Stottie Cake Recipe: The Bread Machine Method
Stottie cakes, those delightful, slightly sweet, and uniquely dense flatbread rolls from the North East of England, are traditionally baked in a hot oven. But who has time for that when you have a bread machine?! This recipe leverages the convenience of your bread machine to produce deliciously authentic stottie cakes, perfect for breakfast, lunch, or a comforting snack.
Ingredients for Your Bread Machine Stottie Cakes
This recipe makes approximately 2 stottie cakes. You can easily double or triple it depending on your bread machine's capacity.
- 1 cup lukewarm water (around 105-115°F)
- 1 ½ teaspoons sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 ¼ cups bread flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
Step-by-Step Instructions: Making Stottie Cakes in Your Bread Machine
This simplified method allows you to use your bread machine to do most of the heavy lifting.
Step 1: Preparing the Dough
- Add the lukewarm water to your bread machine pan.
- Sprinkle the sugar and salt over the water.
- Pour in the olive oil.
- Add the bread flour and active dry yeast. Important: Ensure the yeast is not in direct contact with the salt.
Step 2: The Bread Machine's Magic
- Select the "dough" setting on your bread machine. This setting typically kneads the dough for a specific duration, followed by a rest period.
- Let the machine do its work! No need to interfere during the kneading and rising process.
Step 3: Shaping Your Stottie Cakes
- Once the dough cycle is complete, gently remove the dough from the bread machine pan.
- Divide the dough into two equal portions.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll each portion of dough into a rough circle (about ¾ inch thick). Don't worry about perfect circles; stottie cakes are rustic.
- Use your fingers to gently press a well into the center of each circle. This creates the signature indentation.
Step 4: Baking Your Stottie Cakes
- Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C).
- Place the stottie cakes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the stottie cakes are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom. Keep an eye on them to prevent burning.
Step 5: Enjoy!
Once they're cool enough to handle, your delicious homemade stottie cakes are ready to be enjoyed! They're fantastic on their own, with butter, or as the base for a tasty sandwich.
Tips and Variations for Perfect Stottie Cakes
- Flour Power: If your dough seems too sticky, add a little extra flour, a tablespoon at a time.
- Yeast Check: Ensure your yeast is fresh; this is crucial for a successful rise.
- Stottie Size: Adjust the size of your stottie cakes to fit your preference and bread machine's capacity.
- Flavor Boost: Experiment with adding herbs or spices like caraway seeds for an extra flavor dimension.
Making stottie cakes in a bread machine is a simple and rewarding experience. Enjoy the process and the delicious results! Remember to share your baking triumphs on social media using #StottieCakeBreadMachine for a chance to be featured!