Oatcakes Recipes

NOVA SCOTIA OATCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 375 F. In a large bowl, combine the oats, flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda. Add the shortening or butter and use 2 knives, a large fork, or your fingers to work the fat into the dry ingredients.
• Pour in the hot water and stir until everything comes together into a thick, sticky dough.
• You can roll the dough out on a well-floured surface, cut it into shapes, and set them on a large baking sheet. Or keep things simple and simply press the dough into an even 1/4-inch layer on a baking sheet. Score this large "cake" into smaller pieces: Use a knife to cut the dough into squares or rectangles or whatever shapes you like, but don't bother to separate the pieces; the pieces will bake back together but be easy to cut or break along that original cut line.
• Bake until golden, about 12 minutes. You can take them out now for chewier oatcakes or reduce the oven temperature to 325 F and bake until lightly browned, about 10 more minutes, for crisper oatcakes.
• When they have finished baking, if you've cut them into shapes, let them cool; if you've scored them, cut them apart while warm so they cool into squares (or rectangles or triangles or whatever you've cut them into).
• Serve and enjoy.

OATCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Line a heavy baking sheet with parchment paper.
• Mix oats, whole wheat flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in a bowl. Rub in butter with your fingers until mixture is chunky. Pour in enough water to form a thick dough.
• Spread a thin layer of oats and whole wheat flour on a flat work surface. Turn out dough and pat to an even thickness. Cut into circles using the rim of a drinking glass. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes.

OATCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. and butter 2 large baking sheets.
• In a food processor pulse oats until finely chopped. Cut butter into bits. Add butter to oats with all remaining ingredients except milk and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add milk and pulse until mixture just forms a dough.
• On a lightly floured surface halve dough and wrap 1 half in plastic wrap. Roll out remaining dough 1/8 inch thick (about a 14-inch round) and with a 3-inch fluted round cutter cut out about 18 oatcakes.
• On baking sheets arrange oatcakes about 3/4 inch apart and bake in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway through baking, until pale golden, about 20 minutes. Transfer oatcakes to a rack to cool completely. Make more oatcakes with remaining dough in same manner. Oatcakes may be made 1 week ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.

STAFFORDSHIRE OATCAKES

Steps:

• Place warm water and warm milk into a large bowl. Stir in sugar and yeast, and let stand for 5 minutes, or until frothy. Mix in oat flour, whole wheat flour and salt, blending thoroughly. Cover bowl, and let stand in a warm place for 1 hour.
• Heat a large griddle or two skillets over medium heat, and grease well. Spoon enough batter onto the pan to make a thin pancake about 8 inches across for each one. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the top surface is covered with holes. Turn over and brown on the other side. Place oatcakes on a warm plate until ready to serve. Best served immediately, but can be frozen and heated later.

SCOTTISH OATCAKES

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Mix together the oats, flour, salt, sugar and bicarbonate of soda. Add the butter, then rub together until it's the consistency of large breadcrumbs.
• Gradually pour in 60-90ml water from a recently boiled kettle, stirring until it forms a thick dough.
• Sprinkle some extra flour on a work surface and roll out the dough to about ½cm thickness. Use a cookie cutter to cut out about 16 rounds (the final number of oatcakes depends on the size of cutter you use).
• Place the oatcakes on a baking tray and bake for 20 mins or until golden.

OATCAKES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread 1/2 cup rolled oats on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until light golden and fragrant, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool then transfer to a food processor; process until finely ground. Add flour, sugar, coarse salt, and pepper; pulse until combined. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Add 3 tablespoons cold water and pulse until dough just comes together, adding up to an additional tablespoon as needed.
• Turn dough out onto plastic wrap, shape into a rectangle and wrap in plastic. Chill for 45 minutes. Transfer chilled dough to a sheet of parchment paper. Sprinkle with remaining ¼ cup oats and roll into a 10-by-12-inch rectangle. Using a fluted pastry wheel, cut into thirty-two 2 1/2-by-1 1/2-inch rectangles. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. If dough becomes soft, chill for 15 minutes.
• Arrange bars an-inch apart on two parchment-lined baking sheets. Bake until golden, 28 to 30 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.