Staffordshire Oatcakes
Soft, savoury oat pancakes from the Potteries, cooked on a griddle and rolled around melting Cheddar and crisp bacon.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •Large mixing bowl
- •Whisk
- •Non-stick frying pan
- •Ladle
- •Baking tray
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 23 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 24 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Whisk the oatmeal, plain flour, yeast, sugar, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
- 2
Combine the warm water and warm milk in a jug.
- 3
Pour the liquid gradually into the dry ingredients, whisking until a smooth, thin batter forms.
- 4
Cover the bowl and leave the batter to rest in a warm place for 45 minutes until frothy.
- 5
Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat and lightly grease with butter.
- 6
Ladle roughly 75 ml of batter into the pan, swirling quickly to form a thin, even circle.
- 7
Cook for 2 minutes until the top is dry with small burst bubbles and the underside is golden.
- 8
Flip the oatcake and cook the second side for 1 to 2 minutes until lightly browned.
- 9
Transfer the cooked oatcake to a plate and repeat with the remaining batter.
- 10
Preheat the grill on your cooker to high.
- 11
Top each oatcake with grated Cheddar and cooked bacon, then roll up loosely.
- 12
Place rolled oatcakes on a baking tray under the grill for 3 minutes until the cheese melts.
Chef's tips
Use fine oatmeal rather than rolled porridge oats to achieve the authentic pliable texture. If the batter thickens excessively while resting, whisk in an extra splash of warm milk. Keep cooked oatcakes stacked under a clean tea towel so they stay moist and easy to roll.
Ingredient substitutions
- smoked back bacon rashers → fried button mushrooms or vegetarian sausages
- mature Cheddar cheese → Red Leicester cheese or Cheshire cheese
- butter → lard or vegetable oil
Storage
Store cooled, unfilled oatcakes in greaseproof paper inside an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.
Reheating
Warm chilled oatcakes gently in a dry frying pan for one minute on each side before filling and grilling.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Making the batter too thick, which produces heavy pancakes rather than thin, foldable oatcakes.
- •Pouring batter into a cold frying pan, which prevents bubble formation and causes sticking.
- •Skipping the resting stage, which stops the yeast from developing flavour and lightness.
Serving suggestions
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