Recipe – Staffordshire Oatcakes

We’ve moved homes several times in the last 10 years – within countries and between countries. It’s been hard, new schools, new friends, new surroundings to adjust to. But, we’ve gained so much from it too. Besides all the excitement of moving and making new friends and learning new things, we’ve been able to acquire different tastes and sample some of the most amazing meals/dishes even though they may be the simplest of ones.

Staffordshire Oatcakes

In 2004, we lived in Staffordshire, UK and we grew to love the Staffordshire oatcakes. Not many people, even in other parts of the UK, know about it. It must not be mistaken for Scottish oatcakes which are more like crackers. The Staffordshire oatcake is like a pancake but made with oats and cooked on a griddle. It is versatile in that it can be eaten with savory or sweet sides. Serve for breakfast with eggs and sausage as a delicious alternative for bread, fill with melted cheese and ham or serve with jam, fruits and berries and cream.

Personally I like the oatcakes with a savory side.

These oatcakes are so easy to make. You do need to prove them as you use yeast so it takes about an hour plus cooking time. The end result is worth all the wait, I assure you.

You can grind oats to make the oat flour or just buy it from the shops. I found adding a plain flour helps to bind it all together and make it softer. You can also use rapid action dry yeast if you’re in a hurry but I would still give it a bit of time to prove.

Ingredients:

  • Oatflour – 225g
  • Wheatflour – 125 g
  • Plain flour – 100 g
  • Milk – 450 ml
  • Water – 450 ml
  • 1 packet active dry yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 tablespoon oil plus for cooking

Method

  1. Mix the dry ingredients except the sugar together. If you’re not using the rapid action yeast, then you need to prove the ingredients for longer. Warm the milk over low heat until warm – you should be able to keep your finger in it for a few seconds.
  2. Use about 2 tablespoons and add the sugar and yeast to it. Keep aside for about 5 minutes.
  3. Add the milk, water and the yeast mixture to the dry ingredients and mix. I use a whisk rather than a hand held mixer.
  4. Cover with cling film and let it rest/prove for an hour. You can shorten the time if using rapid action yeast. The batter should rise.
  5. The batter should not be too runny or too thick. It should be such that when you add it to a pan, you can swirl it with the back of a spoon to get the shape. You may need to add more water to get this consistency as oats tend to absorb water. Add a tablespoon of oil.
  6. Heat a non-stick pan if you don’t have a griddle pan. I add just a bit of oil each time and as you cook the oatcakes you may not need to add oil as we’ve added some to the batter.
  1. Add two serving spoons of batter and swirl with the back of a spoon. You don’t want these too thin like a crepe. Cook on one side until tiny holes begin to appear and then cook the other side.
  2. Serve hot with a side/topping of choice.
  3. These can be cooked and frozen to be eaten at a later date but taste best fresh.

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