Skillet Irish Soda Bread Served With Cheddar and Apples Recipe (2024)

By Melissa Clark

Skillet Irish Soda Bread Served With Cheddar and Apples Recipe (1)

Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Rating
5(568)
Notes
Read community notes

Authentic Irish soda bread contains no raisins, butter or eggs. This American version is made with buttermilk, butter, eggs, raisins and sugar. It’s baked in a heavy iron skillet so that the top and bottom crusts become crunchy and browned while the center stays tender and pale, studded with treacly bits of raisins.

Featured in: A GOOD APPETITE; Not Irish, but Maybe It's for the Best

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Ingredients

Yield:1 10-inch loaf

  • Butter for greasing pan plus ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted
  • 3cups all-purpose flour
  • cup sugar
  • 1tablespoon baking powder
  • teaspoons salt
  • 1teaspoon baking soda
  • cups buttermilk
  • 2eggs, well beaten
  • cups raisins or currants
  • 1tablespoon caraway seeds
  • Good aged Cheddar cheese, for serving
  • Tart apples, cut into slices, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step

    1

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 10-inch oven-proof skillet and line with parchment or waxed paper.

  2. Step

    2

    In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, eggs and 2 tablespoons melted butter. Add wet ingredients to dry and stir until just combined. Do not overmix. Stir in the raisins or currants and caraway seeds.

  3. Step

    3

    Pour batter into skillet. Brush top with remaining butter. Bake until golden and firm to touch, about 1 hour. Cool 10 minutes before slicing and serving with Cheddar and apples.

Ratings

5

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568

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

It IS Irish

My grandmother got off the boat from Cork, Ireland on March 17th, 1903 and this recipe is almost exactly the same as hers. Same ingredients, slightly smaller proportions- 1 egg, 2C flour, 1 1/8 C buttermilk, “handful” of raisins. I make her recipe every year and bring it to work- people come from all over the building to have some. This recipe is, sad to say, slightly better....

Tom

I love this recipe. It’s one of my favorites any time of the year! Not only have I made it many times as the recipe states, with or without the caraway, but at Thanksgiving I’ve also substituted cranberries for the raisins, omitted the caraway seeds, and added grated orange peel for a delicious breakfast/side bread. It's great right out of the oven, warm and crunchy, or over the next few days (as it keeps incredibly well).

Anon

I improved a similar recipe by soaking the raisins in Irish whiskey overnight.

Tom

I agree about the caraway. I needs more than 1 TBS.
I also baked this in muffin tins. This recipe is more fluid than my recipe so it was easy to pur it in. They came out great. And it was ready 15 minutes faster.

Jen

Quite nice.A couple of adjustments:A tablespoon and a half of caraway seedsThe rasins softened in just boiled water for 7 minutesBrown sugarYogurt instead of buttermilk Half Golden rasinsBaked for 38 minutes

Nancy

This thick batter goes straight from mixing bowl to cast iron skillet. No forming dough into a ball while sending flour throughout kitchen. Much better! An hour bake is too long for my convection oven. About 45 min seemed to do the trick. This is a moist, sweet, rich, & coffee cake-like version of soda bread. Very well suited to my American palate & it does not dry out like "real" soda bread. Thank you, Melissa!

annie

Wonderful any time of day. I made it in a cast iron skillet and it only took about 50 minutes, so check it early. I was also generous with the caraway seeds.

kathy

First and second generation Irish bring this to church suppers and wakes. What is more authentic than that? My mother did not use buttermilk, but this is close to what she made. It is a delight with butter. Who needs the cheddar and apples? We take it with a nice cuppa tea.

Karen

Nice, easy recipe. I baked the bread in my cast iron skillet for 40 minutes.

Terry B.

This recipe is very similar to one from The Silver Palate cookbook that I have been making for many years. It’s always a hit!

Mic

I got so pleased with how wonderful this looked in the pan that I let it cool without turning it out right away wanting everyone to see the little beauty in all its glory. A little more browned on the bottom than expected! :-) Thank goodness for the parchment disc. It's not intuitive, but we really liked it with the cheese and apples. So far three days later, it's still nicely moist. Just stop thinking of it as third cousin to a fruit cake!

Natalie

A bit too sweet. Maybe a quarter cup of sugar given that the raisins add sweetness as well.

Charlotte

I was a little nervous when this bread looked like it would spill over the sides of my cast iron pan in the oven. Was the batter too loose? NO! This turned our beautifully. Total baking time was 45 minutes. We loved it, can't wait to make it again.

Marilynn

I have never had success making Irish soda bread until I found this recipe. I bought a 10" cast iron skillet just to make it and it turned out just right, not heavy and chewy like the past recipes i've tried.It's my go-to recipe when I'm told to bring something for a picnic. I too added more caraway seeds than directed and also more raisins.Nice easy recipe!

Maisie

Really wonderful bread.

I love caraway seeds and I maybe would have like a stronger caraway presence. I'll try more next time.

MJL

First time making and loved this. Based on the notes and what I had, used all bread flour, only 1/4 cup sugar, fennel seeds, soy milk + vinegar for buttermilk and 2 handfuls of raisins. Forgot to brush the butter on top and baked about 35 minutes in a 12 inch cast iron skillet. Delish.

Trina

Delicious bread. Used 2 c whole wheat bread flour, lifted bread and gave nuances to overall taste. Also, used half brown sugar, and doubled caraway seeds. Easy n yummy.

Kaylor

I made this for a Saint Patrick’s Day party and it was a hit! I used fennel seeds instead of caraway seeds since it’s what I had on hand and it worked flawlessly. I checked it at 45 minutes and it was done. I served it with Kerry gold butter. It was delicious with a Guinness!

GG

Easy and delicious! Now part of our St. Pat's celebration as the appetizer!

