[arugula]

Here's an easy recipe for rough Scottish-style oatcakes. I find the shop-bought ones can be on the salty side if you are trying to keep an eye on salt intake, these aren't....

Ingredients

    * 225g (8 oz) medium oatmeal, plus extra for dusting
    * 1.25ml (¼ tsp) bicarbonate of soda
    * 1.25ml (¼ tsp) salt
    * 15ml (1 tbsp) unsalted butter

Method

   1. Preheat the oven to 180°C, fan 160°C, 350°F, gas mark 4. Mix the oatmeal, bicarbonate of soda and salt in a bowl. Heat the butter and 150ml water in a small pan until the butter melts.
   2. Make a well in the centre of the oatmeal mix, pour in the liquid and use a palette knife to mix everything together. The mixture will seem a bit wet, but the oatmeal will gradually absorb all the liquid to give a soft dough.
   3. Lightly dust a clean work surface with oatmeal. Tip out the dough, then roll out to about 5mm thick. Use a cutter of your favourite shape to stamp out the oatcakes. Re-roll any trimmings and continue to cut out the biscuits. As a guide here, when I made these earlier I only had to hand a round cutter of about 100 mm - this made 6.
   4. Space on a baking sheet or sheets and bake for about 20 - 25 minutes, carefully turning the oatcakes every 5 minutes or so to stop them from steaming and going stodgy. When cooked they should be crisp and lightly golden. Lift onto a wire rack and leave to cool.

Then enjoy.

[Ice]

I love oatcakes with a slab of cheese.  Thanks for the recipe.

[mumofstig]

Thanks Argyllie  

I'll have a try at those.

[hamstergbert]

when you say to turn 'em every five mins, do I take it that you refer to flipping them over rather than rotating the tray?  (Sorry if it sounds a dozy question but fallen into baking elephant traps before and giving Mrs HGB and excuse for sniggering again is something I try to avoid)

[Lardman]

Where does one buy oatmeal from ?

4 ingredients is about my limit, but Id give them a go if I could find the oatmeal.

[Yorkie]

Is oatmeal the same as porridge oats?

[arugula]

HGB, yes flip/turn them over rather than rotate the tray.

Lardman, this is the oatmeal I happened to buy :

http://www.hamlynsoats.co.uk/product02.htm

It has a recipe on the back, but its more complicated than this one.

I got it in my local Co-op supermarket, I didn't even look in my local T*sco and those are my only choices, but I'm sure they have it too - look near the breakfast cereals. I appreciate it may well not be as widely stocked outside Scotland though.

Yorkie, no it isn't the same. Porridge oats are like rolled flakes, whereas oatmeal is more like a crumb.




Re. the salt content. OH says it could do with more - he's the one we're keeping an eye on it for - but thats the beauty of making your own, you can adjust.

[Yorkie]

Ta. Might try some when Mum comes to visit as it's the sort of thing she likes to eat. 

[Lardman]

I appreciate it may well not be as widely stocked outside Scotland though.

You're not wrong, the only 1 of the big four I can see that stocks oatmeal down here is Waitrose !

I'll have to go find some could you add a little garlic like the really garlic company ones - I love those.

[arugula]

I'm sure you could add garlic or some herbs even like thyme or rosemary. If doing this I'd add them to the dry mix first. I always tend to try new recipes as they are first though, before I start adjusting that way you can tell more easily how much to adjust.

[chrissie B]

i havent had an oat cake in years just love them with a bit of butter , like the a little salty though wil give you reipe a go thanks
chrissie b

[madcat]

Anybody got a reciepe for staffordshire oatcakes?  they are very different from a scottish one - more like an oat tortilla if you can imagine it.  When I worked in Stone they were a favourite breakfast in the canteen, bacon and cheese oatcakes ........  But they work for all sorts of things.

[hamstergbert]

there is of course this one!

[Val H]

Use your eyes . http://www.allotment-garden.org/recipe/77/recipe-for-north-staffordshire-oatcake/
It's our most talked about recipe (we're both from Staffordshire originally).

[arugula]

Anybody got a reciepe for staffordshire oatcakes? 

Use your eyes . http://www.allotment-garden.org/recipe/77/recipe-for-north-staffordshire-oatcake/
It's our most talked about recipe (we're both from Staffordshire originally).

I used to buy them quite often when we lived down south, I must try your recipe Val!