Potato bread
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Irish Potato bread, also known as fadge, slims, potato cake or potato farls, is a form of unleavened bread in which potato replaces a major portion of the regular wheat flour. It is usually cooked by baking it on a hot griddle or pan. It can be served with an Irish breakfast and in Northern Ireland, where it is colloquially known as 'Tatie Bread', it can form part of the Ulster fry. In Scotland potato bread is colloquially known as Totty Scone or Tattie Scone.
History
This bread started out in the late nineteenth century as a means of making use of mashed potato leftovers, the potato being a staple part of the Irish diet.
Typical homemade recipe
- 225 g (8 oz) warm cooked potato, mashed
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 25 g (1 oz) butter, melted
- 50 g (2 oz) plain flour
- Makes 8 circles
Add salt and butter, then work in enough flour to make a pliable dough. Divide the dough in two and roll out on a floured surface to form two circles 22 cm (9 in) in diameter and 5 mm (1/4 in) in thickness. Cut each circle into quarters and bake on a hot griddle or pan for about 5 minutes or until browned on both sides. Some people like to grease the baking surface, while others prefer a light dusting of flour for a drier effect.
(Recipe from Ireland's Eye)
Commercial recipes tend to use potato flour/flakes instead of mashed potato and have little to no fat. They are traditionally sold as thin rectangular slices in packs of four.
Variations
Potato bread is usually sold in its original form, but there are some rare variations:
Pratie Oaten With fine oatmeal instead of flour in the recipe above for more texture.
Apple Potato bread A specialty of Armagh, which is famous for growing apples. Potato bread wrapped, pasty-like, around a sweet filling of apples.
How to eat potato bread
Popular ways to eat Potato bread:
- Fried as part of the traditional fried breakfast, the Ulster Fry, which includes other breads that have been fried, such as soda bread.
- Toasted and smothered with butter, and perhaps also cheese.
- With baked beans/eggs as a children's meal.
See also
- Tattie Scone - the Scottish equivalent
Other Irish breads:
- Soda bread (also called Soda Farl; variation is Wheaten Soda)
- Barm Brack
- Veda bread
- Farl
- Fried bread