The grace of a grey bannock is in the baking of it… Scottish Proverb
Oatcakes or Bannocks were traditionally eaten on old-world feast days to mark the changing seasons. And roundabout Feb 1st or 2nd, they were known as “Bannoch of Bride” in honor of St. Bride or Brìghde. St Bride of Brightness, as she is known in Scotland, shares many similarities with the Irish goddess Brighid (and St. Brigid) who returns to the earth on her feast day, also known as Imbolc, to herald the arrival of spring. And to honor the occasion, bonnach (bannocks in Scotland) were baked in the hope she would leave her blessings of fertility, prosperity, and good health in return. (To learn more about Brigid & her Feast Day click here)
Séamas Ó Catháin documents in The Festival of Brigit: Celtic Goddess and Holy Woman that on the day of St. Bride’s Feast, bannock was involved in a procession of young girls known as the banal Bríde (“Brighid’s maiden band”) who went around town with a Bride doll (usually a straw effigy of Brigid). Mothers give out “Bonnach Bride” a Bride Bannock to the girls, and after they have made their rounds, as in Ireland, they retire to the house of a neighbor where they commence the feis Bríde (“Feast of Brighid”).” Bannock was also left out as an offering for St Brigid as she visited local households’ farms to bless them.
Generally speaking, making the Bannock of Bride was a ritual that ensured the prosperity and well-being of the household. This study of food traditions associated with Imbolg (St. Brigid’ (St. Brigid’s Day) describes “a tradition of leaving a ‘strone of oaten bread” on the windowsill for the saint and her pet cow. The word strone is believed to be an English equivalent of the Irish ‘sruán,’ a term for griddle-cake, ‘sruán coirce’ giving oat-cake. One account describes how a large oatmeal cake was prepared on the eve of the feast day. The following day the youngest girl in the house went outside to make a Brigid’s cross made from rushes.
“Then the family bolted the door and knelt before an altar in the kitchen. The girl knelt on the threshold of the house and said a prayer to St. Brigid while holding the cross. Afterward the girl entered the house and the woman of the house would lift the oatcake and hit the door with it while saying ‘May God keep hunger away from this house during the coming year’” Then the family eats the oatcake with noggins of milk”.
On the cross-quarter Days (like Imbolc) the boundaries between worlds are stretched thin so the Bannocks were often sprinkled with water from a holy well to prevent the Good Folk from stealing them. And according to folklore, it was possible to avert any bad omens or bad luck by serving the cake with plenty of butter ‘without the asking.”
Today bannocks come in a large variety of types ranging from cake to shortbread, can be thick or thin, and many are usually leavened to have more of a cake-like consistency. Originally they were likely made with rough oatmeal ( unprocessed groats) but many versions are made with rolled oats today to suit modern tastes. I chose to make a more authentic unleavened version using only oats and oat flour. I added a couple of tablespoons of sugar and minced rosemary for flavor (and because it is a sun herb sacred to Brigid ). This I cut into four quarters to mark the “cross-quarter day” of Imbolc (halfway between the winter solstice and spring equinox) and topped it off with a “caudle” of eggs and cream, and several generous sprinklings of sugar.
To be sure, these simple little oatcakes aren’t fancy or sweet, but they are sweet-ish, hearty, and savory. Bannocks can be distinguished from oat cakes because they are baked (cooked) on a girdle (think griddle) whereas oatcakes are toasted before the fire after having been partly baked on a girdle. So I’m going to try toasting my Bannocks this year during our annual Imbolc Bonfire! I’ll let you know how it turns out! I’ve adorned my Bannock of Bride with springs of heather, which according to folklore brings protection and plenty of good luck!
Rosemary Oat Bannock
Makes two small Bannock cakes (or eight pieces total)
Ingredients
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup oat flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled
- 1/2 cup cream or milk (plus one extra tablespoon for the caudle)
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary (1 tablespoon dried)
- 1 tsp. of grated orange zest
- 3 tablespoons of sugar (and three more tablespoons for sprinkling)
- 1 egg yolk (for the caudle)
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Grease a cast iron skillet or baking sheet.
- Place the oats, flour, salt, sugar, rosemary, and orange zest in a large bowl, and mix with a fork. Cut the cold butter into the flour mixture. Stir in the cream until all the flour is absorbed.
- Gather the rough dough together and place it on a surface lightly dusted with oat flour. Knead until the dough holds its consistency (but don’t overwork).
- Divide the dough in half and roll out each half into a circle about 1/4 inch thick.
- In a small jar, vigorously mix your egg yolk with a tablespoon of cream. Then brush the mixture over the top of the bannock. Sprinkle with sugar.
- Cut each circle into 4 wedges and arrange the wedges 1/4 inch apart on the baking sheet.
- Bake about 20 minutes or until golden and crisping at the edges.
Note: you can also apply a second brushing of caudle and sugar halfway through baking – I did!
