A recipe for rowies or butteries (2024)

A staple part of any Aberdonian diet, Rowies, also known as Aberdeen Rolls or Butteries, can best be described as a salty flat croissant which is less flaky. Rowies make the perfect breakfast treat or accompaniment to your afternoon cup of tea. They are usually served toasted with either butter or jam but can also be eaten cold with no topping at all.

You’ll find these treats in almost any bakery in the North East of Scotland and beyond, but we have a delicious recipe so that you can make 16 in your own kitchen!

There are a few stories about the origin of rowies, but the one we like best is that they were made for sailors going to sea for long periods of time. The heavy starch content of rowies kept the sailors going!

A recipe for rowies or butteries (1)

You’ll find these treats in almost any bakery in the North East of Scotland and beyond, but we have a delicious recipe so that you can make 16 in your own kitchen!

Ingredients:

  • 2 teaspoons of yeast
  • 1 tablespoon soft brown sugar
  • 450ml warm water
  • 500g plain flour
  • A generous pinch of salt
  • 250g butter
  • 125g lard
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Method:

  1. Pour a good dose of the warm water into a bowl and make a paste with the yeast and sugar. Set it aside for the yeast to activate
  2. In a big bowl mix the flour and salt together. Add the rest of the water and the frothy yeast paste, mix well so it become a dough, and leave for about a half an hour in a warm place to rise.
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  1. Meanwhile cream the butter and lard together – this is best done with the butter and lard at room temperature. Divide this mix into exactly three and set aside.
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  1. After allowing the dough a half an hour to rise, take it out. Knead the dough mixture – it may be quite glue-like so add a bit of flour to dry it out and make it less sticky.
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  1. Flour a surface, and roll the dough out into a rectangle which is 1cm thick.
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  1. Spread one third of the butter and lard mix over the bottom two thirds of the dough. If the mix is cold this may be best done with warm hands, if you don’t mind getting mucky!
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  1. Fold the dry top third of the dough over the middle third of buttered dough, and fold the bottom, buttered third over the top of it all, so there are three layers. Use your rolling pin to flatten the dough back to the rectangle shape and put it onto a tray.
  2. Put the tray into the fridge to cool for 45 minutes.
  3. Take the rectangle out, and spread another third of the butter mix onto the dough. Fold it over as before, flatten it out and put it back in the fridge for another 45 minutes.
  4. Once again, take the rectangle out, and spread the last third of the butter mix onto the dough. Fold it over one last time, flatten it out and then cut it into 16 equal portions.
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  1. Shape these portions into very rough circles and place on a baking tray. Put them into a warm place to rise for 45 minutes.
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  1. Finally bake at 200°C for 15 minutes. Leave to cool.
  2. Best eaten cold or toasted with butter or jam!

A recipe for rowies or butteries (10)By Magnus Dixon
Orkney and Shetland enthusiast, family man, loves walks, likes animals, terrible at sports, dire taste in music, adores audiobooks and films, eats a little too much for his own good.

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A recipe for rowies or butteries (2024)

FAQs

Is it Rowies or butteries? ›

Butteries, also known as Rowies or even Aberdeen rolls, originated in the northeast of Scotland as an alternative bread roll for fisherman to eat while out at sea.

How to eat Scottish butteries? ›

They are usually served toasted with either butter or jam but can also be eaten cold with no topping at all. You'll find these treats in almost any bakery in the North East of Scotland and beyond, but we have a delicious recipe so that you can make 16 in your own kitchen!

How long do Rowies last? ›

3) They last much longer than bread does

Rowies were originally made for fisherman who needed food that would keep for a fortnight. This also explains why they are so easily shipped worldwide.

What is the legend around butteries? ›

Legend has it that the buttery was made for the fishermen sailing from Aberdeen harbour. The theory is that they needed a bread that would not become stale during the two weeks or more that they were at sea. The high fat content meant the bread also provided an immediate energy source.

Who invented rowies? ›

The buttery, or Aberdeen rowies as they are called in the North East of Scotland, was said to have been invented or rather created by a local baker for an Aberdonian fisherman. He disliked the hard biscuits that were the standard ration aboard ships.

What is the meaning of Butterie? ›

An old-fashioned meaning of buttery is "storeroom," like a pantry for keeping food or wine. Some British universities have a buttery, which is a snack shack for students. Definitions of buttery. adjective. resembling or containing or spread with butter.

Do you put butteries in the toaster? ›

Warm slowly in the oven. Best not to put them in the toaster they, might, as said,burst into flames but they will make a mess of the inside of the toaster when all the fat runs out of them. As said best to put them in the oven to warm them up and not the microwave.

How many calories does a rowie have? ›

Energy: 230 calories
Protein3.9g
Carbs19.2g
Fat14.1g

What is the famous Scottish bread? ›

A plain loaf, slices of which are known in Scots as plain breid (pronounced [plen brid]), is a traditional style of loaf made chiefly in Scotland. It has a dark, well-fired crust on the top and bottom of the bread.

Can I freeze butteries? ›

This is how I remember them tasting when I was wee so I have kept it to 2tsp. These butteries store really well. You can also freeze them if you wish but they are best enjoyed fresh out of the oven when they are crispy hot.

How to warm up butteries? ›

Please note: Aberdeen Butteries require reheating. We suggest putting them in a 375 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Do not eat your Butteries without reheating as they will not taste like they should.

What are Scottish butteries made of? ›

For those of you who don't know the culinary traditions of North-east Scotland, the buttery, also known as a rowie, is an individually sized flat bread made of flour, yeast, salt and a huge amount of whipped lard. It is eaten usually at breakfast.

What is Aberdeen, Scotland famous for? ›

Since the discovery of North Sea oil in 1969, Aberdeen has been known as the offshore oil capital of Europe. Based upon the discovery of prehistoric villages around the mouths of the rivers Dee and Don, the area around Aberdeen has been thought to have been settled for at least 6,000 years.

What is a medieval buttery? ›

A buttery was originally a large cellar room under a monastery, in which food and drink were stored for the provisioning of strangers and passing guests.

What does a buttery look like? ›

Flat, layered pastries, butteries look like roadkill croissants and are made from butter, lard, salt, sugar, flour and yeast.

What is the plural form of buttery? ›

noun. , plural but·ter·ies.

Why is a buttery called a buttery? ›

In the Middle Ages, a buttery was a storeroom for liquor, the name being derived from the Latin and French words for bottle or, to put the word into its simpler form, a butt, that is, a cask. A butler, before he became able to take charge of the ewery, pantry, cellar, and the staff, would be in charge of the buttery.

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