Campfire bread

[Quixoticgeek]

As part of my [thread=136432]16 skills in 2016[/thread] challenge, I have set myself the task of learning to bake a loaf of bread on a campfire. I'm reasonably good at baking bread at home, but cooking one over an open fire, that's the skill I want to learn.

Ideally I'd like to be able to bake something that is a reasonable approximation for a loaf of bread or large roll. I know I could just use a Dutch oven, but a) I don't have one and b) that's heavy. I've done the one where you wrap dough round a stick, and I've done bannock and flat breads before. But for this, a loaf is the aim.

So with that in mind, can anyone recommend effective simple methods for the baking of bread over a camp fire?

One method I'm kinda pondering is sticking a 1.0L tatonka billy inside a 1.6L, and then putting the dough in the 1.0L, a tiny amount of water in the 1.6, and sticking that over the fire to make a sort of steamer/oven hybrid. Is that a silly idea? What other methods are there? Could I just wrap the dough loosely in foil and stick it in the embers?

Any ideas?

Cheers

J

 

[Robson Valley]

No. I'd suggest some sort of reflector at the side of the fire. The core of the fire will be too much.
That's going to be a lot of turning to sustain an even heating.

Over spread-out shimmering coals (recall what they look like?), I can do a bread in a big cast iron frypan.
The problem was to get the temperature up so that the yeasty-beasties do their job.
Gotta use extra rocks to get the pan up and turn it. 375F isn't a whole lot when compared with the fire.
Dang! Wish I was there. What a set of experiments.

 

[bopdude]

I think a billy can approach works well, as per this guy

[video=youtube;9FdVIxQ_Qw0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FdVIxQ_Qw0[/video]

 

[Man of Tanith]

If you search youtube for ray mears tracks theres an episode where he does pretty much exactly what you have described QG
So should work fine

 

[nic a char]

Dough in foil in embers works - I use a wholewheat farl recipe with honey, rapeseed oil, & baking powder - very simple, healthy, & delicious!

 

[Bishop]

I did try it a few times using the Woodgas stove with a stainless billy and regular food can supported with pot stand from a Swiss gel stove in the garage after watching this video from Far North Bushcraft. Results weren't to bad, as expected it was moist and very edible to the point even the wife ate one. But it took a while to cook because of a light breeze cooling one side of the pot and the stove just not putting out enough heat. On the final attempt I let it boil dry giving it 20-30 minutes with just dry heat and started to get the beginnings of crust but burnt the bottom, still given the nature of my cooking a little charcoal is good for the digestion. As cooking methods go I do like the idea of steaming, it's pretty forgiving and you don't have to watch over it like a hawk so you can get on with other things.

 

[Robson Valley]

In Wayne Gisslen's "Professional Baking" textbook, he describes commercial bakeries "baking with steam." No more info than that.
I've tried squirting water onto the insides of my oven but I don't see much change in the character of the bread.

Which would be a better start: a yeast dough or a baking powder dough?

 

[Jared]

Yeah, I think the 2 billy can idea is sound.

Just need something in the base of the larger so the inner doesn't sit directly on the bottom of the outer.
Was thinking something as simple like a few stainless steel nuts.


Also there's these for a shelf inside a billy can

http://www.lockhartcatering.co.uk/k...725-prepara-gastronorm-drainer-plate-s-s-1-6/

 

[Rich D]

putting steam into the oven helps develop crust on the bread in home and commercial ovens Robson. But does depend on the temp of the oven.

 

[Robson Valley]

The textbook was a gift when I retired 10 years ago. Thanks, Rich D, have always wondered about that.

 

[Herbalist1]

One method I've not tried myself but seen done successfully is to use an old metal biscuit tin as the oven (lot lighter and cheaper than a Dutch oven). Inside, you need 4 small stones to hold a metal plate or pie dish off the base of the tin. You place the bread on the pie dish and cover the tin with the embers from your fire just as you would with a Dutch oven.

The tin is going to warp in the fire but you should get a few uses out of one.
hope that helps.

 

[bilmo-p5]

An steel ammunition box might work well, used as above.

They work ok with stoves ...

 

[Limaed]

I picked up one of these No. 12 pan sets a while back with the same idea, it holds about four litres of liquid as a size guide: http://www.armysales.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=40

I think a regular mess tin inside will work as a baking tray, I've not had chance to try it out yet but it should work fine just need to work out what size loaf will cook well.(probably a 1/2 lb mix).

 

[PDA1]

There are a host of youtube videos on camp baking, usually over a camp stove, using a double vessel as you suggest. You might find the fire a bit hot and variable. There are (IMO) good videos from Flat Cat Gear and MiniBiull Design, on the techniques. I would suggest forget yeast risen bread, and go for soda bread.

 

[bilmo-p5]

I would suggest forget yeast risen bread, and go for soda bread.

Why? Leavened is much more fun, and superb when it comes out right.

 

[Toddy]

If you can get your yeast dough to rise (sourdough is brilliant at camp, and it's the original camp bread )
then find two nesting pots. The dough goes into an oiled and floured smaller pot (mind and leave some room for it to cook), and the bottom of the bigger pot has three pebbles put into it with a little water. I don't put a lid on the inner pot. Then the smaller pot is balanced on top of the pebbles. Do put the lid onto the outer pot (don't make it a tight/tight fit, that ways makes bombs) and make sure you can get to the handles easily.
If you're using a fire rather than a stove, then when you build the fire make sure you have room to pull forward hot embers (the classic shape for these fires is like a figure eight with a small head as the cooking area. Pull forward some embers to surround your big pot.
Dutch ovens are excellent for a big loaf, but two ordinary billies work well enough to make bread for one or two.
It's not an exact science, but if you were careful about the handles you can check up on the baking, add fresh embers around the pots, or move it away a little from the heat if it's roasting too quickly, turn it around if there's a chill wind, etc.,
Quite a pleasant way to spend time around a fire but it's worth trying the set up out at home too, get a feel for the way it bakes (or burns ) even with easily controllable heat.

You could build a clay oven too Those are excellent for baking

M

 

[PDA1]

Soda bread is leavened, and much easier than yeast. Not so tasty though.

 

[Quixoticgeek]

Thank you everyone for the advice/suggestions. Just need it to warm up a bit so I can try it. Getting bread to raise in these temps in the woods is going to be a PITA.

J

 

[Toddy]

Sour dough is both very useful and it's easy to keep it going, even at home. Not quite as useful as yeast right enough, but that too can be managed quite sucessfully at camp.
You need a hot water bottle the dough goes into an oiled poly bag and is placed on top of the hotwater bottle (not too hot, just hot enough) and then the whole thing is happed up with your bedding or spare clothes.
You can do it by putting a couple of hot rocks under the soil and the dough on top, and then covering the whole lot in leaf litter, but it's a bit of a footer.
At settled camps we used to use hay boxes to rise the dough. Polystyrene boxes are very good for insulation too if you're not going 'traditional'.

I just make bannock, oatcakes and tattie scones instead these days One girdle to rule them all

M

 

[Uilleachan]

If I bother with bread it's done as a twist, one stick to rule them all

You can take the boy out of the scouts..................