Staffordshire Oatcakes

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 oz (125 g) fine oatmeal
• 2 1/2 oz (75 g) wholemeal flour
• 1 3/4 oz (50 g) plain white flour
• 1 tsp instant dried yeast
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 cup (250 ml) warm water
• 1 cup (250 ml) warm milk
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 5 oz (140 g) mature Cheddar, grated
• 8 rashers streaky bacon
• brown sauce, to serve

Before you cook

• Whisk the oatmeal, both flours, yeast and salt together in a large bowl.
• Warm the milk and water together until they feel just blood-hot to a fingertip.
• Grate the Cheddar coarsely.

Steps

1. Pour the warm milk and water into the dry ingredients.
2. Whisk to a smooth batter about the thickness of single cream.
3. Cover the bowl and leave it somewhere warm for 45 minutes, until the surface is foamy and smells yeasty.
4. Fry the bacon in a dry pan until crisp, then drain it on kitchen paper.
5. Wipe a wide non-stick pan with oil and set it over medium-high heat.
6. Stir the batter once to knock out the largest bubbles.
7. Ladle about 1/2 cup of batter into the pan and swirl it into a thin round.
8. Cook for 2 minutes, until the surface dries and small holes open right across it.
9. Flip the oatcake and cook the second side for 1 minute.
10. Slide the oatcake onto a warm plate and repeat with the rest of the batter.
11. Scatter grated cheese over each hot oatcake so it melts on contact.
12. Lay bacon down the middle and roll the oatcake up tightly.
13. Serve straight away with brown sauce alongside.