Sunderland Stottie 'Cake'

[FloatIsRechargedNow]

By which I mean the round bread - I've not been there since c1980 and would like to make some the same as then, so I'm not sure if it's changed since. I remember you could buy the whole bread or as part of ready/fresh triangular sandwiches which were a bakery 'treat' back then. But then in Sunderland you could also buy single eggs and fags and 2oz cheese in most corner shops.

Many on-line recipes say that as part of the 'shape' of the bread you have to punch it in the middle, and it would be good to know if it is fundamental as it explains the shape and is also so appropo.

Anyway, best flour, methods, temps and punching advice would be gratefully received, for 1980 stottie cake, it's for a present.

[AwkwardSquad]

Never tried baking my own, but I do know that they make the best chip butties! This recipe looks pretty useful?

[Toraleistripe]

Stotties are not unique to Sunderland will have you know! Money are traditional a ND type of flat bread. I have no recipe but the Greggs ones are bloody delicious. You can only buy in NE, the so called stotties available elsewhere are a poor sub.

[FloatIsRechargedNow]

Many thanks for the replies - it looks like there's a definite technique to this! I tried asking my local 'artisan' baker (I'm in the SE naturally) and they just looked at me blankly, I'd have been better off asking them about making some bread only found in Provence or such-like.
When I next get in to town, I'll ask at Greggs, almost as much to see what the reaction will be as I'm becoming quite fascinated by stotties and their history.

[Millionsmom]

The nearest thing to it is ciabatta bread.

It tides me through til I go 'home' anyway!

[Toraleistripe]

You need a Northumbrian recipe book to get the real thing. They need to be very chewy.

[ouryve]

Stories are nowt like ciabatta.

It's essentially a big bsp. Poked in the middle to to keep it flat, soft crusted and fairly close in texture and often, not exclusively, cooked on the oven bottom.

[gruffaloshmuffalo]

I've tried loads of different recipes and can't get it right. My grandparents visited me from the north east and they brought me some. Greggs don't sell it outside the north east. They said there isn't enough demand

[bookbook]

We make our own bread normally, but a reasonable sub for stottie cakes if you are buying them is oven bottoms - you can buy in some supermarkets :)

[Toraleistripe]

Noooooo! Oven bottoms are just too soft. Stotties are quite hard on the outside and very chewy in the middle. There is nothing like them outside of the NE I tell you! Believe me I have tried to get them.

My parents bring me supplies when they visit. Unfortunately they don't freeze well.

[bookbook]

I only said a reasonable sub

[Millionsmom]

They look nothing like a stottie, true, but taste very similar. When you are a few thousand miles away from the nearest stottie, hankering for that northern goodness, a ciabatta stems the tears, they're very absorbent tasty.
The ham and pease pudding part involves a bit of ingenuity too, I'm just glad I don't have to smuggle culinary contraband anymore.

[gaggiagirl]

I used to open a stottie and use it as a pizza base. We were actually taught to do that in cookery lessons at school 🍕

[Toraleistripe]

Yes a Stotzza as we called them when I was a kid!

God I am hankering after a stottie now.

[SavoyCabbage]

I know they are cooked at the bottom of the oven as people baked them when they had the oven on for other things.


My West Indian MIL makes 'bake' which is pretty similar.www.simplytrinicooking.com/roast-bake/

[Gatekeeper]

stotties with ham, pease pudden and half a pund of Lurpak , all washed with Ringtons tea!

Food of the Gods

[Amiable]

Oh god, I saw the title for this thread and literally started salivating! I blimmin' love stottie cake, as Gatekeeper so rightly says the only way to eat it is with loads of butter, ham and pease pudding, and a large mug of strong "builders" tea to wash it down. Nothing else quite hits the spot.

On a side note my lovely but very southern DSIL went to a family do up in Washington, and asked what pease pudding was - when we explained, she smiled in recognition and said "Ah, Northern Houmous" !!!

[ABetaDad1]

My DW comes from Newcastle. Strangely only ever had a stottie once. Generally jokingly referred to as a useful alternative as a spare wheel on a truck.

I think they may be better in recollection than in reality but agree the closest thing is a ciabatta.

The 'peaspuddin' is however something I have never had. Is it like 'mushy peas' in Yorkshire?

[Roussette]

I bloody love stottie cake. Had half a one recently it was still enormous y stuffed with mushrooms and crispy bacon

[IHaveBrilloHair]

Stotties should come from Greggs and have either ham and pease pudden or cheese savoury, nothing else will do.
Apparently M&S have started selling them, but I never go there so haven't seen them myself.
I miss stotties.

[superram]

Pease pudding is not like mushy peas, much more solid and yellow not green. Love a stottie-my lovely mn friend is going on a trip to god's own country-must get her to try it.

[gingercat02]

Stotties are the dogs bollocks for bacon and egg rolls. I feel a wee jaunt to Greggs coming up tomorrow (might get sausage tolls too)
Misses point entirely

[gingercat02]

No idea what sausage tolls are but Greggs sausage rolls rock

[ABetaDad1]

superram - "solid and yellow".

Erm.... sounds lovely.

[IHaveBrilloHair]

This is pease pudding and gammon on a stottie, my friend brought me it yesterday as she'd been to Durham at the weekend