Oat Cuisine: The Humble Staffordshire Oatcake History and Recipe

Local Staffordshire cuisine features the humble oatcake. You'll find them in supermarkets, specialty oatcake shops, cafes and you can even make your own.

This modest brown oat patty offers an excellent substitute for sliced bread, wraps, and other similar items. You can roll, fold, or even make a calzone. Best enjoyed warm, this typically savoury treat can also be served sweet and is a versatile base for nearly any filling you can think of. Traditionally, Staffordshire folk opt for a combination of bacon, sausage, cheese, and egg, but a bit of experimentation can elevate the humble oat cake to an "Oat Cuisine" level.

The oatcake originated in the 18^th century as a favourite, keeping the pottery workers fed and was sold everywhere. They were nutritious, containing fibre, vitamins, minerals, and sustained energy for the working man or woman. Frequently sold through a hole-in-the-wall counter at working-person prices, oatcake shops opened very early in the morning, and visitors would be welcomed by the heat of the hotplates and a comforting, unique oaty smell, sure to get you salivating.

I've been making my own oatcakes for many years now and they are easy to do and well received by locals and visitors, I've published it here for you to try your own version, they can be made either in a frying pan or on a flat griddle - a blender is needed to cut the oats.

You will need:

1 cup of porridge oats

1 quarter cup wholemeal flour

1 teaspoon of flaxseed

a pinch of salt

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend for 20 seconds.

Then add about half a cup of cold water. Use a hand mixer if you can, and mix until the mixture is the consistency of single cream.

The mixture is best left for an hour or so to thicken—if it becomes too thick, add a little water to reach the single cream consistency.

Heat your frying pan or griddle, add a small amount of oil or oil spray, and spread a ladleful of the mixture across the pan.

Cook until most of the steam stops, then flip over and add your chosen filling(s).

This could be cooked bacon, sausages, mushrooms, etc. (cooked separately) and cheese, or a raw egg added after the flip.

Oatcakes provide a filling alternative to porridge oats, and the addition of other ingredients can make it a healthier alternative to bread. They cost pence to make and are ready in minutes.

Store unused mixture in the fridge to reheat later; it will keep for 24 hours.

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Oat Cuisine: The Humble Staffordshire Oatcake History and Recipe - 8.11.25