Irish style soda farls

Beginner

These are delicious for breakfast, lunch or as a summer soup or salad accompaniment. It’s a good beginner or easy recipe to start with.

INGREDIENT SWAPS AND TIPS:
Vegan version – use plant milk in place of the whole milk to make your own buttermilk as explained below.
Gluten free – try with a GF plain flour. You may need to add less buttermilk.
Read through all the recipe and instructions first, to be prepared with what you’ll need.

Makes 4
Ingredients
290g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tsp cream of tartar (find this in the baking section or replace with bicarb)
1 tsp table salt
1 tsp sugar (optional)
250g buttermilk – you can buy this or I like to make it – see below how to make it here

To make enough for 250g buttermilk
220g whole milk
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice or white wine vinegar
Mix these two ingredients together and allow to stand for 5 minutes. The milk will have thickened slightly. If it hasn’t, try adding 1/2 tbsp more of the lemon juice or vinegar and stir it through.

To make the soda farls
Sieve the flour, bicarbonate of soda, cream of tartar and salt into a mixing bowl.

Using about 2/3 of the buttermilk, stir this gradually into the dry ingredients, using a mixer with a batter attachment (K type chape) or a wooden spoon. Add a little more if its very dry. Don’t add too much, so that it is easier to handle it and not too sticky. You’ll know if you have. And that’s okay because you can just sprinkle in a small handful of plain flour and work it in gently.

These handle exactly like scones, so don’t over beat the mixture. Be as delicate as you can.

Flour the worktop and turn out your dough. Use a rolling pin, gently roll the dough into a thick circle or square that is about 2.5cm thick.

Cut into four by cutting down the middle, then along the cross section in the middle (like a cross).

Heat a wide heavy based frying pan or griddle, on the hob, at a low to medium heat for about 5 minutes. No need to add any oil.

Gently place you four farls onto a lightly floured chopping board and carry them gently over to the pan.

Place them into the pan and heat for about 18 minutes. Gently turn them over, half way through the cooking time. And turn them again or turn the heat down if they are browning too quickly. Take your time and be gentle with them. The slow cook and turning really is a mindful way to spend this precious time.

Once cooked take them out of the pan and wrap in a clean tea towel to keep them soft and fluffy as they cool.

Enjoy straight away with your breakfast toppings or with a slather of butter and preserve. Go for cheese and chutney if you’re a fan like me. Once cool, keep in an airtight container and eat within three days. They may benefit from a gentle warming before you use them.

IDEA: Try swapping out 100g of the white flour and adding in regular wholemeal flour for a tasty way to up your fibre intake.

If you enjoyed this recipe and want to try more, you can order a copy of my bread making recipe book here.

Copyright The Doorstep Baker, Catherine Lloyd-Williams