Irish Soda Farls with Butter (Printable)

Traditional griddle bread with buttermilk, cooked until golden and served warm with butter. Quick, easy, and authentically Irish.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 2 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
03 - 1 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

04 - 1 cup buttermilk, plus extra as needed

→ To Serve

05 - 2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

# Directions:

01 - In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt.
02 - Make a well in the center and pour in the buttermilk. Mix quickly with your hand or a wooden spoon to form a soft dough. Add additional buttermilk if the dough appears too dry.
03 - Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently knead just to bring it together, then pat into a round approximately 0.75 inches thick.
04 - Cut the dough into quarters using a floured knife.
05 - Heat a heavy-based skillet or griddle over medium-low heat. Dust lightly with flour.
06 - Place the farls onto the hot griddle and cook for approximately 7 to 8 minutes on each side, until golden brown and cooked through.
07 - Remove from the pan and wrap in a clean tea towel for a few minutes to keep them soft. Serve warm, generously spread with softened butter.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • These farls come together in less than 30 minutes, rescuing many of my own impromptu brunches when I realized I had nothing to serve with eggs.
  • The exterior develops this gorgeous crust while maintaining an interior so tender that butter melts into it like its coming home.
02 -
  • The less you handle the dough, the more tender your farls will be I learned this after my first batch turned out like hockey pucks from overmixing.
  • Your griddle or pan should never be too hot these need gentle heat to cook through properly without burning the outside.
03 -
  • The thickness of your farl determines its character thinner ones become more crisp throughout, while thicker ones remain pillowy in the middle with a substantial crust.
  • If youre using a cast iron pan, let it heat up slowly and thoroughly before adding the farls this creates that perfect exterior without scorching.

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