Bread Making – Stotty Cake
This flattish bread is native to the north-east of England, where it is widely available, although almost unheard of anywhere else. Almost always white, it is flat with a soft floury crust, often (but not always) scored with a single slash or cross. Local bakers explain that stotties were traditionally the last things to be baked in the bread oven at the end of the day. The name itself coming from the word “stott”, meaning to throw to the ground. The bread apparently was ready for eating if it rebounded from the floor! Stottie bread (perhaps from such bad treatment) is rather dry with an open crumb and fairly chewy texture. It is, however, delicious with another ‘Geordie’ dish, ham and pease pudding which is based on split peas.
I remember when I was a young prison officer, we would serve as ‘warders’ at Newcastle Assizes (now the Crown Courts). As soon as we had locked the prisoners away, it was time for breakfast. We were never sure when we would get another meal during the day, so breakfast was all important.
The café at the court used to produce a special ‘stottie sandwich’ just for the prison officers, knowing that we would be working through until about 8 or 9 in the evening. The stotty bread sandwich was a whole stottie, split in two and filled with everything you could imagine; bacon, fried eggs, mushrooms, sausage and chips. If you were lucky, it was topped off with yesterday’s mushy peas – the court rooms would be alive with the sound of music all day…
Ingredients
1 kg Strong Flour
3 level tsp Salt
100 gms Margarine
50gms or 4 level tsp of dried yeast
1 tsp Sugar
200 ml approx. Tepid water
200 ml Milk
Method
1 Mix the flour and salt together and rub in the margarine
2 Mix the yeast and sugar into the water, stirring until the yeast dissolves
For dried yeast mix the sugar and yeast together into the water and leave until the water has dissolved and frothing
3 Make a little hole in the centre of the flour and ad the water stirring with your hands working into a firm dough
4 Knead well until the dough is smooth and shiny. If the dough is a little soft more flour may be added while kneading (up to 50 grms may be added ) if the dough is too firm dip your fingers into warm water and knead in until dough is corrected
5 Turn out onto a floured board and knead until the dough is no longer sticky but is smooth and shiny
6 Lightly grease a dish and place dough in it , cover with a clean tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place until it is twice the size.a plastic bag is a handy thing to put it in or if you have one of those vegetable steamers you can set it at its lowest temperature and prove it up in that.
7 When risen turn out onto a floured board and knead lightly until pliable again
8 Cut the dough into the size of the flatties you require
9 Put a hole in the centre of the flattie after rolling it out to the size and depth you want, then give it a few stabs with the fork but not to many
10 Place them on a baking sheet and put in the oven near the top . Bake at 425F or gas 220C for 12 to 15 minutes
Test the bread with a fork if it comes out clean they’re done. (don’t throw it to the floor as tradition dictates)
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