Recipe: Bannock—Scottish oat cakes
Bannock is traditional oat bread, from the Shetland region in Scotland. It was typically cooked by the hearth in a skillet, and can be made on an outdoor camp fire as easily as on your stove at home. The tradition came to the Americas with early European settlers to Canada, and from there was passed along to the Native Americans who took it across Canada to Alaska. Over that time, modifications took place, adding leavening for less density and using different flours that were regionally available, like corn and wheat. Today there may be as many different types of Bannock as there are fish in the sea, baked, fired, even fried—with a range of ingredient combinations as well.
This version is from the original Scottish recipe—for a similar taste today, head up to the Waas bakery in Shetland and try some of their oat cakes.
Ingredients:
1 cup oat flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
butter
Preparation—stove top griddle:
Mix all the ingredients to make a loose dough and shape into a ½” thick disk. Place in a well buttered 8-10” iron skillet and cook over medium high heat, approx 8-10 minutes per side.
Preparation—oven:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F (200c). Mix all the ingredients to make a loose dough and shape into a ½” thick disk. Place on a well greased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Serve with clotted cream, butter or jam.
With a heritage that spans from Celtic to Norse, the Shetland Islands are a unique cultural place to visit. There are over 100 islands, yet only 15 are inhabited. There are miles of breathtaking coastline, and amazingly blue waters, and clean beaches. Hike into the moors to see unique monumental rock formations created over the centuries by the sand and sea, while being surrounded by oceans of green and wildflowers. At night, look up to see the Northern Lights, and of course there is the annual UpHellyAa Viking festivals.