Staffordshire Oatcakes - Traditional English Hotcakes - Pancakes

Name: Staffordshire Oatcakes - Traditional English Hotcakes - Pancakes
Prep time: 1 h
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 1 h 6 min
Yield: 6 large oatcakes, 3-6 serving(s)
Ingredients: 150 g fine oatmeal; 150 g wholemeal flour; 300 ml milk; 300 ml water; 7 g sachet quick-rising yeast; 1 teaspoon sugar; salt

Submitted by French Tart

"Delicious light pancakes made with oats and yeast - traditionally from the Midlands region in England, in particular the county of Staffordshire. The Potteries, an area that is the birthplace of many famous people including Arnold Bennett, Sir Stanley Matthews, Reginald Mitchell, Captain Edward Smith of the Titanic, Josiah Wedgwood, and more recently Robbie Williams…….but just as important to the Potteries as Royal Doulton, Wedgwood etc., are Staffordshire Oatcakes. Once only eaten locally, the Staffordshire Oatcake has grown steadily in popularity over recent years. The traditional filling would be practically any combination of ingredients from an ‘all-day breakfast’ but anything goes these days. Chicken curry, chilli con carne, scrambled eggs, smoked salmon and coronation chicken are now quite the norm amongst the oatcake avant-garde, as well as golden syrup, honey, jam and cream."

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photo by French Tart

Ready In:: 1hr 6mins
Ingredients:: 7
Yields:: 6 large oatcakes
Serves:: 3-6

ingredients

150 g fine oatmeal
150 g wholemeal flour
300 ml milk
300 ml water
7 g sachet quick-rising yeast
1 teaspoon sugar
salt

directions

Pour the milk and water in a saucepan and warm gently on the hob. This is just to create good conditions for the yeast when the batter is mixed so, as always, keep it below 30°C.
Add all of the dry ingredients to a bowl and mix together before starting to whisk in all of the warm milk and water. I was looking to get a reasonably thin batter and 600ml did the trick on this occasion. Of course, add less or more milk and water as the situation dictates. Once the batter is mixed, cover with plastic wrap and leave in a warm room for about an hour, allowing the yeast to make the batter nice and bubbly.
When it’s ready, give the batter a gentle stir, smear a little butter or oil on a hot, non-stick skillet and add enough of the batter to thinly coat the bottom. Cook on one side until golden (about 3 minutes) and gently flip over and cook the other side for another couple of minutes.
Note: As oatcakes contain less flour, and wholemeal flour at that, they contain less gluten and will be more prone to tear. I’m guessing this is why people bulk them up with plain flour, but it’s by no means a problem, it just means a gentler hand is required. No vigorous skillet-shaking.
This batter will yield about 6 large oatcakes. Don’t just stick to savoury fillings, either. Fruit, berries, crème fraîche, syrup, ice cream are all brilliant with these pancakes.

Questions & Replies

The recipe looks really good, but they have a very short shelf life and use is difficult if only a single person uses. I freeze mine and even switch them in for pasta when making lasagne.

czeshirecat

Reviews

I grew up in Stoke-on-Trent and in my opinion there's only one way to eat oatcakes. Bacon and cheese and preferably on a tin plate.

jhprior102
I made these first of all as a lunch, & got adventurous, I thought, when I rolled a bit of shredded BBQ chicken inside & topped them with a homemade blueberry sauce! Later in the day, the two left over were spread with a bit of cream cheese, with the blueberry sauce used as a dip! Very, very nice, & we thoroughly enjoyed the combo of the oatmeal & the flour used! Thanks for sharing the recipe! [Made & reviewed in Zaar Cookbook Tag]

Sydney Mike
I have been making buttermilk waffles and pancakes for many years using 2/3 old fashioned rolled oats and 1/3 flour. Now I realize I have been making a variation on oatcakes! One of my favorite sea chanteys ends with the refrain ¨Jenny get your oatcakes done.¨ I always fantasized about the song when I made the waffles. (my daughters refer to them as our ¨intestine-scraping breakfast.¨)

steve p.
Great recipe. Turned out perfect, pretty much like the original ones from the shop in Staffordshire. Thanks for the recipe ??

Punnama
me like. twuz very simple. but very delicious. i had it with some peanut butter and jelly, and it was exqusit. also im 11 (idk why i had to say that). but ye all in all was very simple and delicious with basically any topping it was quick and just perfect (exept the measurments)

Legends

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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY

French Tart

277

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