Irish Potato Bread Farls (Printable Version)

Golden potato bread farls cooked on a griddle and served warm with salted butter.

# Ingredient List:

→ Potatoes

01 - 1 lb floury potatoes, peeled and cubed

→ Dairy

02 - 3.5 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra for serving
03 - 1/4 cup whole milk

→ Dry Ingredients

04 - 1 cup plain flour, plus extra for dusting
05 - 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

→ To Serve

06 - Salted butter, to taste

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - Place the peeled and cubed potatoes in a saucepan. Cover with cold water and add a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10–12 minutes or until fork-tender. Drain well and return to the pan for 1 minute to steam dry.
02 - Mash the potatoes thoroughly until smooth. Add the unsalted butter and milk while the potatoes are still hot, mixing well until the butter has melted and the mixture is creamy.
03 - Stir in the flour and salt. Mix until a soft, non-sticky dough forms. If too sticky, add a little extra flour.
04 - Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead, then shape into a round about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the round into quarters (farls).
05 - Heat a non-stick frying pan or griddle over medium-low heat. No oil needed.
06 - Cook the farls in batches for 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown and slightly puffed.
07 - Serve warm, generously spread with salted butter.

# Tips from hearthlykitchen:

01 -
  • You probably have everything in your kitchen right now, no special trips to the store required
  • The texture is somewhere between a pancake and a biscuit, with edges that get perfectly crisp while the inside stays tender
  • They come together in thirty minutes flat, which means they can happen on a whim
02 -
  • Resist the urge to turn up the heat to speed things up, because the inside needs time to cook through before the outside burns
  • If your dough feels impossibly sticky, let it rest for five minutes, the flour needs time to absorb moisture from the potatoes
  • These are best eaten immediately, but if you must store them, wrap well and reheat in a dry pan to recrisp the edges
03 -
  • Use a potato ricer if you have one, it makes the smoothest mash and guarantees lump free bread
  • Let the cooked farls rest on a wire rack for a minute so steam doesnt make them soggy