Sun, Sea and Stotty Cakes.

As I have mention before, friends of ours, Malcolm and Anne, have retired to the Costa Blanca. They are a lovely couple, typical warm-hearted northerners who will do anything to help and on those weeks that we don’t hire a car, go out of their way to pick us up and take us back to the airport. Despite being lucky enough to live the life of sun, sea and sangria, they still miss the Northeast.

Not the weather, that goes without saying. But they do miss the friendly northern patter and have fond remembrances of life on Tyneside. The people, the places and particularly the food of home, yes that’s right, home, because no matter where they now reside, they still in their minds think of the Northeast as home.

One of the things that they miss is a Stotty Cake – hence the title, we always take them some ham, peas pudding and a couple of stotty cakes when we go out. The Stotty is a type of flat round bread belonging quintessentially to the Northeast of England. Made from white bread dough, but without a second rise or a second knead, they have a tighter consistency and are cooked in the oven bottom so that they only rise a small amount. Cut into quarters they can be split across the middle and filled with whatever you want. Traditionally they are buttered and then filled with ham and peas pudding. Nowadays a lot of workmen breakfast on a ‘Stotty Full House’, bacon, egg, sausage and bean, inside half a stotty cake.

Stotty is a Geordie word that roughly translates as bouncy and it is said that in the old days no baker from the area would consider the dough properly made, if it didn’t bounce when thrown on the kitchen floor. (please do not try this at home)

Stotty Cakes

Makes two cakes, or if you want four simply double the ingredients.

Ingredients

1 lb of plain flour

1 ½  teaspoons of salt

1 ½  oz of lard

1 ½  level table spoons of dried yeast

1 teaspoon of sugar

½ pint of tepid water

Method

Pour the flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.

Rub in the margarine until well combined.

Then stir in the yeast and sugar.

Make a well in centre,

Gradually pour in water while stirring the mix until combined.

If the mix is too sticky add more flour.

If it is too dry add more water

Knead the dough for a good ten minutes

or until it springs back if you push your fist into it.

When the dough is ready, dust with flour,

Place in a dish, cover with a clean cloth

And in a warm place for about an hour,

It should rise to double the size.

Place a metal baking sheet in the bottom of the oven

and preheat to gas 9, / 250°C, /  475°F

Remove dough from dish; dust a board with flour,

and knead dough gently to expel any air.

Divide in two, shape into rounds

and roll out until 1 inch thick

Prick in several places with a fork

Place onto the baking sheet

and bake for approx 20 minutes,

until the bread sounds hollow when tapped.

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