Literary Recipes — Mother’s Hot Oatcakes
“Oh!” exclaimed Mary, “then I shall see him! I never thought I should see Dickon.”
“Does tha’ want to see him?” asked Martha suddenly, for Mary had looked so pleased.
“Yes, I do. I never saw a boy foxes and crows loved. I want to see him very much.”
Martha gave a little start, as if she remembered something. “Now, to think,” she broke out, “to think o’ me forgettin’ that there. I asked mother — and she said she’d ask Mrs. Medlock her own self.”
“Do you mean —” Mary began.
“What I said Tuesday. Ask her if you might be driven over to our cottage some day and have a bit o’ mother’s hot oat cake, an’ butter, an’ a glass o’ milk.”
It seemed as if all the interesting things were happening in one day. To think of going over the moor in the daylight and when the sky was blue! To think of going into the cottage which held twelve children!
— The Secret Garden, by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Yorkshire oatcake, or ‘havercake’ as they are famously known in Yorkshire, are a pancake made from oats and leavened with yeast. Along with bread and currant buns, oatcakes were a staple in the Sowerby home, cooked in large quantities on a bakestone suspended by a hook over the fire. Some were enjoyed hot and buttered, while others were left to cool and crisp, propped up on wooden blocks or hung near the ceiling of the cottage so they could be eaten later. They can be eaten savory, such as wrapped around sausages, or sweet, topped with peaches, honey, and Devonshire cream.
Ingredients —
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup milk
• 1 oz. fresh yeast (or 2¼ tsp. active dry yeast + 1 tsp. sugar)
• 1½ cups finely ground oatmeal
• ½ cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tbsp. butter
Directions —
• In a saucepan, mix the milk and water. Set the saucepan over low heat until the mixture is lukewarm to the touch, or 110°F if you are using a cooking thermometer.
• Pour the warmed mixture into a large mixing bowl. Crumble the fresh yeast into the warm milk and water and stir it until it is dissolved. If you are using dry yeast, stir it and the sugar into the warm liquid and set it aside in a warm place for about five minutes, or until the mixture begins to thicken and bubble, before proceeding.
• Stir the oatmeal, flour, and salt into the milk and yeast mixture. Add more water, if necessary, to make a batter. Cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and set it aside in a warm place for about an hour.
• Heat the butter over medium heat in a griddle or a large skillet.
• Stir the oatcake batter and spoon about ⅔ cup of it into the hot pan, spreading it slightly to make a thin oval cake in the middle of the pan.
• Cook the oatcake for just a few minutes, until it is set but not browned on the bottom. Turn the oatcake and cook it briefly on the other side.
• Serve the oatcake hot, letting each person break off a piece. Spread the oatcake with butter and jam, if desired. Dry any leftover loaves on a wire rack, store them covered, and eat them later, plain or with cheese.
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