Irish Soda Bread in a Skillet is a rustic and comforting bread that is simple to make and full of traditional flavor. Unlike yeast breads that require time to rise, soda bread uses baking soda as the leavening agent, allowing the dough to rise quickly and making it perfect for home bakers who want fresh bread without a long preparation process.
This version, baked in a skillet, develops a beautiful golden crust while staying soft and tender inside. The skillet helps distribute heat evenly, creating a lightly crisp exterior that contrasts with the fluffy crumb of the bread. Cast iron skillets are especially popular for this recipe because they retain heat well and give the bread its signature rustic look.
The ingredients for Irish soda bread are simple and traditional. Flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk form the base of the dough. Buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to create the rise, while also adding a subtle tangy flavor that gives the bread its distinctive taste. Butter can also be added for extra richness and tenderness.
The dough is mixed quickly and handled gently to keep the bread light. Overworking the dough can make the bread dense, so it is usually shaped into a round and placed directly into the skillet. A traditional cross is often cut into the top of the dough before baking. This not only helps the bread bake evenly but is also a long standing tradition believed to let steam escape while baking.
Irish Soda Bread in a Skillet pairs beautifully with both sweet and savory foods. It can be served warm with butter, homemade peach jam, or honey for breakfast, or alongside soups and Irish stews for a comforting meal. The bread’s hearty texture makes it perfect for dipping or spreading with soft cheeses.
With its crisp crust, tender crumb, and simple ingredients, Irish Soda Bread in a Skillet is a timeless recipe that brings warmth and tradition to any table.
Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour plus extra for dusting
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 3/4 cups buttermilk
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease a cast-iron skillet and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- Make a well in the center and gradually add the buttermilk, mixing with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Do not overmix.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and gently knead for a minute until the dough comes together.
- Shape the dough into a round loaf and place it in the prepared skillet. Using a sharp knife, cut a cross on top of the dough.
- Bake in the preheated oven for 35 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Nutrition
Soda bread be like a biscuit but in loaf form! Who knew? Love it! 😂
This soda bread turned out amazing! I added some raisins and it was a hit with the family.
It took longer than 35 minutes to bake. Is everyone’s oven temperature the same? Mine was 450!
I think everyone’s oven can be a bit different. Mine usually bakes things faster! Maybe try a lower temp next time? 😊
I’m not sure about using a skillet for bread. It seems strange but it worked surprisingly well.
Just made this and forgot the knife part, so it didn’t rise much. Oops! 🤦♂️
Wow, I never knew a knife was needed for bread! Crazy, right? 😂
Haha, no worries! It happens to the best of us. Just a little more rise next time! 👍
I made it just as you said, but it was too dry! I don’t think I did anything wrong.
❤️ Just perfect, I’m making this like every week now!!
I can’t bake, so my wife made it. She said it’s easy but I think she just likes to show off! 😏
Best recipe ever!! So easy and quick, I even cooked it on the stovetop by accident!
I used regular milk instead of buttermilk. Still turned out great but maybe would’ve been better with the right stuff?
Lol this is just bread! What’s the big deal? But I do like it, not gonna lie.
Why do you have to knead it? I thought bread was better if you just let it sit. 🤔
This bread is amazing! So easy to make and tastes just like my grandmother used to make. Thumbs up!
It was okay but a bit too salty for my taste. I think next time I’ll reduce the salt. 🤷♀️
Delicious and super fluffy! I’m definitely adding this to my regular baking list. 🥰
Like, is it really that easy?? I was skeptical but it worked! Thx!
Totally! I was surprised too, but it’s super easy and tastes amazing! Glad it worked for you!
This is the easiest bread recipe ever! Made it today and it turned out perfect. 😋
Super easy recipe! I never baked bread before but this turned out pretty good. Will definitely make again!
Super easy skillet bread. I was skeptical about no eggs or yeast, but wow. Next time I’ll dust the top a bit more so it looks even prettier.
Yes!! I was skeptical too, but the buttermilk + soda combo totally does it. That extra flour dusting tip is spot on—mine looked a little pale the first time 😅
I’m Irish and I gotta say: the cross is cute but mine cracked weird. Could be my knife angle. Flavor is still very comforting.
