Irish Soda Farls
Traditional Soda Farls are a quick and easy Irish griddle bread made with just a handful of simple ingredients. Cooked in a pan rather than baked in the oven, these soft, fluffy farls are perfect served warm with butter or as part of a traditional Irish breakfast.
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Servings: 4
INGREDIENTS
- 300 g Plain Flour (All-purpose Flour)
- 1 tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
- ½ tsp Ground Sea Salt
- 250 ml Buttermilk (see notes for alternative)
EQUIPMENT
- Griddle Pan (or frying pan)
INSTRUCTIONS
- Place your griddle/frying pan on a low heat on your hob to start warming up.
- Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a large bowl. Make a well into the middle before pouring in the buttermilk.
- Gently stir together, being caution not to mix too vigorously. Once the wet and dry ingredients have started to come together and you can no longer mix with a spoon/spatula, use your floured hands to form it into a soft, slightly sticky dough.
- Turn the dough onto a well-floured surface and very gently knead it into a loose ball - try not to knead it more than 2-4 turns to do this.
- Gently flatten out the dough into a circle with your hands, until about 20-25cm (8-9 inches) in diameter. Cut the circle into four triangles (farls).
- Transfer the farls to your [dry] pre-heated griddle/frying pan. Allow to bake on a low heat, on one side for 8-10 minutes until golden in colour, before flipping over and repeating on the other side. Your farls should rise a little whilst baking too.
- Once baked on both side, transfer to a wire rack to cool a little, before serving whilst still warm.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
All my recipes are developed using a digital scale and the metric system (grams and millilitres). Cup measurements are available as a conversion but these, unfortunately, won't always be as accurate. For best results, I always recommend baking with a digital scale.
NOTES:
Substitutions:
- Buttermilk: If you are unable to get buttermilk locally or would prefer a dairy-free option, simply replace the buttermilk with 250ml of milk mixed with 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar or 1 tbsp lemon juice. Mix about 30 minutes before use to allow the milk to thicken ever so slightly. Be sure to add the milk gradually, as you may not need it all.
- Flour: Traditional soda farls are made with plain white flour (all-purpose flour), but you can try substituting some of the flour with wholemeal flour for a slightly nuttier flavour and denser loaf.
Storage
Soda Farls are best enjoyed on the day they are baked, but they will keep for up to 2-3 days if stored in an airtight container at room temperature. If they start to dry out, they are lovely lightly toasted with butter.Freezing
Soda Farls freeze well. Allow the farls to cool completely before wrapping tightly and freezing for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature and warm slightly before serving if desired. Tried this recipe?Tag @bakingwithgranny or use the hashtag #bakingwithgranny!
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