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Staffordshire Oatcakes

Recipe

Staffordshire oatcakes are wholemeal oat pancakes. Here they are filled with bacon, mushrooms and melted cheese. This makes a big batch – ideal for when you have guests, but the cooked oatcakes also freeze beautifully.

Ingredients

  • 225g/8oz fine oatmeal
  • 100g/3½oz wholemeal flour
  • 100g/3½oz plain flour
  • 1 tsp quick-action yeast
  • pinch salt
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 4 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 12 rashers streaky bacon
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 150g/5¼oz chestnut mushrooms, cut in half
  • 300g/10½oz mature cheddar cheese, grated

Method

  • Mix together the oatmeal, wholemeal flour, plain 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 waterwater 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).
  • Once ready to cook the batter, whisk in the baking powder until well combined.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • Preheat the grill to its highest setting. When the grill is hot, arrange the streaky bacon onto a grill tray and grill for 3–4 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden-brown on both sides. Set aside and keep warm.
  • Heat the olive oil in a separate frying pan over a medium heat. Add the mushrooms and fry for 3–4 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through
  • Set aside and keep warm.
  • When ready to serve, heat a frying pan over a medium heat.
  • Return one of the cooked oatcakes to the hot pan and sprinkle grated cheese over one half of it.
  • Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the cheese starts to melt, then place the bacon on top of the melted cheese and sprinkle over a spoonful of the mushrooms.
  •  Fold the other half of the oatcake over and continue to heat for a further minute, or until the cheese has fully melted.
  • Repeat the process with the remaining oatcakes.
  • Serve immediately.