Weekends are my time for experimenting with food and this morning I was looking to Northern Ireland for inspiration. Visiting Belfast last year and stopping by at St. George’s Market, there was a huge variety of potato farls on offer and I’ve been a fan ever since. Irish potato farls are simple ‘breads’ made from potatoes, flour, butter and salt. Try my potato farls bread recipe for a simple and comforting treat.
“The word farl literally means ‘fourths’: they are shaped from a circle of dough cut into quarters.” The Guardian
Potato Farls Bread Recipe
A simple recipe, success guaranteed. Have the potato breads with your cooked weekend breakfast or simply with butter.
Potato Farls Ingredients
- 1 kg floury potatoes
- 50g butter
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 190g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- Fresh thyme leaves (optional)
How To Make Potato Farls
Day 1
- The day/evening before you plan to make the potato farls, cook the potatoes and mash them with a potato ricer or regular potato masher.
- Add the butter and season to taste.
- Leave to cool, cover and place in the fridge overnight.
Day 2
- On the day of making the potato farls, add the flour (and thyme if using) to the mashed potatoes until well combined and smooth.
- Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured work surface and divide in half.
- On a floured work surface (to prevent sticking), flatten the dough into a round shape. You can do this with your hands or with a rolling pin. The round should be approximately 5mm thick.
- Cut each circle into quarters.
- Heat a large, non-stick frying pan over a medium heat until hot.
- Add the potato farls in batches (use a dough scraper if they stick to the surface), and fry for four to five minutes on each side, or until golden-brown on both sides. I don’t use extra butter to do this.
- Keep warm until ready to serve.
Irish potato farls can turn your breakfast into something extra special but if you are looking for other breakfast options, take a look at these: