OLDEST FLATBREAD Yorkshire HAVERCAKE

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Havercake, or Yorkshire oatcake, is one of the oldest and most iconic flatbreads from the north of England, especially in the Pennine regions of Yorkshire and South Craven. Its name comes from the Old Norse word “hafre” — meaning oats — which were the only cereal that could thrive on the cold, acidic soils of the Pennine uplands. Hence, “haver-cake” means “oat-cake.” Depending on local practice, the batter was ladled onto a dusted board and either “thrown” directly onto a hot bakestone or tipped over via a linen-covered board. One side was cooked until set, then flipped with a long, flat knife. The resulting oatcake was soft, bendable, and usually hung to dry over wooden creels suspended from the ceiling. Once dried, it became crisp and shelf-stable for months—the Pennine answer to flatbread preservation. Havercakes were eaten both soft and hot or dry and hard: • Fresh off the griddle: spread with butter, treacle, or honey, then rolled and eaten like a wrap. • Hardened: broken into pieces, dipped in milk, beer, or dripping. • With cheese: A classic pairing, still remembered by older generations as miner’s or shepherd’s fare. • As “havercake sop”: dipped directly into the dripping pan from Sunday’s roast — a Yorkshire delicacy. By the late 1800s, havercake bakers appeared in towns across West Yorkshire and the Dales. Women gradually stopped baking them at home, instead buying from “havercake men” or “oatcake hawkers” who carried great stacks of them on their backs, selling door-to-door. One such man, John Denny of Skipton, was said to be so punctual on his moorland rounds that villagers set their clocks by his arrival. Inns across the Craven-Lancashire border served havercakes with pints well into the 20th century. It was common to find “hard and stew” — a slab of beef stew and sliced onion sandwiched between two brittle oatcakes — long before sandwiches became commercialised. Though industrial oatcake production has largely faded, Yorkshire oatcakes remain a beloved memory for many. A few artisan bakers still produce them in traditional form, and food historians, heritage festivals, and bakestone revivalists keep the tradition alive. Whether eaten with cheese and beer or dripping and tea, the havercake remains a proud symbol of Yorkshire thrift, resilience, and culinary identity. 👇 RECIPE BELOW ❤️Hello, viewers! Don't forget to hit the subscribe button and share the video if you like it! Already subscribed? ▶ Turn on Ringtone 🔔 to be notified of new videos Turn on translation into your language. On a mobile phone, click on “CC” at the top of the video, or press ⚙ and choose your language, but on a computer, it is at the bottom of the video. 🙏 SUPPORT OUR CHANNEL 🙏 I want to say thank you for all the support I received. It really helps with running this channel and sourcing ingredients for the recipes. Thank you to all of you - everyone who has bought a coffee (or more). A huge thank you to all the channel patrons.❤️ Mamalil Tina McFarland bobbi nan rinker John Jones Paula Funnell Sean Martin Jean Batty Kelly Angel Janice Vineyard Jayne Cliff Lori Diaz Jean Batty JPV David Lalonde Alien8you Bill Aronec Michael Ginns Mike Trump Max Currie Belinda Green Ralph Smith Deri and Bob Amason Laura Austan Yvonne, Wales, UK Stephanie Malcolm Peacock John Baird Franz Domurath Kim Kayoda Richard Harris John Bobbi Chrissy Kana Stephen Short Glenn Kelly Wayne Taylor Adrian Bartoli Joanne Brown Elizabeth e.behrendt Adam Conolly Mary Palmer Patricia Dooley Mary Eaton Sharon Wills Christopher Beattie Carol Andrew Eve Adams Heather Torrey Vanessa Walker Dana Fringer Derrick Lewis Budgieboy Kathleen Hayes John Kennington John Baldwin Sharla Hulsey Doug & Sunny Olsen Debbie Evans Jean Buckley Harry Bond Chris Matheson Tez Brennan Mary F If you would like Support my little channel on Patreon (only if you want :) https://www.patreon.com/backyard_chef MY BUY ME A COFFEE PAGE: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/backyardchef Remember, when following a recipe, you must taste the dish as you go along. All recipes may require some adjustments to suit your personal preferences. These recipes are complete and make for great foundations you can tailor. I hope you enjoy cooking as much as I do. Taking Cooking food back to basics. https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/backyardchef NEW FACEBOOK PAGE - https://www.facebook.com/groups/backyardchefscasualkitchen NOTE: You have to answer all membership questions to join it's fully automated and accept group rules Ingredients • 170 g fine oatmeal (1½ UK cups / 1¾ US cups) • 90 g plain flour (¾ UK cup / ¾ US cup) • 7 g fast-acting yeast (2 tsp) • 1 tsp salt • 250 ml milk (1 UK cup / 1 US cup) • 250 ml water (1 UK cup / 1 US cup) more as needed • Butter or oil, for greasing the griddle #backyardchef #havercake #yorkshire #traditional #oatcake