Cookbook:North Staffordshire Oatcakes

An oatcake is a type of pancake made from oatmeal, cooked on a griddle. North Staffordshire oatcakes are a local delicacy in the North Staffordshire (Stoke-on-Trent) area of England, and so may be known to non-locals as a North Staffordshire oatcake or Potteries oatcake. These use flour and yeast, whereas other oatcakes do not. When pre-cooked, they are a form of fast food, and catering outlets in the area usually offer oatcakes with fillings such as cheese, bacon, sausage and egg. They can be re-heated by frying in butter, or by grilling. In addition, pikelets are often served alongside oatcakes in a similar fashion.

Ingredients

 * 220 g (1 cup or 8 oz) fine oatmeal
 * 220 g (1 cup or 8 oz) wholemeal or plain flour
 * 1 tsp salt
 * 14 g (2 ½ tsp or ½ oz) fresh yeast
 * 850 ml (3 ½ cups or 1 ½ pints) warm milk and water, mixed half and half
 * 1 tsp sugar

Procedure

 * 1) Add the salt to the flour and oatmeal.
 * 2) Dissolve the yeast with a little warm liquid and add the sugar. Allow the mixture to become frothy.
 * 3) Mix the dry ingredients with the yeast liquid to make a batter.
 * 4) Cover the batter with a clean cloth and leave it in a warm place for an hour.
 * 5) Cook the oatcakes on a well-greased griddle. Put enough batter onto the griddle to produce an oatcake about 8–9 inches in diameter. The surface will be covered in holes as it cooks.
 * 6) Flip the oatcake after 2–3 minutes when the upper side appears dry and the underneath is golden brown, and cook for another 2–3 minutes.