Soda Farls
Makes 4 farls
Ingredients
- 1⅔ cups (208 grams) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon (2.25 grams) kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) baking soda
- 3 tablespoons (42 grams) cold unsalted butter, cubed and divided
- ¾ cup plus 3 tablespoons (225 grams) whole buttermilk
- Herb Compound Butter (recipe follows)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda until well combined. Using your fingers, cut in 2 tablespoons (28 grams) cold butter until mixture resembles bread crumbs. Make a well in center, and add buttermilk. Using a wooden spoon, stir buttermilk into dry ingredients, working from center to outside of bowl, just until combined and a dough forms.
- Turn out dough onto a heavily floured surface, and flour top of dough. Using floured hands, tuck and rotate dough until edges are rounded and even. Pat into an 8-inch circle (½-inch thickness). Using a knife dipped in flour, cut into quarters.
- Preheat a cast-iron griddle to medium heat. (See Note.) Add remaining 1 tablespoon (14 grams) butter to griddle.
- Brush and shake off any excess flour from dough quarters, and place, not touching, on hot griddle. Cook until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. (Bread will double in size and puff up; if you want a neater look, use knife or bench scraper to keep edges straight.) Turn, and cook until golden brown, 7 to 10 minutes. (If you tap bottom of loaf, it should sound hollow.) Stand each farl on its side, and place side by side. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes; repeat with remaining 2 sides. Serve warm with Herb Compound Butter.
Notes
*A 12-inch cast-iron skillet will work, too. Cook farls until golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes per side.
PRO TIP: Like our other soda bread dough, this one is quite sticky, so flour your bench scraper or knife when dividing into four equal wedges.
During the griddle cooking, you’ll know your farl is ready for its first turn once the bread has nearly doubled and is markedly bubbly. This will take 7 to 10 minutes on each side.
Now for the “harning.” You’ll turn the dough and allow it to cook while standing on its side (holding in place with two spatulas, if necessary) for 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining sides for a perfectly sharp-edged golden triangle of a farl.
PRO TIP: Like our other soda bread dough, this one is quite sticky, so flour your bench scraper or knife when dividing into four equal wedges.
During the griddle cooking, you’ll know your farl is ready for its first turn once the bread has nearly doubled and is markedly bubbly. This will take 7 to 10 minutes on each side.
Now for the “harning.” You’ll turn the dough and allow it to cook while standing on its side (holding in place with two spatulas, if necessary) for 1 to 2 minutes. Repeat with remaining sides for a perfectly sharp-edged golden triangle of a farl.
Recipe by Bake from Scratch at https://staging.bakefromscratch.com/soda-farls/