Experiments with bannock

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risby

Forager
Jun 21, 2005
213
4
dorset, uk
I'll be camping this weekend and I fancy doing some experiments.

I've not made bannock before but, although there are great variations in the recipes I've found on the web, the basis seems to be:


  • 1 cup (4 oz, 110g) plain flour
  • 1 tsp (5g) baking powder
  • 1 tsp (5g) salt
  • 1 tbsp (15g) lard
  • mixed with water to make a soft dough and rolled out or pressed into pan
  • baked for ten minutes per side by tilting pan up next to camp fire
Many recipes insist on lard although I wonder if butter might be tastier or if suet would make for a lighter result and which has the added advantage that it could be mixed with the other dry ingredients at home.

Some recipes use self-raising flour and leave out the baking powder, some add bicarbonate of soda as well as baking powder. I wonder about using dried egg as the raising agent instead of baking powder, has anyone tried this?

And what about adding rolled oats or oatmeal, won't these make the result very dense or will it become more like crunchy oat biscuits?

If I use milk, or milk powder, should I leave out the other fats entirely or just use less of them?

Any ideas, suggestions, etc. gratefully received.
 

Snufkin

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Oct 13, 2004
2,097
138
53
Norfolk
You don't need lard specifically, in fact if it's going to be eaten straight away you don't need fat at all (its main purpose is to stop the bread from drying out but it does add flavour). I usually use olive oil.
Oats and oatmeal are good additions, don't put too much in or it will get a bit dense.
My usual recipe for sweet bannock/damper whatever you want to call it is:
Plain flour
baking powder
a pinch of salt
demerara sugar
sultanas
nutmeg
a dash of oil
and water
sorry I don't have exact measurements, you'll have to use your imagination :)
For savoury recipes take along some rosemary and if you find some Jack by the Hedge (plenty around at the moment) chop that up and mix it in.
Also if you take along a can of beer or a bit of homebrew you can use that instead of water, adds a nice yeasty taste.
 

PhilParry

Nomad
Sep 30, 2005
345
3
Milton Keynes, Bucks
My little book tells me it's otherwise known as Garlic Mustard. (Alliaria Petiolata)

Uses include as an antiseptic and antiasthmatic. earlier used to treat bronchial compliants and worms. Can also be used as a poultice for ulcers and cuts.

Also good in salads...and bannock! :D

Cheers,

Phil
 

Snufkin

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Oct 13, 2004
2,097
138
53
Norfolk
PhilParry said:
My little book tells me it's otherwise known as Garlic Mustard. (Alliaria Petiolata)

Uses include as an antiseptic and antiasthmatic. earlier used to treat bronchial compliants and worms. Can also be used as a poultice for ulcers and cuts.

Also good in salads...and bannock! :D

Cheers,

Phil
What he said :) .
 

nickg

Settler
May 4, 2005
890
5
69
Chatham
Risby

my recipies :-

2 cups of plain four
1 cup of milk powder
4 table spoons of dried egg
4 table spoons of brown sugar
1 tea spoon of baking powder
2 hand fulls of sultanas

Mix it all together then add water slowly until you get a dough like consistancy. Put it in a pre heated pan squash it flat and then prop it up in front of your fire. Or 20 mins in an oven at 200 degrees.


Chippewa Bannock Recipe
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/2 cup water
4 tbls. hazelnut oil,
melted butter or bacon drippings
4 tbls. maple syrup or honey
1/2 tsp. salt
3 to 4 tbls.cooking oil for frying

In a mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, water, hazelnut oil, syrup and
salt. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbls. oil over medium-high heat.
Drop batter by tablespoonfuls into hot oil. Flatten with spatula and
fry cakes until crisp and browned on both sides. Add more oil as
needed. Serves 4 to 6.


Bannock - Scottish Ingredients

1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 tbsp sugar, granulated
2 tsp baking powder
salt
2 tbsp butter, melted
1/3 cup raisins,
optional water; approx,

Bannock - Scottish Directions
Bannock, a simple type of scone was cooked in pioneer days over open
fires. Variations in flours and the additional of dried or fresh
fruit make this bread the simple choice of Canadian campers even
today. Oven baking has become an acceptable alternative to the cast
iron frypan. McKelvie's restaurant in Halifax serves an oatmeal
version similar to this one. For plain bannock, omit rolled oats and
increase the all purpose flour to 1 cup.... One of the earliest quick
breads, bannock was as simple as flour, salt, a bit of fat (often
bacon grease) and water. In gold rush days, dough was mixed right in
the prospector's flour bag and cooked in a frypan over an open fire.
Indians wrapped a similar dough around sticks driven into the ground
beside their camp fire, baking it along with freshly caught fish.
Today's native _Fried Bread_ is like bannock and cooked in a skillet.
Newfoundlander's _Damper Dogs_ are small rounds of dough cooked on
the stove's dampers while _Toutons_ are similar bits of dough deep
fried. At a promotional luncheon for the 1992 Inuit Circumpolar
Conference, Eskimo Doughnuts, deep fried rings of bannock dough, were
served. It is said that Inuit children prefer these "doughnuts" to
sweet cookies.
Red River settlers from Scotland made a frugal bannock with lots of
flour, little sugar and drippings or lard. recipe books from coast to coast
upgrade bannock with butter, oatmeal, raisins, cornmeal and dried
fruit."

Stir together flours, oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add melted
butter, raisins (if using) and water, adding more water if needed to
make sticky dough. With floured hands, pat into greased pie plate.
Bake in 400F oven for 20 to 25 minutes or until browned and tester
comes out clean. In place of raisins add chopped dried apricots or fresh berries

Diabetic Bread Recipes

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cup Flour
1/4 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Oil
1 cup Milk
1 Egg
2 tsp Baking powder

Preparation:
Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Mix together milk, egg
and oil and add to flour. Mix well. Knead on a floured surface. Pat
down the dough until it is about 1 inch thick. Cut into 12 equal
pieces.

Bake at 400F until brown, approx 15 min OR heat a frying pan, using 3
tbsp oil to cook the pieces. Serve hot with jam.

1 bannock baked, 3 g protein, 3 g fat, 17 g carbohydrate, 107
calories 1 starch choice, 1 fat

1 bannock fried, 3 g protein, 8 g fat, 17 g carbohydrate, 152 calories
Enjoy

Nick
 

risby

Forager
Jun 21, 2005
213
4
dorset, uk
nickg said:
Risby

my recipies :-

<SNIPPED>

Enjoy

Nick


Excellent. Thx v much for that Nick. Too tired now but that lot will be printed and in my field notebook some time tomorrow. rep points on their way.
 

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