Skillet Irish Soda Bread
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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. Perhaps authenticity is overrated?
Perfumed with orange zest, this skillet bread is irresistible still warm from the oven and makes a fine breakfast along with good 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
- Yield: 1 10-inch loaf, 12 servings
Ingredients
Bread
- 3 cups flour
- 2/3 cup 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 sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F and grease a seasoned 10-inch cast iron skillet. 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.
- Pour batter into prepared skillet and smooth with an offset spatula. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with sugar. 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
Nutrition
- Calories: 260
- Carbohydrates: 50
Keywords: skillet bread, soda bread
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!
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
I love your non-traditional soda bread! Great flavour combination and so pretty. And cooked in a skillet is always better 🙂
This skillet Irish soda bread is a beauty! Happy St’ Patrick’s Day!
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.
What if you don’t have a cast iron skillet? What do you recommend using instead?
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! 🙂
Whether traditional or nontraditional, this soda bread looks spectacular!!! Love that beautiful sugar topping!!
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 ! 🙂
All that buttermilk makes for such a tender crumb! I’d be happy to celebrate St. Patrick’s day with this new tradition!
I’m just writing up a soda bread recipe this afternoon, these breads are so much fun to make. I love your ‘updates’!
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!
Delicious way to break tradition Laura! I need to try this!
Absolutely love this Laura! Looks and sounds amazing!
This is an awesome idea 😀 I also like that I can make it in a skillet 😀