Lori

This was the best soda bread I have made! I did reduce the sugar to 1/3 cup as suggested by other reviewers. I baked this in a well buttered 10" cast iron skillet for only 40 minutes, definitely would have been overbaked if left for an hour as the recipe suggests.Got rave reviews from my guests and family!

Carrie

Great recipe as is and my family really enjoys it every year. This year substituted 1 cup dark rye flour for 1 cup of the AP flour, used 1/4 cup light brown sugar, and 1 1/2 tablespoons caraway. It came out beautifully with a nice light rye flavor.

LisaB1966

I added this to our traditional corned beef and cabbage St. Patrick's Day celebration, and everyone loved it!

Gilbert

Absolutely delicious! This will be my go to recipe from now on

Anna deLeon

Cut recipe in half in 7-8 inch pan and bake for 30 minutes

kathyandzac

Didn't have a 10 inch cast iron skillet so used a 10 inch springform pan. Baked for 60 minutes.

nutmeg

Made three mini 5x3” loaf tins—came out GREAT! Baked for 30 mins, but decided to leave the biggest one in for an additional 5. Nice tall shape, very pleased with flavor. First timing making homemade and there’s no comparison to grocery store bought!

Kathy

Cook time 47 minutes.

Laura

I’ve made this soda bread twice in the past week. I melt a tablespoon of butter in a cast iron skillet. Didn’t use parchment or wax paper. Followed the recipe exactly The bread turned out great! Got lots of compliments from those I shared it with.

Edgemont Kathy

Heeded the advice and cut sugar to 1/4 c and increased caraway to 1 1/2 T. Also swapped one cup of regular flour for whole wheat. Baked it in my big two-handled Staub cast iron pan for 37 minutes. It turned out fantastic and not at all too sweet. We had it as our bread w dinner. Delicious!

Woo

This comes out too much like coffee cake. Too moist? Gummy?

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Skillet Irish Soda Bread Served With Cheddar and Apples Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the best way to serve Irish soda bread? ›

Serve slices alongside your favorite soup or slathered with butter or jam. This bread is best on the day it's baked. I recommend slicing and freezing it for longer storage. The frozen slices make fantastic toast!

Should Irish soda bread be heated before serving? ›

Soda bread dries out quickly so it really is only good for a day or two. It is best eaten freshly baked and warm or toasted.

What's the difference between Irish bread and Irish soda bread? ›

Irish brown bread has a deep, nutty flavor because of its wheat flour and wheat bran while soda bread uses only white flour. Soda bread is slightly sweet and more scone-like while Irish brown bread is more savory with a tender interior.

Why does Irish soda bread not need yeast? ›

The Irishmen learned to adapt to this climate by growing soft wheat that is lower in gluten. The type of flour from this wheat is not compatible with the yeast to make the dough rise; thus, they use baking soda instead to make the famed Irish Soda Bread.

How is soda bread traditionally served? ›

Butter. The traditional way of serving your Irish soda bread is serving the loaf while it's warm with butter.

What is traditionally served with Irish soda bread? ›

The thick and hearty nature of Irish soda bread helps it pair very well with meaty stews (especially Irish stew). You can use it to soak up the juices as you eat or as a vehicle for the meat and vegetables. Traditionally, Irish soda bread is served with a slow-simmered beef and barley stew.

How do you know when Irish soda bread is done? ›

The most traditional doneness test calls for thumping the hot bread in the center to hear if it's hollow-sounding. A more foolproof indication is temperature; the loaf will register 200°F to 205°F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the center of the bread.

How do you know when Irish soda bread is done baking? ›

Cover and bake until well risen and golden, 45 minutes. Remove lid and continue baking until chestnut brown, with an internal temperature of 210°F (99°C), 12 to 15 minutes longer.

Why is my Irish soda bread so dry? ›

It's important to remember no to overmix your ingredients. Irish Soda Bread is a dense bread, similar to a scone, but can easily become dry if overmixed. Quickly add the wet ingredients to a well you've made in the dry ingredients, and mix with your hands or a dough hook until it just comes together.

Do people in Ireland eat Irish soda bread? ›

Soda bread is a type of bread that uses baking soda instead of yeast as a leavening agent. It is a traditional bread in Ireland and has been a staple food for many Irish families for centuries.

Why is Irish soda bread so good? ›

This gave the bread its famous hard crust, dense texture, and slightly sour tang. The unique texture of soda bread is a result of the reaction between the acidic sour milk and baking soda, which formed small bubbles of carbon dioxide in the dough. The shape of soda bread is also steeped in tradition.

How many days is Irish soda bread good for? ›

Tightly wrap your leftover bread and place it in an airtight container. There's no need to refrigerate. As for how long soda bread lasts: Irish soda bread tends to dry out faster than other breads. The bread will be good for 3-4 days or up to three months if frozen.

Is Irish soda bread bad for you? ›

Nutrition Notes

Whole-wheat soda bread is a healthy addition to your plate! One serving—a 1/2-inch-thick slice—provides complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.

What do you eat with Irish bread? ›

This versatile bread pairs well with a variety of dishes, both sweet and savory. Serve it with corned beef and cabbage, or simply topped with Irish butter. Raisins or currants are a more modern addition to this bread, but they are delicious. Although completely optional.

Is Irish soda bread served with dinner? ›

My grandmother's Irish soda bread contains some sugar, but it's not overly sweet. It's a wonderful companion for savory dinners like hearty stew or you can serve it with butter, jam, and/or cheese.

Should Irish soda bread be dry? ›

If your bread tastes soapy, salty, or bitter or if the crust is too dark: You might have added too much baking soda or baking powder or used self-rising flour. If your bread's texture is dry: You might have added too much baking soda, too little liquid or not baked it at high enough temperature.

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