Potato Farls
Mashed potato and flour pressed into rounds, cut into wedges and cooked on a dry pan until speckled brown. Makes 8 in 25 minutes.
The Method for Potato Farls
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Boil the potatoes in salted water for 15 minutes until tender. Drain, steam dry and mash very smooth with the butter and salt.
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Work in the flour a quarter at a time to make a soft dough. Do not knead.
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Divide into two, pat each into a 1 cm round and cut into 4 wedges.
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Cook in a dry non-stick pan over medium heat for 4 minutes per side until speckled brown.
Keep an Eye on These
- Use warm mash and mix quickly.
- Flour the surface lightly so the dough does not stick.
- Do not grease the pan; the farls brown better dry.
The Short Version
A farl is a quarter of a round, and a potato farl is the simplest bread there is. Warm mashed potato, a little flour and butter: no yeast, no oven, and a dry pan.
The potato should be freshly mashed and still warm, and mashed very smooth. Lumps show as hard spots in the finished farl.
Add the flour in stages, a quarter at a time. You want a soft dough that comes away from the bowl and is just short of sticky. Too much flour makes dense, floury farls; too little and they fall apart in the pan.
Roll to 1 cm thick, cut into quarters, and cook in a dry pan over medium heat for 4 minutes per side. They should be speckled with brown, not fully coloured. Best eaten warm with butter, or fried alongside bacon. Farls are best fresh from the pan, but can be reheated in a buttered frying pan the next day. They are a good partner to a fried breakfast, and are also good with cheese or jam.
What to Serve It With
Bacon · Fried egg · Butter · Sausages
Leftovers
Best eaten warm. Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days; fry in a little butter to reheat.
Common Questions
How long does Potato Farls take to make?
About 25 minutes in total — 15 minutes of preparation and 10 minutes of cooking. The recipe serves 8.
What are the key tips for making Potato Farls?
Use warm mash and mix quickly. Flour the surface lightly so the dough does not stick. Do not grease the pan; the farls brown better dry.
What should I serve with Potato Farls?
Bacon; Fried egg; Butter; Sausages.
How should Potato Farls be stored?
Best eaten warm. Keeps in the fridge for up to 3 days; fry in a little butter to reheat.
Is Potato Farls suitable for a special diet?
This recipe is vegetarian and no added sugar. Those labels are checked against the ingredient list, so a dish is only marked when nothing in it contradicts the claim.
How many calories are in Potato Farls?
About 127 kcal per serving, with 3 g protein, 22 g carbohydrate and 3 g fat. The figures are calculated from the ingredient list and are an estimate.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.
Reader Reviews
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Written and tested by Turab
One person, one kitchen — no test kitchen, no team. How every recipe on this site is checked before it goes up.
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