A tale of an Oatcake

I am at the moment researching regional and heritage bakes from around the UK but also into mainland Europe. These will form part of my cookery & baking courses both independently as well as with the cookery schools I have the pleasure of working with and now this has been extended to my Foodie partnership with Kay from "The Quirky Cook".

So moving on, as I digress, over the past months I have made some really good Twitter Chums and I know some of them are really into heritage and traditional foods... and Ale so I asked the friendly fellows in the Blackbird Bread nest down in sunny Twickenham if they would be interested in posting a guest blog for me. I was so happy when they agreed.

Mr and Mrs Blackbird runs a successful Micro-bakery in Twickenham, serving the local community with Real Bread, Cakes and Pastries. Mr Blackbird tends to do most of the breads & pastries where Mrs Blackbird has a flavour for cake and blog writing ( and strangly Dr.Who).  They have just started "Pop-up Croissant Sunday" where discerning real bread lovers order and pick up fresh warm croissants. Please pop over to their blog for details of their Micro-bakery . http://blackbirdbread.blogspot.co.uk. Please also follow them on Twitter @blackbirdbread.

Well at last here is the post.... (shh, but I do need to whisper that it is just a rumour, that oatcakes are a Derbyshire delicacy) but that’s another blog,,,,, ;)

 

Blog post from Blackbird Bread – Staffordshire oatcakes

Growing up in Staffordshire, I’d always been fed a regular supply of oatcakes. For anyone not from the midlands you probably think I mean the dry biscuits beloved of those recovering from tummy bugs; and the newly pregnant looking for a quick energy fix that wasn’t going to make them throw up! Not those ones. The Staffordshire oatcake is a wonderful thing, beloved by Stokies as much as the glorious bottle kilns that rise above the Potteries skyline. Stoke City FC even called their football programme after it.

Essentially a Staffordshire oatcake is a yeasted pancake with a surface like a pikelet or crumpet. In our house these were always bought in packets from the local market or bakers. We’d have them with our cooked Sunday breakfast. The flat, flexible pancakes are great for wrapping around bacon and eggs. Sometimes we’d have them toasted for tea with cheese and then rolled up with the melted cheese oozing through the tiny holes. My daughters are big fans of this!

The origins of this version of the oatcake are disputed. Some claim they derided from troops returning from colonial India having eaten flatbreads like chapatti and roti. Much as I like the idea of soldiers returning from the East demanding a little of the Punjab in Burslem, it’s more likely that the oatcakes’ origins go much further back, probably to those pesky Romans. There are certainly some regional variations in the counties bordering on Staffordshire.

Having abandoned Staffordshire for ‘down South’ sourcing oatcakes is a much trickier proposition. Whenever I visit, my mum has usually bought a packet that I can take home and pop in the freezer.

I was intrigued to see in Mr B’s copy of Daniel Stevens’ excellent River Cottage Bread book a recipe for Staffordshire oatcakes which made me think, if I can do these at home I can have them whenever I like.

It’s a very straightforward recipe, but with all pancakes the effort is in the standing over the stove cooking them. I couldn’t see Daniel Stevens’ recipe online but there is a version from the Hairy Bikers http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/staffordshireoatcake_92371 This uses less wholemeal flour than Daniel’s version and also includes a little white flour. Having made the River Cottage Bread book version this seems like a sound idea as, much as we wolfed down the oatcakes, they were very filling and this may lighten them a little.

.................To be honest, I couldn’t say that the homemade version were better than the ones I’ve always bought, however, it was interesting seeing what went into them and I’d encourage anyone keen on heritage recipes (especially Stokies!) to give them a go.

There are a few photos of the process involved.

A copy of Mr B's Book

 

 

Starting the process, all the dry ingredients in the bowl

 

 

 

 

Mixing it together

Just starting to get a little lively

 

 



If you look closely you will see the yeast bubbles making the lacey holes... not long till the eating stage, be patient.

Just pile them up....

 

Now is the time to pile them with cheese, slam under ther grill and scoff'em.

 

a big, big thankyou to Mr & Mrs Blackbird Bread for this, I'm hoping to get the fabulous Bread Angel @fabuloaf to write one for me........

 

Potato and Rosemary bread

This bread is one of my favourite breads, it can start as an overnight poolish or just as I have written below. It has a golden soft crust with a light and airy crumb, you can even use it for a tear & share bread, just add different ingredients. Red onions and goats cheese can be added, the list is endless.

So onto the recipe, a plus side to this recipe is you can just leave it alone to do its thing, just keep your eye on it....I hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Potato and Rosemary Bread

1kg Strong White Flour *

+/- 600g Potato Water (Cooled)
10g Dried Yeast
20g Salt
2 tbsp. Fresh Chopped Rosemary or 2 tsp. Dried Rosemary
20ml Olive oil
Fine Semolina for dusting

2 Plastic Bowls (1 large, 1 Small)

Whisk
Timer
Dough scraper
Baking trays
Parchment Paper

*If you have any mashed potato left substitute some of the flour for the potato.

1.       In the large bowl place the potato water and the yeast, stir it up and leave it to start to work.

2.      Meanwhile in the small bowl weigh out the flour and/or flour and potato, add the salt and the rosemary. Using your whisk, whisk up the flour, this aerates, disperses the salt as well as getting rid of any big lumps.

