Irish Soda Farls Recipe (2024)

Table of Contents

Why we love Irish Soda Farls Recipe What are Irish Soda Farls? Traditional Irish Food Ingredients in Irish Soda Farls Recipe How to make Irish Soda Farls Recipe Amazing places to explore in Dublin, Ireland Ingredients Instructions Nutrition Information: Yield: Serving Size: I’m so excited to share that I was recently in Dublin, Ireland! More Irish Recipes Enjoy our Irish Soda Farls Recipe– you’ll be in heaven with every bite! FAQs References

Today’s Irish Soda Farls Recipe is a quick and simple soda bread that cooks in a skillet or griddle! I figured since I’m Irish and it’s getting close to St. Patricks Day it’s just got to be done! Soda Farls or as they’re commonly called in Ireland just plain Farls / Farl–will become a year round favorite. Our soda farl recipe will be your new go-to dinner biscuit!

Why we love Irish Soda Farls Recipe

Our Culinary Journey Around the World is jumping over to explore Ireland for a few weeks. Today’s recipe traditionally came from Northern Ireland and later in the post we’re exploring Dublin, Ireland.

I’m quiet in love with Ireland! I’m so excited to share some of the beautiful sights with you but first, lets enjoy some Irish Soda Farls together.

What are Irish Soda Farls?

• Irish Soda Farls Recipe is a soda bread dough that’s flattened into a round circle, and divided into farls meaning 4 parts.

• It is also referred to as Irish Griddle Bread because it’s cooked on a dry griddle or pan lightly sprinkled with flour.

• Traditionally this was the quickest way to make soda bread for unexpected guests who drop by for a bit of craic (good fun).

• It’s best eaten fresh with butter and jam.

• Have you tried Irish Kerrygold brand butter in the photo’s? It’s so very delightful, rich, and flavorful!

Traditional Irish Food

Irish food is known for the quality and freshness of its ingredients. Most cooking is done without herbs or spices, except for salt and pepper. Foods are usually served without sauce or gravy.

The staples of the Irish diet have traditionally been potatoes, grains (especially oats), and dairy products. Potatoes still appear at most Irish meals, with potato scones, similar to biscuits or muffins, a specialty in the north.

The Irish have also been accomplished cheesemakers for centuries. Ireland makes about fifty types of homemade “farmhouse” cheeses, which are considered delicacies.

Ingredients in Irish Soda Farls Recipe

all-purpose flour
sea salt
baking soda
buttermilk

How to make Irish Soda Farls Recipe

Preheat heavy based flat griddle or skillet on medium to low heat.
Place flour and salt in a bowl and sift in baking soda. Make a well in the center, and pour in the buttermilk.
Work quickly to mix into dough and knead very lightly on a well floured surface. Form into a flattened circle, about 1/2 inch thick and cut into quarters with a floured knife.
Sprinkle a little flour over the base of the hot pan and cook the farls for 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

Amazing places to explore in Dublin, Ireland

Let take a look at some of the breath-taking places to visit in Ireland. . . someday I want to go and explore it all!

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup buttermilk

Instructions

Preheat heavy based flat griddle or skillet on medium to low heat.
Place flour and salt in a bowl and sift in baking soda. Make a well in the center, and pour in the buttermilk.
Work quickly to mix into dough and knead very lightly on a well floured surface. Form into a flattened circle, about 1/2 inch thick and cut into quarters with a floured knife.
Sprinkle a little flour over the base of the hot pan and cook the farls for 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
Enjoy your Irish Soda Farls Recipe!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 252Total Fat: 1gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 961mgCarbohydrates: 51gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 8g

I’m so excited to share that I was recently in Dublin, Ireland!

It was so much fun to explore and share with all of you the places above- talk about coming full circle! Here are my other recipes and posts for you to read and enjoy!

• Irish Cheddar, Ham, and Chive Scones

• Our Guinness Beef and Potato Stew

More Irish Recipes

• Irish Corned Beef with Cabbage

• Irish Mushroom Melt

• Bangers and Mash with Brown Gravy

• Irish Coffee with Baileys and Kahlua

• Irish Cream Bundt Cake

• Irish Soda Bread

• Irish Creme de Menthe Cocktail

• Irish Stew

• Irish Ginger Snaps

Enjoy our Irish Soda Farls Recipe– you’ll be in heaven with every bite!