I don’t get the hype. The bread turned out too dense for my taste.
I think I forgot the salt… It’s bland 🙁. Please remind me to check next time.
Oh no! Salt is super important for flavor. Just remember to double-check next time. I hope it’s still okay!
You could try adding some butter on top when it’s done! Might help with the blandness a bit.
This turned out so nicely—golden crust and that “hollow” tap test was spot on. I didn’t overmix and it had the perfect tender crumb.
Can’t believe people are raving about this. It’s just flour and buttermilk… I mean, how hard can it be? Not worth the hype.
meh. i think the cross made it dry? idk. tasted ok but wouldn’t make again.
Delicious! But is this even real Irish soda bread? I thought it had raisins in it? 🤔
I think traditional Irish soda bread can vary a lot. Some do have raisins, but it’s not a must! This one looks great! 😋
Not gonna lie, 35 minutes felt a little long for my oven. I checked at 30 and it was already browning nicely. Turned out a touch dark at the edges but still good. Could use a bit more buttermilk maybe? (I might’ve measured wrong.)
I tried this and it was a disaster. My dough was way too sticky and I ended up with a gooey mess. Not impressed.
My dough was way too sticky at first. I added flour bit by bit and then it finally behaved. Taste is solid, but the texture was not as tender as I expected.
I don’t get it, why no yeast? Isn’t that like, essential for bread? 🤔
But how can it be real bread without yeast? Isn’t that like making cake with no sugar??
Yeast is not needed for soda bread! It’s a quick bread that uses baking soda instead. 😊
Looks authentic enough, but 425°F for only 35 min feels too short? I checked at 30 and it was still pale. I ended up going closer to 40-42 and then it was good.
Totally agree—425°F in a skillet can brown fast, but 35 min feels like a minimum, not a guarantee. If it was pale at 30, you did the right thing pushing it to 40–42. The “hollow when tapped” test is the real key anyway.
Irish bread ain’t gotta be complex! Just flour, some soda, and it tastes great. This is how we do it!
This came out *so* golden and the crust is perfect. I had to add a tiny splash more buttermilk because my flour was super dry, but otherwise followed the steps and it was great.
This recipe is so easy! My family loved it. Definitely making it again!
So glad to hear that! It’s super simple and tastes amazing, right? 🥰
Really? I found it kinda confusing with the kneading part. Mine turned out dense. 🤔
Wow. Like, actually wow. The simplicity is unreal. I ate it plain with butter and it didn’t even need jam (but jam is never a bad idea).
Love this—my cast-iron skillet makes everything better. The cross on top actually gives it such a classic look. Mine came out golden and hollow like the instructions said. Will definitely make again.
Yum! 🍞
Looks delicious! Can’t wait to try it out. 🍞
425°F felt aggressive but it worked. The smell while baking was amazing. I cooled it fully and it sliced better.
I only had regular milk, so I added vinegar and hoped for the best. It was edible but not as tangy and the crumb felt a little off.
I think your crumb felt “off” because the vinegar messes with the dough a bit. I tried that once—tasted weird and it didn’t rise right. Soda bread needs the real tang from buttermilk, not guessing. Just use buttermilk next time 🙃
That’s a bummer—your loaf sounds like it still worked, though. If you’re trying for tang, regular milk + vinegar doesn’t always mimic true buttermilk fully. Next time, try a little more vinegar and let it sit 5–10 minutes before mixing, or use store-bought buttermilk.
I like skillet bread, so I tried it. Didn’t overmix, used a cross like the recipe says—turned out a little dense in the middle. Maybe my oven runs hot/cold?
Sounds like you did everything right—dense middles are usually an oven temp or doneness issue. If your oven runs a bit cool, it might not set through by 35 min. I’d try 5 more minutes (and look for that hollow sound).
I had the same thing once. I over-patted it (or pressed it down too much) and it ended up heavy in the center. Also, do you weigh your flour? 4 cups can vary a lot.
