Bakers are being invited to put their recipes to the test at the inaugural World Buttery Championship this summer at the North East Scotland College in Aberdeen. Organisers, Slow Food Aberdeen City and Shire, are asking amateur and professional cooks to serve up their own versions of the North-east staple.

 

The buttery – also known as a rowie or roll

 

I always call it a Buttery unlike other folk who prefer Rowie. 

Quine at the veggie place said normal rowies were made with pork fat hence the swap to veggie. No idea if that's right or not

Bit late to this, but...jam?  Only thing that should go on a buttery is mair butter.

 

Also, nae mention of Robertsons? Although I haven't tried one of theirs for decades now.

 

 

Correct. Hae a Simmie.

Quine at the veggie place said normal rowies were made with pork fat hence the swap to veggie. No idea if that's right or not

 

Yep, lard. Rendered pig fat. Unless yer crazy...TheDeeDon.

Yep, lard. Rendered pig fat. Unless yer crazy...TheDeeDon.

 

Worked as a baker for 12 years and it was always veggie shortening we used, never lard and that was back in the 80s.  The trick to a rowie is how the fat is mixed with the dough, doesn't matter the ingredients used if you don't mix the two key components correctly it can spoil the while thing and no two rolls should taste the same, due to the fat content not being evenly mixed.

 

You could use lard, but you couldn't use all lard as it would be too greasy, just like you don't use butter or marg in them either.

Worked as a baker for 12 years

 

Whatever, I've seen a recipe on the internet, so I think I have a little bit more experience in Rowie making.

 

Interesting post min, do you have the ideal recipe ratio? 5 parts dough to 3 parts vegetable shortening? And do you dee the whole folding type thing like yer deein puff pastry?

 

 

Bit late to this, but...jam?  Only thing that should go on a buttery is mair butter.

 

Also, nae mention of Robertsons? Although I haven't tried one of theirs for decades now.

 

 

  If you mean Robertsons of Stoney,i think they closed down a few years ago....

I always thought it was lard.

 

I don’t suppose vegetable fat is any healthier.

 

I saw an old film clip once of them making ice cream in Dundee

Massive blocks of lard being chucked into the mixer.

 

Cauld fat hiznae got the same ring to it as Gelato

 

I had a chum who’s uncle was a farmer on Tayside

 

Almost his entire business was supplying the jam factories of Dundee with .......neeps.

Whatever, I've seen a recipe on the internet, so I think I have a little bit more experience in Rowie making.

 

Interesting post min, do you have the ideal recipe ratio? 5 parts dough to 3 parts vegetable shortening? And do you dee the whole folding type thing like yer deein puff pastry?

 

 

 

No, doing the folding thing would give you croissants and which is actually is not to dissimilar to a roll.  We used to 'chap' the fat mixture into the the dough using metal scrapers, trying to work the fat equally into the dough. If you do it right, the inside, once baked, should look like it is in layers, you will alway get a few which haven't got too much fat in them and are more like the inside of a slice of loaf. Usually if you buy multi packs of rolls from a supermarket they are made in places who mix the fat and dough in a mixer and you can tell straight away as they have a rubbery feel and texture to them.

 

Roughly 5 parts dough to 4 of fat. Your dough has to be a soft loose dough, not over mixed like if you were making softies or bread. You want some sugar in it to work the yeast, but most of the sugar and salt goes into the fat and once mixed together you have your rolls ready to prove and bake. You will probably need a few attempts to get it right, but if I am being honest you are better buying them as they are messy as fuck to make.

 

The secret to a great roll is in the mixing of the fat into the dough. Despite all the noise made about them being unhealthy, which undoubtedly they are, they are slightly better for you than a croissant, we worked this out when I did day release at college many moons ago.

This is why I love fitba forums

 

 

Ooh, a text from my loon saying yaassss

 

We must have scored

Inspired by this thread, I just had my first rowies for at least a couple of years.

 

Had to drop off my son and his mates at the airport and nipped into Chapel Street on the way home. Ross the bakers I think.

 

Had a couple of quid in my hand as I'm sure one quid wasn't going to be enough these days but wasn't prepared for TWO FUCKING QUID for four!

 

Had to eat one raw in the car whilst driving and it was shite. Got home, made a cup of tea and put butter on another and that didn't improve matters, it was shite an a.

 

I'm with Peter Alliss on rowies now. They're fucking shite. Pretty sure Ross make the worst ever though.

 

I had a couple from Sinclairs of Rhynie the other day,also shite.Hard and bland

 

The hame bakery in Peterhead was voted best buttery recently

Aye, I think it's harsh to take down the entire rowie scene based on the failings of a couple of poor bakers.

 

On the plus side, there was no mention of either jam or dairylea.

Aye, I think it's harsh to take down the entire rowie scene based on the failings of a couple of poor bakers.

 

True and as I used to love a good rowie, it's a desperate cry for help.

 

Where do you all agree we can get magic rowies these days?

True and as I used to love a good rowie, it's a desperate cry for help.

 

Where do you all agree we can get magic rowies these days?

 

I reckon the Bread Maker in Rosemount's were hard to beat in recent times. Although it's actually been a while since I've had one from there due to not being in the area that often these days. They were massive too.

 

My in-laws give me rowies to dip in broth. It's actually really fine.

I was in Dee Street this morning and noticed that the Gordon Bakery has closed down. Nae idea how fine their rowies were, but they did make good softies and cakes.

 

Never mind trying to find a fine rowie, we may have difficulty getting any soon the way things are going.

Never mind trying to find a fine rowie, we may have difficulty getting any soon the way things are going.

 

Nah, the really shite, mass-produced pish will continue to sell as they're the only ones that make money. It's progress, ken?

Progress is being able to join in the debate on NE bakery preferences... whilst sitting on a plane! This is my first experience of WiFi whilst flying. I can't even begin to imagine the technology that makes it possible.

 

Given that they can do that, why the fuck can't anyone make a decent rowie these days? They used to be able to. Why change a winning formula? Fucking cunts.

Had a couple of Thains rowies this morning ( with dairylee of course *)

 

Lovely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

* actually it wiznae dairylee it was from Aldi's in Budapest, for some weird reason they dinna stock the stuff in Aldi's in Aberdeen. Beats the modern day dairylee which has gone all soggy. So I cart the stuff back from Hungary to put on Aberdeen rolls.

Fars the Thains shop min? Do they have any branches in Sicily?

Aye,Thains are pretty good like.Aitkens are arite,though i was expecting something better given the hype they get.Bruce o' the Broch still in the lead for me,will find out if they stock locally.

  Still to try the Byron bakery and will order award winning 'Hame bakery' rowies fae Peterhead...out of curiosity

Fars the Thains shop min? Do they have any branches in Sicily?

 

341 George St the only outlet. Abody kens at. Neep. Piner. Whiter.

Hemmin

 

You dinna show up as being online while you're in the sky.

 

 

Weird min......

Hemmin

 

You dinna show up as being online while you're in the sky.

 

 

Weird min......

 

i a div

The mob must have finished off Thains branch, Sicily

 

 

Murdoch Allan took over Thains of George st.Used to have occasional coffee/lunch at that Gordon bakery.Another one goes 

 

Edit, aye canna see rocket on this page

I'm getting donsdaft elgindon and 2 guests

 

 

Anyway, I have fancied going to Sicily for a while.

 

I had Sicilian neighbours for a while.

 

Nice couple, bloody hell could they argue though.

 

Still, I don't suppose you take up with a Sicilian quine for a quiet life.