One more thing before you go…

We love creating recipes and sharing our adventures with you, so if you can do us a huge favor it’d really support us! It’s easier to stay motivated to share our best with you when we hear from you! We adore our readers and it really makes our day to get comments, social tags/shares, or pins that you save for later to share with your family and friends.

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We SEE you and we do our very best to respond to all the love! It also amps up our mo-jo so we get lots of awesome things done around here. Please reach out if you have questions or comments via our email: ruthie@cookingwithruthie.com. We’re excited to see you again soon!

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Love Always,

Ruthie & Madeliene

*I adapted this recipe from Allrecipesand other rescourcesFoods by Nations, andVisit Doublin

FAQs

What is soda farl made of? ›

They're so easy to make - this really is the easiest bread to make, no need to turn on the oven either! It's cooked in under 20 minutes on the hob. Just 4 simple ingredients! All you need is flour, buttermilk, bicarbonate of soda and salt!

What's the difference between soda bread and farls? ›

The "griddle cakes", "griddle bread" (or soda farls in Ulster) take a more rounded shape and have a cross cut in the top to allow the bread to expand. The griddle cake or farl is a more flattened type of bread. It is cooked on a griddle, allowing it to take a more flat shape, and it is split into four sections.

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Are soda farls healthy? ›

Nutrition Notes

Whole-wheat soda bread is a healthy addition to your plate! One serving—a 1/2-inch-thick slice—provides complex carbohydrates for sustained energy, protein, fiber, and vitamins and minerals.

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What are the main ingredients in Irish soda bread? ›

The essential ingredients in traditional Irish soda bread are flour, baking soda, salt, and buttermilk. The acid in buttermilk reacts with the base of the baking soda to provide the bread's leavening. This leavening from buttermilk and baking soda is what gives the bread its name: "soda bread."

Why do Irish people eat soda bread? ›

Irish soda bread was first created in the 1830s, when baking soda was first introduced to the UK. At the time, Ireland was facing financial hardship and lack of resources, so they turned to soda bread out of neccessity, it was inexpensive and required few ingredients.

What does farl mean? ›

: a small thin triangular cake or biscuit made especially with oatmeal or wheat flour.

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How are you supposed to eat Irish soda bread? ›

The slices are delicious simply spread with butter, jam, or marmalade. This bread can be toasted, too. Soda bread can be paired with any meal of the day. You can even bake it without the raisins to make a loaf to serve with savory dishes like soup, meat dishes, or to use for sandwiches.

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What's the difference between sourdough and Irish soda bread? ›

The main difference between sourdough bread and soda bread is in its leavening agent – sourdough bread rises due to the gasses released from yeast and bacteria fermentation, while soda bread rises from the gasses produced during the chemical interaction between baking soda and acids in the dough.

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What is the difference between Irish bread and soda bread? ›

Though Irish brown bread is also a soda bread, it's a much different loaf. The deep color and nutty flavor come from wholemeal flour: a coarse-textured wheat flour with visible specks of bran. It's not as finely ground as standard whole wheat flour.

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Why does Irish soda bread not need yeast? ›

The baking soda does the job of yeast and makes the bread rise. Since it's not as powerful as yeast, the bread is dense rather than fluffy. It's beautiful and delicious!

What is traditionally served with Irish soda bread? ›

The thick and hearty nature of Irish soda bread helps it pair very well with meaty stews (especially Irish stew). You can use it to soak up the juices as you eat or as a vehicle for the meat and vegetables. Traditionally, Irish soda bread is served with a slow-simmered beef and barley stew.

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Why is my Irish soda bread dry? ›

Chances are good that the bread you ate suffered from one of three common problems: improper amount of baking soda (a gross, salty-bitter taste), over cooking (a dry, chalky texture), or undercooking (a soggy, doughy center).

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What is soda jerk made of? ›

The drinks were made by mixing flavored syrup, carbonated water, and occasionally malt powder over either ice or a few scoops of ice cream. The drink would then be served in a tall glass with a long-handled spoon, most commonly known as a "soda spoon", and drinking straws.

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What are soda biscuits made of? ›

Like mini Irish soda breads, these biscuits are made with flour, baking soda, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add-ins like raisins and caraway seeds optional.

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What is soda bread flour made of? ›

Containing just four ingredients — all-purpose wheat flour, salt, baking soda, and buttermilk — this Irish soda bread recipe is very much in line with what's eaten in Ireland. In addition to this version made with white flour, the Irish do make a whole wheat (aka wholemeal) variety as well.

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