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Oat Cakes

Recipe

Historical evidence dates the humble oatcake from very early on. There are in fact records as early as the 17th Century of the oatcake in Staffordshire and other central and northern counties of England.  The two types of oatcakes best known today are those from Staffordshire and Scotland.  We will include the Staffordshire Oatcake recipe in the West Midlands, but include an East Midland version here as well as the Scottish one.

Ingredients for Derbyshire Oatcakes makes 12

  • 225g/8oz fine oatmeal
  • 225g/8oz wholemeal or plain  flour
  • 1 tsp quick-action yeast
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 oz fresh yeast,
  • 825ml /1 1/2 pints warm milk and water, mixed half and half
  • 1 tsp sugar

Method

  1. Mix together the oatmeal, flour, yeast and salt in a bowl until well combined. Make a well in the centre of the mixture, then gradually add 825ml/1 pint 10fl oz water in a thin stream, stirring well with a wooden spoon, until the batter is well combined and the consistency of thick double cream. (NB: You may not need to use all of the water.) Cover the batter with a damp, clean tea towel and set aside for 3–4 hours (or up to 8 hours in a cool place).
  2. Once ready to cook the batter, whisk in the baking powder until well combined.
  3. Heat a teaspoon of vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat. When the oil is hot, add a ladleful of the batter mixture and swirl the pan to coat the bottom of it in a thin layer of the batter. Fry the oatcake for 1–2 minutes, or until golden-brown on one side. Flip the oatcake and fry for a further minute, or until golden-brown on both sides.
  4. Set the oatcake aside on a warm plate and cover with a sheet of greaseproof paper. Repeat the cooking process with the remaining batter mixture, to make about 12 oatcakes. Stack them on top of each other, separated by greaseproof paper, and keep warm.  [Can be frozen once cooked].

Ingredients for Scottish Oatcakes makes about 16

  • 225g oats
  • 60g wholemeal flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp sugar
  • ½ tsp bicarb
  • 60g butter

Method

  • Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5.
  • Mix together the oats, flour, salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda.
  • Add the butter, then rub together until it's the consistency of large breadcrumbs.
  • Gradually pour in 60-90ml water from a recently boiled kettle, stirring until it forms a thick dough.
  • Sprinkle some extra flour on a work surface and roll out the dough to about ½cm thickness.
  • Use a cookie cutter to cut out about 16 rounds (the final number of oatcakes depends on the size of cutter you use).
  • Place the oatcakes on a baking tray and bake for 20 mins or until golden.