How to make Irish Soda Farls

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If you haver never tried these tasty Farls you are in for a treat. Easy to make and versatile. Learn how to make Irish Soda Farls here with only 4 ingredients.

A Little bit of Irish tradition- Soda Farls

Since it is St Patricks Day why not give these a try. These soda Farls are so easy to prepare. The dough comes together in only 5 mins and uses only four ingredients, flour, salt, Bicarbonate of soda and buttermilk.

Not everyone will have buttermilk to hand, but you can easily substitute it with either Kefir ( you can learn how to make Kefir from scratch HERE ) or a mixture of milk and yoghurt. You can even use regular milk with a squeeze of lemon juice to sour the milk. You need the sourness of these things to activate the soda to get a good rise of your farl.

The word Farl comes from the word meaning four parts. This is because when you bring the dough together into a circle, you then cut into 4 quarters like cutting a pie.

Soda Farls are very similar to scones, but have a slightly more chewy consistency. They are cooked traditionally on a cast iron griddle over the fire, where as scones are cooked in an oven. Nowadays you can cook them just as well in a cast iron pan or if cooking on a range like an Aga, directly on the simmering plate.

You should cook Farls on a low heat so they don’t brown too quickly on the outside and leave the inside still raw. If they are browning too fast, just turn down the heat slightly.

The best way I love to serve them is when they are still warm, cut in half with jam and cream, but Irish butter is traditional. They are generally served with breakfast, but I like to serve them as a dessert or as an afternoon treat.

How to make Irish soda Farls

Ingredients

• 2 cups All purpose flour
• 1tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1 cup Buttermilk or substitute

Method

• First combine all of the dry ingredients into a bowl.
• Next start pouring in the buttermilk to form a thick bread dough consistency. It should not be wet.
• Don’t over work your dough, just bring it together enough to be able to for into a circle around 3/4 inch thick.
• Meanwhile preheat your griddle or cast iron pan. Dust the griddle or pan with a tiny amount of flour to prevent the farl from sticking. If you are cooking on a simmering plate, I like to use bake o glide to keep the plate clean and prevent sticking.
• Cut the circle of dough into four wedges and orange them on the griddle. Cook the first side for between 5-10 mins depending on how hot your griddle is. Once the underside has a firm crust, carefully flip over and cook the other side for around the same length of time. You may need to turn down the heat for second side.
• Use a skewer to test if the farl is cooked through. It should come out clean when poked into the middle when it is perfectly cooked.

• Allow them to cool slightly on a cooling rack and then serve warm with butter. Or if you are feeling extra decadent with jam and clotted cream.

Tips for making Irish Soda Farls

1. Get your griddle to a good temperature so that it isn’t so hot it cooks too fast or so low it isn’t cooking fast enough.
2. Have the dough thick enough so that it isn’t too wet.
3. Always test the farl with a skewer to check it is cooked through. A soggy farl is a sorry thing to behold.
4. Don’t over work the dough or it will become heavy and spoil the light texture.

I hope you enjoy trying this little slice of Ireland. They are a guilty pleasure of mine and I’m sure in a no small part responsible for my growing waistline. They are really delicious

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See you all soon

Happy making and happy baking

Sam x

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Cast iron pan

Cast iron griddle

Bake o glide

Copper measuring cups

Dough cutter

Glass mixing bowl

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