Farls are thin, flat bread shaped like a triangle. The base of the triangle is actually rounded slightly, such that if you fit four of them together, you more or less make a circle.
They are made from wheat flour (white or whole wheat) or oatmeal. There will be a leavener in the mixture, such as baking powder, or baking soda and buttermilk. A basic recipe is flour, baking soda, salt, sugar, buttermilk. You knead the dough only a little bit, to ensure that gluten doesn’t develop as this would makes the Farls tough.
A recipe might also have potato incorporated in the mix; potato Farls tend to not bother with a leavener.
You roll the dough out into a circle and then cut it into 4 parts. You cook the parts for about 8 to 10 minutes a side on a griddle, girdle or skillet. The Farls rise slightly.
Farls can be served with any meal and are best served warm, with lots of butter.
Though Farls are made in the Republic of Ireland, soda bread is generally preferred. In Northern Ireland, Farls are preferred.
Language Notes
“Farl” means a fourth part (a quarter) of a round cake in Gaelic.
