Try your hand at baking bannock

All it takes is two cups of flour, less than a tsp of salt and about a tsp of baking powder. Mix in water slowly until you have a pasty (not gooey) ball of dough. This is bannock as plain as you can get. Use multiples of the ingredients to make a bigger batch. Use a large serving spoon to scoop out individual gobs and drop them into a centimetre of hot cooking oil in any pan. Lard is great because it cooks at a higher temperature, but any cooking oil works. Dip the spoon in the oil to keep it from sticking to the pieces as you flatten them, or move them away from others—they are harder to turn over and/or the oil splashes if they are connected to others in the pan. Take a few peeks at the bottom side. When brown, carefully (to avoid a hot oil splash) turn them over. I turn them as many times as is necessary to make sure they are done and not burned. Remove them and let them cool somewhat before serving. At home the cooling can be done on a paper towel. At camp, you can use a log or a rock. Of course, any bannock can include additions such as raisins, currants, dried fruit, fresh fruit, chopped onions, cheese, or bacon. If not gooey, this dough can be wrapped around a stick and cooked over a campfire. 

Quit loafing around

Quit loafing around

Fried bannock, or bannock on a stick

Of course, any bannock can include additions such as raisins, currants, dried fruit, fresh fruit, chopped onions, cheese, or bacon. If not gooey, this dough can be wrapped around a stick and cooked over a campfire.  Dumplings

Same prep as above, but spoon the dough on top of your almost-ready stew, or chili and put the lid back on for about 15 minutes. Check them for doneness if this is a first time for you. This is a special treat at moose camp, or elsewhere on the land.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups flour
  • 5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3 teaspoons salt
  • ½ cup white sugar
  • 4 cups water
  • 2 eggs

Instructions

Mix it all together to make a dough and spoon into a greased bread pan. Bake at 350 for 1 ¾ hours. Be aware that ovens vary in temperature, so yours might be 10 minutes more or less. Additions here an include raisins, dried blueberries, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, garlic, etc. I pour the pan half full and then coat the top with brown sugar. After filling the pan with the remaining dough, I sprinkle more brown sugar on top of the full pan.

Feel free to make changes to suit your tastes. You won’t find anything much simpler to make!

Pull-apart salami and anchovy bread

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