Bannock

From Bannock Awareness : … Bannock, is common to the diet of virtually all North America’s first peoples. The European version of bannock originated in Scotland and was made traditionally of oatmeal. The bannock of Aboriginal people was made of corn and nut meal, and flour made from ground plant bulbs. … Some rolled the dough in sand then pit-cooked it. When it was done, they brushed the sand off and ate the bread. Some groups baked the bannock in clay or rock ovens.

Other groups wrapped the dough around a green, hardwood stick and toasted it over an open fire. … Today, bannock is most often deep-fried, pan-fried and oven-baked.

Basic Bannock Recipe (Fried or Stick) 1 cup flour 1 tsp baking powder 1/4 tsp salt 3 tbsp margarine/butter or oil 2 tbsp skim milk powder (optional) Sift together the dry ingredients. Cut in the margarine or oil until the mixture resembles a coarse meal (at this point it can be sealed it in a ziplock bag for field use).

Grease and heat a frying pan.

Working quickly, add enough COLD water to the pre-packaged dry mix to make a firm dough. Once the water is thoroughly mixed into the dough, form the dough into cakes about 1/2 inch thick. Dust the cakes lightly with flour to make them easier to handle. Lay the bannock cakes in the warm frying pan. Hold them over the heat, rotating the pan a little. Once a bottom crust has formed and the dough has hardened enough to hold together, you can turn the bannock cakes.

Cooking takes 12-15 minutes.

Another method is to lean the frying pan in front of the fire and use reflected heat (see picture above). Good bannock is cooked slowly. If you are in the field and you don’t have a frying pan, make a thicker dough by adding less water and roll the dough into a long ribbon (no wider than 1 inch). Wind this around a preheated green, hardwood stick and cook about 8 inches over a fire, turning occasionally, until the bannock is cooked.

Variations - Add sugar to the dough for sweet bannock Sprinkle cooked bannock with brown sugar and cinnamon Substitute whole wheat flour for white flour. Add dried or fresh fruit to the batter Serve with maple syrup Add chunks of cheese to the batter Wrap in double tin foil packet and cook under the coals and ashes of a campfire (slow heat works best) Flavored instant oatmeal for a change of taste and texture Milk, either powdered or dry will cause the bannock to brown when baked Add cornmeal or rolled oats Add instant coffee or cinnamon See bannock at Survival Topics