If you aren’t from the North you will be forgiven if you don’t know what a Stottie or Stottie Cake is.

Its a big heavy delicious bread, normally about the size of a dinner plate. They are generally enough
to feed a family for lunch when filled with local favourite ham and pease pudding! Or at the very
least feed two hungry adults if they are working hard! They also make a cracking breakfast sarnie
stuffed with bacon, egg, sausage and mushrooms!

The name apparently comes from the Geordie term ‘Stott’ meaning to bounce, Because of the texture
of the bread it’s said it will bounce if dropped (theoretically) and legend has it this is how a baker
would ensure the bread was just right! You may have seen imposters claiming to be Stotties in
supermarkets but make no mistake unless your bread weighs almost as much as a bag of sugar and
has a dense consistency it is not an original.

Now we know if you’ve travelled to us from further south you won’t be able to find similar when you
get home and so here is the recipe for a perfect Northern Stottie, and we know it’s perfect because it
came from a true Northern Nana!

• 2lb strong white flour
• ½ pint milk
• ½ pint warm water
• 3 tsp fast acting yeast
• 3oz margarine
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees

• Rub your butter salt and flour together
• In a jug mix yeast, sugar and water and stir until it is frothing and the yeast has dissolved
• Make a well (hole) in you flour mix and pour in the water gradually working into a form dough
• Knead well until you have a smooth dough, the dough should be firm, gradually add a little more flour until the consistency is right but do this slowly as its harder to loosen than stiffen!
• Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 5 minutes
• Place dough into a greased dish and cover with film or a towel and leave to rise. You want it doubled in size
• Turn out and knead lightly to remove the air
• Divide into rounds and press onto a greased tray making a hole in the middle (about the size of a teaspoon handle)
• Bake for 10-15 minutes or until a fork (or similar) comes out clear when pricked into the stottie

Enjoy and please do let us know how yours turn out and what your favourite fillings are.