If you’re looking for a crispy Irish breakfast bread you’ll love to make again and again, “Irish Potato Farls” are perfect for you. It’s a simple Northern potato bread made with mashed potatoes, flour, butter, and salt.
Irish Potato Farls: Crispy Irish Breakfast Bread
Potato farls are made by slicing them into rounds, quarters, and cooking them in a pan. These timeless potato cakes become lightly crisp, golden on the outside, yet remain soft and tender on the inside.
Potato farls are traditionally associated with Ulster fries and are especially delicious served with eggs, bacon, sausage, or a little butter.
If you have leftover mashed potatoes in the fridge, this Irish Potato Farls recipe is a great way to turn them into a comforting breakfast or side dish.
Why you’ll love this Irish Potato Farls recipe:
- Perfect with leftover mashed potatoes
- Made with just a few everyday ingredients
- Perfect for breakfast, brunch, or dinner
- Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside
- Easy to customize with herbs, cheese, or bacon
- Perfect to refrigerate before cooking
All the ingredients you need:
For the best texture, use floury potatoes that are easy to mash, such as russet potatoes.
Rooster and Maris Piper potatoes are also commonly recommended for potato farls.
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 to 2 tablespoons butter or neutral oil, for cooking
- 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup flour, plus extra for dusting
- Optional: Chopped peppers, green onions, grated fresh parsley, cheddar cheese, cooked crumbled bacon.
Traditionally, the basic preparation relies on mashed potatoes, butter, flour, and salt, but variations can include additional spices or ingredients.
How to Make Irish Potato Farls: Full Instructions
1. Cooking the Potatoes
First, use a large saucepan and place the peeled potato pieces in it.
Cover tightly, then bring water to a boil.
Simmer the heat.
Cook for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely tender when pierced with a fork.
Tip: Don’t leave the potatoes in excess water after cooking. Drain them thoroughly.
2. Draining the Potatoes
Drain the potatoes and return them to the hot saucepan.
Let the pan simmer for 1 or 2 minutes to allow excess moisture to evaporate.
This step is crucial, as watery mashed potatoes require more flour, making your farls heavier.
Continue mashing the potatoes until they are smooth.
For particularly soft farls, the potatoes should be processed while still warm. Letting it cool too much makes it difficult to mash easily.
3. Making the Potato Dough
Use a large bowl and pour in the warm mashed potatoes. Then
add the following ingredients:
melted butter
flour, and
salt.
Keep mixing it in gradually until everything combines to form a soft dough.
Avoid overmixing or over-kneading the dough.
Potato dough is best prepared when the dough is soft and not too thick.
If your dough is too sticky, add more flour and mix. But only use a tablespoon at a time.
4. Shaping the Dough
Lightly sprinkle flour on your work surface.
Place the potato dough on the surface and knead it gently until it becomes manageable.
Form it into balls and lightly flatten.
Use a floured rolling pin.
Roll out the dough into a circle about 8 to 9 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick.
Traditional farls are made with one round, divided into four pieces.
5. Cutting into Farls
Use a sharp knife.
Cut the round piece into four equal pieces with a floured knife.
You should now have four triangular potato farls.
If you prefer smaller portions, use a fork to divide the round into two pieces, then cut all the farls into four pieces, giving you 8 small farls.
6. Heating the Pan
Use a heavy skillet.
Heat a cast iron pan or non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
Add a little butter.
You can cook the farls with bacon fat for a more traditional breakfast-style flavor.
Potato farls are usually shallow fried or pan-fried until browned.
7. Cooking the Potato Farls
Carefully place the farls on the hot pan.
Cook the farls for 3 minutes on the first side, until golden brown.
Now carefully flip it over and continue cooking for another 3 minutes, until the other side is nicely browned.
The center should be heated through.
If the pan is too hot, reduce the heat to medium.
The outside should be golden brown before the inside is heated through.
8. Serving Immediately
Transfer the cooked Irish Potato Farls to a plate.
Serve them hot with butter, eggs, bread, sausage, tomatoes, or your favorite breakfast toppings.
For classic-inspired Irish Potato Farls, serve them with a fried or scrambled egg and crispy bacon, which tastes delicious.
The Secret to Irish Potato Farls:
The biggest secret is that dry mashed potatoes naturally contain a lot of water. If the mash is wet, more flour is needed to make the dough manageable.
Too much flour can result in tough, chewy farls.
A few handy tips:
Using floury potatoes: Russet potatoes are a great option in the US.