I followed it exactly and it rose beautifully! The cross cut helped—crust baked evenly. Will make again for sure.
I don’t have a cast-iron skillet so I used a regular baking dish and… it was okay. Not as good as the version in cast iron, but still solid.
Honestly, I’m not sure about the knife cross—mine deflated a bit. Maybe my cut was too deep? Either way, I ate it all, so…
The buttermilk amount threw me at first (1 3/4 cups = like 350ml-ish right?) and I eyeballed it—oops. It was a bit dry, but the flavor still carried.
I totally get that—1 3/4 cups buttermilk is around 415 ml (not too far off your guess, but enough to mess with dryness). Next time I’d measure it and stop mixing as soon as it comes together. Still, glad the flavor held up!
Mine was a bit too salty? Not sure if I measured wrong, but the flavor surprised me. Texture was nice and dense like it should be.
Good flavor, but I’m not sure mine “sounded hollow” because I tapped it like a detective and it just sounded… bread. Still delicious though. Next time I’ll bake 2-3 minutes longer.
I followed it pretty much exactly and it was good, but I think I under-floured my surface. Still tasty though—more “rustic” than dense, if that makes sense. Next time I’ll be a bit more careful with the dusting.
Really easy, minimal ingredients. I was worried about the dough being too sticky, but the flour dusting helped. Would make again for sure.
Not gonna lie… 4 cups flour sounds like a lot. I ended up with a huge loaf and it took longer than the recipe said. Maybe my skillet is smaller?
Mine didn’t sound hollow at the bottom after 35 minutes, so I baked 8 more. After that it was perfect—just watch the doneness.
This is the most basic Irish soda bread ever—shouldn’t there be raisins or something? Like everyone I know adds mix-ins. Plain is okay, but it’s missing that extra flavor.
Uh… buttermilk is hard to find where I live. I used regular milk with a splash of vinegar and it turned out kinda okay. Maybe not authentic, but hey, bread.
Why does it need “sounds hollow”?? I tapped and got scared I broke something lol. But yeah it was done and delicious.
Haha I get that—when it says “sounds hollow” I always go full skeptic and gently tap like it’s gonna fall apart. 😅 But if the top is golden and it’s set, it’s usually fine.
Wait so you tap the *bottom*? I tapped the top once and it didn’t sound hollow so I baked it 10 more min and it turned kinda dry. Guess I should read better next time lol.
The “don’t overmix” part is key! I used a spoon and stopped as soon as it formed. Great crumb, not tough. I served it with butter and soup and it disappeared fast.
I kinda overmixed (oops) and it got a bit tough. Next time I’ll be more gentle. Flavor is still nice though.
Mine came out a little dense, I think I kneaded too long because I got impatient. Still tasted good though with butter.
Maybe you needed more buttermilk? I always knead it like dough for pizza lol, like 5-10 min, and mine is fine… but if it got dense, could’ve been too much flour when dusting too. Either way, butter helps everything 😅
That dense result tracks with overmixing/kneading—soda bread is super sensitive. Next time, just bring it together and stop. The flavor sounds like you did everything else right!
Wait… is buttermilk really necessary? I used milk + lemon juice and it was… fine? Not great. I think I messed up the rise.
I think you’re right to suspect the rise—this bread relies on the chemistry of baking soda + real buttermilk (acid) to puff up. Milk + lemon can work in a pinch, but it’s easy to get the acidity/ratio slightly off, and that can make it dense or not lift as much.
I followed it pretty closely, but I was worried at step 3 about “not overmixing.” Still came out tender though. Next time I’ll dust a little less flour on top.
I don’t have cast iron, so I used a regular baking dish. It still baked up okay, but the bottom didn’t get that same crust. Good recipe anyway!
Meh. Tasted like regular bread to me. Also 425°F felt too hot? I baked 35 mins and it was kinda dry by the end.
I get what you mean—425°F is pretty hot. If your dough was on the dry side or your oven runs hot, it can go dry fast in 35 mins. Next time, maybe start checking around 30 mins and be careful not to overbake. Also, make sure you don’t overwork it (overmixing can hurt texture).