Potato Bread (Potato Farls)
Soft, thin griddle bread made from mashed potato and a little flour, cut into farls and fried for the Ulster fry.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 55 min
- Makes
- 8 farls
- Difficulty
- Easy
Potato bread, also called potato farls, fadge or tattie bread, is an everyday staple in Northern Ireland and one of the two breads (with the soda farl) that make an Ulster fry. A "farl" comes from an old word for a quarter: the round is cut into four before it goes on the griddle.
It is one of the simplest breads there is: mashed potato, butter, salt and just enough flour to hold it together. It is the ideal use for leftover mash.
Ingredients
- 500gfloury potatoes, or about 450 g leftover plain mashed potato
- 25gbutter, melted
- ½tspsalt
- 110gplain flour, plus extra for dusting
Equipment
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- Potato masher or ricerHow to chooseShop on Amazon UK(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Rolling pinHow to chooseShop on Amazon UK(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
- Bakestone, griddle or heavy frying panHow to chooseShop on Amazon UK(affiliate link, opens in a new tab)
Method
- 1
Peel, boil and drain the potatoes, then mash until completely smooth, with no lumps. Use them while still warm.
Photo: Famartin · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) - 2
Stir in the melted butter and salt, then work in the flour with your hands until you have a soft, pliable dough; add a little more flour only if it is too sticky. Divide it in two and, on a well-floured surface, roll each piece into a round about 5 mm thick and 20 cm across.
Photo: photochem_PA from State College, PA, USA · CC BY 2.0 (cropped) - 3
Cut each round into four quarters: these are the farls.
Photo: Colin · CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped) - 4
Heat a dry griddle or heavy frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the farls for 3–4 minutes on each side until speckled golden brown. Cool on a clean tea towel.
Photo: Unknown · CC BY 4.0 (cropped) - 5
To serve the traditional way, fry the farls in a little butter or bacon fat until crisp and golden, as part of an Ulster fry.
Photo: Kent Wang · CC BY-SA 2.0 (cropped)
Tips
Storing: wrap cooled farls in a tea towel; they keep for 2 days, or freeze well between sheets of baking paper.
If it goes wrong
| Problem | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Dough too sticky | Potatoes too wet | Steam-dry the potatoes after draining; add flour a spoonful at a time |
| Farls are tough | Too much flour or over-handled | Use just enough flour to bind, and roll gently |
| Burnt outside, raw inside | Griddle too hot | Cook over a medium heat and keep the farls 5 mm thin |