Irish Potato Bread Farls (Printable View)
Soft golden potato farls pan-fried until crisp and tender, ideal for breakfast or as a hearty side dish.
# What You’ll Need:
→ Potatoes
01 - 1 lb floury potatoes (e.g., Maris Piper or Russet), peeled and cut into chunks
→ Dairy
02 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus extra for frying
→ Dry Ingredients
03 - 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
04 - 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
# Cooking Steps:
01 - Place potatoes in a saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10–12 minutes or until very tender. Drain well and mash until smooth; let cool slightly.
02 - Add butter and salt to the warm potatoes, mixing until fully incorporated.
03 - Sift in the flour and mix gently to form a soft, slightly sticky dough. Avoid overworking.
04 - Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape into a round about 1/2 inch thick. Cut the round into quarters (farls).
05 - Heat a large nonstick skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Lightly grease with butter. Cook the farls for 3–4 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through.
06 - Serve warm with extra butter or alongside a traditional Irish breakfast.
# Expert Tips:
01 -
- Turns leftover mashed potatoes into something you will actually crave the next morning
- The contrast between crisp buttery edges and soft pillowy centers is impossible to resist
02 -
- The dough will seem stickier than expected but resist adding more flour or the bread becomes tough and dry
- Cooking over too high heat burns the outside before the inside finishes heating through completely
03 -
- Use a light touch when shaping because overworking the dough develops gluten and makes the bread chewy instead of tender
- Butter your skillet between batches and wipe out any browned bits to prevent burning on later farls