Traditional Irish Soda Farls

For those new to soda farls, they are simply an Irish soda bread loaf that is flattened and cut into quadrants before being cooked on a stovetop griddle (a flat cast iron skillet). While many indulge in these beauties as part of their St Patrick’s Day breakfast, I love to cook them all year round. Because why save something so delicious for just one day of the year?

Why you are going to love this soda farl recipe

It’s FIVE simple ingredients. They are all pantry staples that most people would keep in their pantry. Winner!

Can you say BEST BREAKFAST EVER? I like my soda farls simply hot, straight out of the skillet, doused with lashings of cold butter, homemade jam or served with baked beans. The Irishman is more of a fryup kinda guy on a Sunday morning so it’s a Traditional Full Irish Breakfast with soda farls on the side.

It takes under 40 minutes to get homemade, hot soda farls on the table. Hands-on time is under 10 minutes.

What you need to get started

• Plain flour
  
  
  
• Sea salt flakes. I am a huge fan of Murray River Salt Flakes. It’s my go-to sea salt. Maldon salt is another favorite.
  
  
  
• Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
  
  
  
• Runny Honey
  
  
  
• Buttermilk – if you don’t have buttermilk on hand, you can easily make your own by combining 1 cup of regular milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice in a measuring jug or small bowl. Leave for a couple of minutes until it curdles and you’ve got buttermilk!

Here’s how to make this Irish Soda Farls recipe

1. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Give it a quick whisk to aerate the flour and pop aside.
   
   
   
2. In a small bowl add the honey to the buttermilk and give a good stir. 
   
   
   
3. Make well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the buttermilk mixture to the mixing bowl with other ingredients. Using a large wooden spoon, Stir just to combine, but no more. The mixture should be a bit sticky. This is completely normal. Turn the soft dough out onto a well-floured surface and lightly form the dough into a disc about one and a quarter inches thick. Divide the dough into quarters by cutting the disc into wedges with a floured knife.
   
   
   
4. Warm up a heavy, cast iron skillet on low heat. After a couple of minutes dust the base of the pan with a little flour. Add your soda farls to the floured skillet and pop on the lid. Cook for 10 minutes on low heat until crusty and golden brown. Flip the soda farls and cook on the other side for another 10-12 minutes or until cooked through. Depending on the thickness of your soda farls, you may need to flip them on their sides to toast.
   
   
   
5. Turn the cooked farls onto a wire rack or eat straight out of the pan. 

​Equipment

A heavy cast iron pan or flat griddle is a must. The cast iron gives the soda farls a delicious, rustic crust to the exterior, and trust me, it’s an essential part of a soda farl. Don’t be tempted to use a nonstick pan, it just won’t give you the same result. 

Other must-haves are a wooden spoon, a sharp knife, a large mixing bowl, an egg flip as well as measuring cups and spoons.

How to serve them up

Ok, so we’ve talked about breakfast. But what about half a soda farl to dip in your Irish Stew for dinner? Yes, please!

The same goes for dunking in a hearty soup like this lamb shank soup. 

Cut your soda farl in half and layer in your favorite sandwich fillings for a different take on a simple sandwich Or a cracking bacon and fried egg breakfast roll.

With jam. Anytime. All the time.

Storage

Soda farls are best eaten on the day they are made. If you do have leftovers, store the farls in an airtight container. The next morning either pop them into a warm oven for 5 minutes or cut them in half and toast them before topping with your favorite breakfast condiment.

Love Irish food? Here try these Irish Recipes…

• Easy Irish Buttermilk Scones
• Bacon and Cheese Soda Bread
• Colcannon Mash – Creamy Irish Mashed Potatoes with Cabbage
• Boozy Baileys Chocolate Truffles
• Dutch Oven Corned Beef

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