so cranberries are a really nice addition.

  3. Laura, I love your adaptation of soda bread. This looks so light and moist. The cranberries are a perfect addition, too! So great to think out of the box and set a new norm for tradition!

  4. i do not think I’d be able to devour this all weekk long! I’d finish it in a day! this sounds absolutely amazing, especially with the orange zest

  5. I love your non-traditional soda bread! Great flavour combination and so pretty. And cooked in a skillet is always better 🙂

  6. I have yet to make Irish Soda bread that I love, but yours looks SOOO perfect! I really think I need to make it tomorrow. YUMMM.

    1. Hi Claudia, I’d use a 10-inch cake pan then. Grease the pan and bake as directed, just keep in mind that the baking time may be a bit different in a cake pan. Hope that helps! 🙂

  7. Whether traditional or nontraditional, this soda bread looks spectacular!!! Love that beautiful sugar topping!!

  8. I love twists on traditions! I break them all the time haha! I love your rendition on the irish soda bread and all the yummy flavors in it ! 🙂

  9. All that buttermilk makes for such a tender crumb! I’d be happy to celebrate St. Patrick’s day with this new tradition!

  10. Looks so yummy, Laura! I’ve never had soda bread before, but I’m a bread girl so I know I’m going to love it! The dried fruit sounds like a lovely addition too!

  11. This is an awesome idea 😀 I also like that I can make it in a skillet 😀