3.      After around 10 mins’ the water/yeast mix should be showing signs of life, add the olive oil give it mix.

4.      Add the flour mix to the water and using your hand bring it all together, it should be quite a soft dough; if it feels a little dry add a little more water.

5.     Cover your big bowl with the small bowl, set your timer to 10 mins’ and leave your dough alone.

6.      After 10 mins’ take the dough out of the bowl and knead for 40 seconds put back into the big bowl, cover with the small bowl.

7.     Repeat steps 5 & 6 five more times.

8.      After the final knead, form the dough into a round and place back in the big bowl, cover with the small bowl and leave it alone for an hour.

9.    Knock it back, form back into a round a place it back into the big bowl, cover with the small bowl and leave it alone again for another hour. Repeat once more.

10.   After the final bowl prove, lightly dust your work top with flour and semolina, divide the dough into 3 (to make loaves) or 10 to make boules or batons.

11.     Shape to your desired shape and place onto the prepared trays (lined with parchment and sprinkled with semolina).

12.   Cover with lightly oiled cling-film and leave the dough to prove for the final time.

13.   Pre-heat oven to 200^oC.

14.   When the dough had doubled in size and had reached a satisfactory prove, sprinkle with a mix of flour and semolina, spray with fine mist of water and place in the oven for 5 mins’ at 200^oc, reduce the oven down to 180^oC bake for a further 25 mins’ for loaves, 15 mins’ for boules. Remember all ovens are different………

15.   Leave to cool and enjoy, they freeze really well

 

 

Vegetarian Christmas Roulade

As we have a few vegetarians in the family I have always been interested in vegetarian food, when I was at college I always seemed to put forward the veggie menu ideas. This recipe I sort of fell upon when surfing so decided to give it a try ( the published reciped is a little disjointed so I have edited it to flow a little better). I also upped the cheese and added smoked paprika to the crust. Anyway this is a tried and trusted recipe so if you have to find something to feed a veggie family member or friend this christmas, please do try it, its lovely and different to "nut roast" and it freezes well.

 

I have left on the original authors sauce suggestion but we served it with a spicy tomato sauce made with red wine, onions, oregano, tomatoes, sugar & salt......

 

Cheese, Herb & Celeriac Roulade-  Serves 4

Herby Crust:
1 bunch spring onions, finely chopped
45g butter
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
2 teaspoons mixed herbs
3 tablespoons brown breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon of smoked sweet paprika
Salt and pepper to taste

 Roulade:

290ml milk
20g plain flour
45g butter
60g Gouda cheese or similar
3 eggs
30g parmesan cheese

 Filling

45g toasted pine nuts
45g butter
60g Gouda cheese (or similar) (or double/triple it if you like it really cheesy)
30g parmesan cheese
 medium celeriac, peeled
 30ml double cream
 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
 Salt & pepper to taste

Method
1. To make the herb crust, melt the butter in a pan on the hob, and cook the spring onions gently for 5 minutes.
2. Remove from the heat and then add the remaining ingredients for the crust and mix together to form a kind of loose stuffing mixture.
3. Line a 13 x 9 inch Swiss roll tin with baking parchment and spread the herb crust in a layer on the bottom of the tin.
4. To make the roulade, heat the milk and flour in a pan, whisk with a small whisk while adding the butter in 2 or 3 pieces.
5. Continue whisking over the heat until it has thickened and then cook gently for 2 minutes.
6. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.
7. Separate the eggs, beat the yolks into the mixture then add the grated cheese and season to taste.
8. In a clean bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff and then, using a metal spoon, fold them into the roulade mixture.
9. Spread this mixture evenly over the herb crust and bake in a preheated oven at 190^oC (mine is a fan oven) for about 20- 25 minutes or until springy in the middle.
10. While the roulade is cooking make the filling.
11. Cut the celeriac into small chunks, boil for around 15 minutes until tender and cooked.
12. Drain and mash with the cream, butter, Gouda cheese and nutmeg, salt & pepper to taste..
13. Lay out a sheet of baking parchment, greaseproof paper or foil slightly larger than the Swiss roll tin..
14. Turn out the roulade onto this and remove the paper.
15. Spread the filling over the golden roulade side and sprinkle over the pine nuts, and with the grated parmesan cheese.
16. Roll up the roulade along its long side and serve with the join on the underside. The herby side will be outside.

  Serve with a sweet Red Wine & Cranberry sauce

 1.      Slice a red onion and sauté it in some butter for 10 minutes until soft.

2.      Add half a packet of fresh cranberries and a glass of red wine. Add a spoonful of sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer together until thick.

 Preparation Time: 60 minutes , Cook Time: 60 minutes

I have made this quite a few times in a professional kitchen, this was the veggie option at the Christmas Lunch at the Engine Shed Restaurant, Derby College. Slightly altered and added to as I preferred it to be a little cheesier and the addition of the paprika to the crust gave it a spicier edge. I have also reduced the oven temperature.

Taken from an original recipe by James Maddock http://www.greenchronicle.com/christmas_recipes/celeriac_christmas_roulade.htm

Need to do this more often

Time waits for nobody so I need to make sure I have this blogging sorted. My business at first seemed dis-jointed but now things are starting to fall together.
I will have my website up and running in the next few weeks. My fabulous courses will start properly and I will be supplying lots of speciality breads and pastries.

To start the blog rolling ..............
Recently I held a one to one bread work shop the result was this:

One really happy customer, one really tired me.