Staffordshire Oatcakes

4.80 from 5 votes

Staffordshire oatcakes are oatmeal pancakes originating from Stoke-on-Trent in the West Midlands. They are easy to make, filling and their robust flavour is particularly suited to savoury fillings. Go traditional with cheese and bacon or get creative.

Prep Time5

Cook Time25

Resting time2

Total Time2 30

Course: Breakfast/ Brunch, lunch, Snack

Cuisine: British, English, West Midlands

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings:

Calories: 118kcal

Author: Jane Coupland

Ingredients

150 g Oatmeal - finely ground or whole oats for grinding in a blender)
60 g Strong white flour
60 g Strong wholemeal flour
⅜ teaspoon Salt
¾ teaspoon Fast-action dried yeast
250 ml Milk whole or semi-skimmed
250 ml Water warm
Flavourless oil for frying e.g. vegetable oil

Instructions

Boil the kettle 20 minutes before commencing the recipe. This will ensure the water is a suitable temperature
If using oats blitz them in a blender until fine
Mix all dry ingredients (oatmeal, flours, salt and yeast) together in a bowl
Pour 250ml (1 cup) water from the kettle into the milk
Mix the liquid into the dry ingredients to form a batter. Don't worry about a few lumps remaining, these will break down as the batter rests
Cover and set aside for 1-2 hours - it's ready when it turns bubbly. If you don't see bubbles on the surface, give the batter a quick stir and bubbles will appear if the batter is ready. If not, leave a little longer
Heat a frying pan and drizzle in ½ teaspoon flavourless oil
Give the batter a quick stir then pour 100ml into the frying pan. Quickly tilt the pan to spread the batter out. Let cook, undisturbed, for 2 minutes
Flip it over using a spatula and cook the reverse for a further 2 minutes
Either serve immediately or keep warm whilst the rest of the oatcakes are cooked

Notes

Mix the batter until it is relatively smooth, but don't worry if a few lumps remain. These will break down as the batter rests
Using hot water helps speed up the activation of the yeast. If cooler water is used then the batter will need to rest for 3-4 hours
The batter can be mixed and stored in the fridge overnight
Not sure if your batter is ready? Give it a quick stir. If lots of bubbles appear then it is ready
Get your frying pan nicely hot. If it is too cool then the pancakes will be rubbery, but if too hot they will burn. Drop a small amount of batter into the pan to test the temperature out - it should sizzle nicely
Don't add too much oil - just a small amount per oatcake is sufficient
Get the batter to spread to around 20cm (8-inches). This recipe makes 6 North Staffordshire oatcakes
To make the larger Derbyshire oatcakes, use 150ml batter per pancake and spread it to around 25-30cm. This recipe makes 4
Use a spatula to turn them over in the pan. Oatcakes are more fragile than typical pancakes so are not easy to flip in the air

How to keep oatcakes warm

Preheat the oven to 110C/ 125F/ GM ¼ with a large ovenproof plate inside. Once the first oatcake is cooked lay it on the warmed plate and cover loosely with foil. Put back into the oven. Keep adding to the plate each time a fresh oatcake is cooked - a layer of baking parchment between each oatcake will prevent them from sticking to each other.

How to reheat oatcakes

Either reheat in a frying pan, cooking for 1-2 minutes. Alternatively, microwave for around 15 seconds.

Nutrition