Old Traditional Irish Soda Bread in a Skillet
Make this Recipe on top of the Stove for St. Patrick's Day
You’ve seen the Irish Soda Bread pop up in the bakery around St. Patrick’s Day. It is usually a round bred that has raisins in it. Contrary to popular belief, this is really not the traditional Irish Soda Bread made in Ireland. Soda bread became popular in Ireland around the mid 1840’s when bicarbonate of soda was introduced as leavening agent for breads. This was the precursor for baking soda and was used instead of yeast to make the bread rise. The soda combining with the buttermilk made carbon dioxide bubbles causing the bread to rise. The traditional Irish Soda Bread contains flour, baking soda, salt and buttermilk. Often times, Soda Bread was almost the only thing poor Irish families had to eat. It was made daily and didn’t keep very long. It was very plain.
There are two types of bread coming from Ireland that can be considered Irish Soda Bread. There is the farl, a type of bread made in a skillet on top of the stove and cake, a bread baked in an oven. Wheat flour was used for these breads in most instances because it was easier and cheaper to get, but white flour, oats, and even potatoes were used to make them. Farls are like the scones we get today. The batter was spread in a heavy skillet and it was cut into 4 triangular pieces. The bread was flat and had the tangy taste of the soda.
Want to try and make a farl? They can be fun to make and taste pretty good.
Soda Farls
Ingredients:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
Instructions:
- In a bowl combine flour and salt and sift in the baking soda.
- Make a well in the center (make it look like volcano with a crater in the middle) and pour the buttermilk into the depressed center. With your hands start combining the flour mixture from the sides of the well starting near the top. Knock some of the flour mixture into the buttermilk and combine with a fork. Keep adding more of the flour mixture until you can’t stir with a fork anymore and use your hands forming the dough into a ball.
- Place on a floured surface and with your hands pat out then turn making sure there is flour on the surface.
- Use a rolling pin and form into a flattened circle about ½ inch thick that will fit in your skillet.
- Preheat a heavy or iron skillet until it is hot.
- Sprinkle a little flour into the hot pan and put the farl in.
- Make a cut in the farl that does not go all the way through to separate it in quarters like a cross or plus sign.
- Cook the farl for 6 to 8 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
- Remove from skillet and serve hot or cold.
You can serve these plain as a bread with dinner and put a little butter on them or serve them for breakfast with jams and butter. They do have a different flavor but it is a pleasant taste.
It is interesting to know that legend has it that the quarter cut was made in the farl to remind people of the cross of Christ or, in the direct opposite direction, to keep the fairies from the farl. Most people think it is just easier to carry and serve when cut in fours.
If you would like to make what is called the “cake” version of Irish Soda Bread, which more resembles today’s bread click here.
See more information by this author at PrymeThyme On-Line.
Homemade Farl
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