Irish Soda Farls recipe for the Secret Recipe Club! This easy buttermilk-based bread is baked in a hot skillet until puffed and golden.
Secret Recipe Club
Today is a special event for the Secret Recipe Club! For those who haven’t seen my previous SRC posts, this club includes a group of bloggers who are assigned a different blog each month and secretly make a recipe to post on their specified reveal day.
There are four groups split among the four Mondays each month. Since February has an extra Monday, members from all of the groups got together for a special event to celebrate two upcoming holidays: St. Patrick’s Day and Easter!
For this event, I was assigned to Jamie’s blog, Our Eating Habits (this blog is no longer active at the time of this update).
Jamie lives Canada with her husband and three children. In addition to food, she also loves Christmas, Disney, and homeschooling her children. I decided to make her Irish Soda Farls (I have also made her S’mores Muffins for another event).
Irish Soda Farls
I love how easily these Irish Soda Farls come together! The dough is made with only four ingredients and takes about 5 minutes in prep.
The word farl means 4 parts, as the dough is patted into a circle about 1/2-3/4 inch thick and divided into 4 equal quadrants. They are generally made using a soda dough as seen here or with potatoes. These Irish Soda Farls have a similar consistency to scones, but are cooked in a hot skillet instead of the oven in about 12 minutes.
If the dough is browning too quickly and before the interior gets a chance to cook through, adjust the heat between medium and low as needed. They are best warm from the skillet. I served them with a bit of Prosecco jam and Irish butter.
Looking for more Irish recipes?
Try my:
Check out what everyone else made:
- Apple Cider Glazed Ham from Amy’s Cooking Adventures
- Butter Braised Radishes from Dessert Before Dinner
- Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies from An Affair from the Heart
- Fully Loaded Scalloped Potatoes from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
- Green Onion Spread from Cheese Curd in Paradise
- Mini Carrot Cakes with Cream Cheese Frosting from Making Memories with Your Kids
- Pot o’ Gold Cookies from Sew You Think You Can Cook
- Hash Brown Casserole from Life on Food
- A Special Stew for a Special Secret Recipe Club Reveal from A Day in the Life on the Farm
- Whole Wheat Carrot Cake Waffles with Maple Cream Cheese Glaze from Burnt Apple
- Spring Green Risotto from Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking
- Reuben Burgers from The Spiffy Cookie
- Garlic Parmesan Potato Chips from Thyme for Cooking
- Bacon Pesto Spread from Our Good Life
- Colcannon Soup from Making Miracles
- Carrot Cake Mug Cake from I am a Honeybee
Irish Soda Farls Recipe
Adapted from Our Eating Habits, from Allrecipes
Irish Soda Farls
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (237 milliliters) buttermilk
- Oil or butter for greasing
- Butter and jam for serving
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda. Gently stir in the buttermilk just until dough comes together.
- On a lightly floured surface, pat the dough into a circle 1/2-3/4 inch (1.25-2 cm) thick. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut the circle into 4 equal quadrants.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat. Lightly grease with oil or butter. Once heated, add the cut farls to the skillet, making sure they don't touch. If the pan is too small, cook them in 2 batches. Pan-fry until the bottom is browned, about 6 minutes, then flip and cook until browned and heated through.
- Serve warm with butter and jam.
Sid
I have to try those. And it just so happens I have some buttermilk in the freezer from the butter I made last week. They look so good. Great SRC choice.
emmajeanne16
I don’t really like soda bread but every year like clockwork I make one for St. Patrick’s Day. Happy Reveal Day!
oureatinghabits
MMMM… Great choice. We loved when I made these!
Erin @ The Spiffy Cookie
Mmm I bet those taste great warm with jam spread on them!
Wendy, A Day in the Life on the Farm
Very interesting. They look like biscuits but are pan fried. I am putting them on my to make list.
terristeffes
Those look delicious. The pan frying blew my mind! I am definitely putting them on my list.
katiezeller
Never heard of these…. How fun! I bake Irish Soda Bread at least once a week…. I have to try these
Tara
Thanks everyone!
lk529
Oh these are fun!
Rosie A Fegan
Thank you for this recipe. I’m from Belfast, Ireland and made these at school, but have not made them since. Your recipe is spot on. However, here we cook them on a floured skillet, they then can be sliced horizontally and fried on the pan. Great with fried eggs, bacon and sausage!! We also serve with potato farls. A breakfast know as an Ulster fry
Tara
Thank you so much Rosie! Sounds incredible!
Jackie
Thanks so much for sharing, Tara! I’ve been trying to find a recipe for this after spending a month in Belfast, where almost every breakfast was topped with a beautifully pan fried soda farl. And thanks for vouching on the recipe, Rosie.
Tara
Hi Jackie! So happy to hear! Hopefully I get the chance to visit Belfast someday.
Helen Campbell
I’ve just made mine same recipe added bacon ‘ grated cheese to the mix. Delicious. Fried egg on top then
Tara
Hi Helen! That sounds incredible! Thanks for sharing
Sarah
Can you make this without butter milk if don’t have any and can’t get any?
Tara
Hi Sarah! In a pinch, you can place 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup, then add enough milk to make 1 cup. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes before using.
Donna Mitchell
You can make buttermilk from milk and lemon juice or cider vinegar.
Patricia
Great, make soda bread but my mums recipe is too damp for farls, this was just right. Had to use Greek yogurt as can’t find buttermilk here. What do you change for potato farls ? Thanks.
colin
1 teaspoon of baking soda for 250g of flour is far to much …half a spoon is ample alsp if you dont have buttermilk add few squirts couple of tea spoons of lemon to regular milk allow to curdle for at least 10 minutes and add to plain flour (if you have soda bread flour no need for baking powder)