Staffordshire Oatcakes are a local speciality from my hometown, they are nothing like Scottish oatcakes, they are more like English pancakes or french crepes. I was having cravings for a bit of something from home so I decided to rustle some up...
Ingredients - makes 12-16
1tsp salt
225g oat flour (whizz porridge oats in the processor until fine)
225g plain white flour (I use half white half brown)
7g yeast
425ml warm milk
425ml warm water
425ml warm water
1 tsp sugar
Mix the water and milk, it should be warm. Add the yeast.
Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix to make a batter
Cover with a damp cloth and leave for an hour.
Heat a pan or griddle and oil lightly. Use a ladle and spoon one ladle full into the pan, you have to do this quickly, use the back other ladle to spread the batter out, it needs to be thin and even. Takes a bit of practise, my first couple are always a bit lumpy and uneven!
The batter will bubble a bit, when the top looks dry, flip over and finish with 30 seconds to brown the other side.
Pile onto a plate and repeat...
To eat, you can wrap any kind of filling in it, baked beans and cheese are my favourite. We had a little oatcake shop next to my college that sold large oatcakes filled with 'English breakfast' all wrapped and ready to go, very messy if I recall correctly. I have friends who like butter and jam in theirs but I must admit, I prefer mine savoury!
If you are using the oatcakes later, you can sprinkle with grated cheese and zap in the microwave until the cheese is melted or put it on the grill to heat through. They also freeze well, just wait until the have cooler before putting them in a ziplock and into the freezer.
Mix the water and milk, it should be warm. Add the yeast.
Mix together all the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Pour the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix to make a batter
Cover with a damp cloth and leave for an hour.
Heat a pan or griddle and oil lightly. Use a ladle and spoon one ladle full into the pan, you have to do this quickly, use the back other ladle to spread the batter out, it needs to be thin and even. Takes a bit of practise, my first couple are always a bit lumpy and uneven!
The batter will bubble a bit, when the top looks dry, flip over and finish with 30 seconds to brown the other side.
Pile onto a plate and repeat...
To eat, you can wrap any kind of filling in it, baked beans and cheese are my favourite. We had a little oatcake shop next to my college that sold large oatcakes filled with 'English breakfast' all wrapped and ready to go, very messy if I recall correctly. I have friends who like butter and jam in theirs but I must admit, I prefer mine savoury!
If you are using the oatcakes later, you can sprinkle with grated cheese and zap in the microwave until the cheese is melted or put it on the grill to heat through. They also freeze well, just wait until the have cooler before putting them in a ziplock and into the freezer.
You know those instant oats, the ones that need only be cooked for 3 minutes (not the ones which are just mixed with boiling water)? What happens if instead of pulverizing those to a fine powder, we just mix with half the amount of milk and then blend, like a shake, instead? Makes a pretty homogenous mixture after all.
ReplyDeleteno idea, I have never tried. let me know how it goes if you do try it!
ReplyDeleteoooooo i love oatcakes, i may have to try to make some.....
ReplyDeletefond memories of visiting a boyfriend and getting oatcakes from a window in Hanley on saturday mornings
They were just SO good..... if only i could get the right kind of cheese here in the USA too
thanks for the recipe Jo!
Hanley - such a romantic place...not! Glad you liked our local dish though :)
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