Drying cooked potatoes: Drain the water from the potatoes before mashing, then briefly return them to hot water.
Omit milk: Traditionally, potato farls don’t require milk. A simple mixture of potato flour and butter makes a much better dough.
Using less flour: Add only enough flour to bring the dough together.
Cooking on medium heat: Medium heat gives the farls plenty of time to brown and heat through.
Serving Suggestions for Irish Potato Farls:
- This potato farl is very versatile.
- For breakfast, you can serve it with:
- Scrambled eggs
- Fried eggs
- Crispy bacon
- Sauteed mushrooms
- Grilled tomatoes
- Irish-style sausages
- Black or white pudding
- This is a traditional Ulster fry, which is a recipe for serving potato farls with other cooked breakfast foods.
For a simple snack:
Tear the warm farls apart and generously brush them with butter.
You can top them with:
Green onions
Cheddar cheese
Poached eggs
Smooth salmon
Avocado
For a dinner side, potato farls can be served with roasted meat or vegetables. Its mild potato flavor makes it especially good for dipping into savory sauces.
Some variation suggestions:
For Cheddar Potato Farls: Add 1/2 cup finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese to the flour and mix it in. The cheese adds a thicker, slightly crispier texture.
For Bacon Potato Farls: Instead of kneading the dough first, add finely crumbled cooked bacon to the flour and mix it in thoroughly.
For Green Onion Potato Farls: If you prefer a fresh, salty flavor, add two tablespoons of finely chopped green onion to the potato mixture and mix well.
For Garlic Herb Farls: Add a little finely chopped garlic and chopped parsley or chives and mix well.
For Peppery Potato Farls: Add freshly ground black pepper to the flour and mix it in for a more flavorful addition.
Can Irish Potato Farls be made with leftover mashed potatoes?
Leftover mashed potatoes are a great reason to make potato farls, which is one of them.
Leftovers are commonly used for both traditional and modern recipes, but mashed potatoes that already contain excess milk, cream, or butter may become too soft. If the leftover potatoes remain loose, gradually add flour until a soft dough is formed, and can be shaped.
Storage Tip:
Cool the cooked farls completely.
Place them in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Use a skillet to reheat.
Continue heating over medium-low heat until warm, adding a little butter to bring them back to normal.
Potato farls are great reheated after cooking and cooling.
FAQ
Answers to questions about Irish potato farls.
Q. Are potato farls the same as potato bread?
It’s very similar, but potato farls is a variation of potato bread or potato fries, particularly associated with Ulster and Northern Ireland.
Q. Can I use russet potatoes?
Absolutely! Russet potatoes are a great choice for making potato farls because they are floury and mashed well.
Q. What are Irish potato farls?
It’s a potato-based flatbread traditionally associated with Northern Ireland. It’s made with mashed potatoes and flour. It’s shaped into a round, cut into quarters, and cooked on a pan or griddle.
Why is it called farls: The word refers to the quarter shape. The round piece of dough is traditionally divided into four pieces, forming the distinctive triangular farls.
Q. Can I make potato farls without butter?
Absolutely! Butter adds flavor and tenderness, but you can use any other cooking fat and adjust the recipe to suit your dietary needs.
Q. Why do potato farls break?
They can break due to excess moisture in the potatoes or not enough flour to hold the dough together. Drain and dry the potatoes thoroughly first, then gradually add flour until the dough is soft but workable.
Q. Why does it become too stiff?
This usually happens when too much flour or over-kneading is the culprit. Add flour gradually and knead the dough gently.
Q. Can I make it in advance?
Absolutely! You can prepare the farls ahead and refrigerate them for a while before cooking. You can also refrigerate uncooked farls for longer storage.
Q. Can I make potato farls without oil?
Absolutely! Some versions are cooked in a dry skillet or griddle, but some are also cooked with butter, oil, or bacon fat.
Final Thoughts
Irish potato farls prove that something simple can create a very satisfying recipe. Creamy mashed potatoes, a lightly crispy golden crust, and a buttery, lingering flavor. They’re the perfect pairing for breakfast, breakfast, or a comforting side dish.
This recipe is especially useful in American kitchens because russet potatoes and flour are readily available, making leftover mashed potatoes a whole new meal.
Farls can be served with eggs and bacon for an Irish style breakfast or simply enjoyed with butter and a cup of tea, so give this recipe a try and you’ll understand why traditional Northern Irish potato bread has remained such a favourite comfort food for generations and it will never disappoint.