Irish potato bread most likely isn’t the typical type of potato bread you’re thinking of, it’s a delicious potato pancake that’s popular in Ireland and Northern Ireland. Delicious for breakfast or any other meal of the day!
If you’ve never had Scottish potato scones, or Irish potato bread, you are truly missing out! They’re essentially the same, but have different names in different locations. Even within Ireland, some call them potato bread and others call them potato cakes or farls.
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Regardless of what they are called, this iconic Irish food is so incredibly tasty, especially when fried in the same pan where your bacon was just fried! Oh yes, it’s the thing to do!
Off topic: during March, you hear all about soda bread, but soda scones are even better!
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Can I use Leftover Mashed Potatoes to Make Irish Potato Farls?
Yes, leftover mashed potatoes are great for making Irish potato bread! This is probably how this recipe originated, to be honest. Although there’s normally milk in mashed potatoes, it doesn’t matter, you can just add more flour to get a non-sticky consistency.
In case you’re looking for a different Irish potato recipe, it may be Irish boxty you’re looking for? They are different as they contain raw and mashed potatoes. I have a delicious Irish boxty recipe, too! Irish food is definitely blessed with lots of potatoes, and I love it!
If you love potatoes, you’re going to adore Irish potato bread! I hope you give them a try soon!
Irish Potato Bread (Potato Pancakes or Farls)
adapted from Scottish potato scones serves
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- Russet potatoes
- all purpose flour
- butter
- sea salt
Special equipment: a potato ricer
Directions
If you’re not using leftover mashed potatoes, peel the boiled potatoes.
Use a potato ricer to rice the potatoes, if you have one. If not, just mash them, but your potato bread will come out better if you use a ricer.
Next, add the butter and salt. Taste the potatoes at this point, add more salt if needed.
Then, very lightly mix in the sifted flour.
It will come together into a dough very quickly and easily. Turn out onto a lightly floured area.
Gently fold over until smooth. Divide into two equal portions and form each into a ball. Roll one ball out to about 1/3″ thick, then cut into quarters with a large knife or cake lifter. Repeat with the second measure of dough.
Heat a pan or griddle to medium to medium high. When hot, begin cooking the Irish potato bread (do not use oil or butter.) When brown on both sides, place on a clean tea towel and cover.
These are fully cooked and may be eaten as is, but traditionally, they are fried in the same pan as the bacon was fried in. Decadently delicious is all I can say! How can you not love Irish food?
Add bacon, eggs, toast and more for a full Irish breakfast! (If you add beans, it’s not an authentic Irish fry-up, thanks to Martin Devlin for kindly informing me.)
Irish Potato Bread (Irish Potato Cakes or Farls)
Ingredients
- 1 lb boiled Russet potatoes weighed after cooking – about 4 large potatoes, cooked in salted water -preferably cooked with the skin
- ½ cup + 1 tbsp 2 1/2 oz flour, sifted
- ¼ stick butter 1 oz softened, I use Kerrygold
- ½ tsp Kosher or sea salt
Instructions
- If not using leftover mashed potatoes, peel the boiled potatoes.
- Use a potato ricer to rice the potatoes, if you have one. If not, just mash them, but your potato bread will come out better if you use a ricer.
- Next, add the butter and salt. Taste the potatoes at this point, add more salt if needed. Then, very lightly mix in the sifted flour. It will come together into a dough very quickly and easily.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured area gently fold over until smooth. Divide into two equal portions and form each into a ball. Roll one ball out to about 1/3″ thick, then cut into quarters with a large knife or cake lifter. Repeat with the second measure of dough.
- Heat a pan or griddle to medium to medium high. When hot, begin cooking the Irish potato bread (do not use oil or butter.) When brown on both sides, place on a clean tea towel and cover.
- These are fully cooked and may be eaten as is, but traditionally, they are fried in the same pan as the bacon was fried in. Decadently delicious is all I can say!
Nutrition
PIN FOR LATER!
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Could you make these and cook them the following day?
I need clarification, Linda, when you say make them, do you mean actually rolling them out or just putting everything together in the bowl? If it’s the latter, no, the potatoes will turn brown. If you make them I’d cook them on the griddle and then you can fry them the next day. Is that helpful?
[…] in a stand mixer and have a dense texture. Speaking of tasty Irish carbs, if you’ve got potatoes, you can make farls with whole wheat flour or a wheat-like flour, since it doesn’t require […]
Awesome ! It is really nice recipe.
You’ve got me craving potato scones now, Christina! I adore them and have missed them for so long – yet never even bothered to make them. Thanks for the inspiration – I have to try these. Looks wonderful!
Oh goodness, you’re like me with your cheese scones! Haha! By the time you make these you’ll be kicking yourself for not making them sooner! :) Enjoy, Jill!
I’d never heard of these but they sound heavenly!
If you are a potato fan, you’d love them!
I don’t know what I would do without my potato ricer! It’s one of my favorite tools in the kitchen. It makes for the best mashed potatoes, gnocchi, and — now — Irish potato bread! I look forward to trying this, Christina. That sounds perfect for us.
It is a great kitchen tool! I do hope you give them a try!
oh yum! this looks very tasty indeed christina. can’t wait to make some for St Paddy’s Day:-) cheers sherry
Very cool, thank you!
Looking forward to giving this a try for St. Paddy’s day. Thank you.
Awesome! Let me know how they turn out!