Bannock

Bannock

Many thanks to Tiger (aka Dooreen) Rousseau for posting her fabulous recipe to the Guide Mailing List!

The History: Bannock is a truly Canadian food and all Canadians should have the experience of making it. Our country was settled by many different ethnic groups therefore there isn't a single traditional recipe. Flour was a luxury item in the early days of the fur trade. It was used to thicken pemmican style soup, rubbaboo or occasionally to make galettes. Galette is the name used by voyageurs of the North West Company for an unleavened flour-water biscuit made by baking in a frying pan, or in the ashes of the campfire. The Selkirk Settlers referred to their flour water biscuit as bannock. Eventually bannock became the name accepted and recorded in journals and diaries throughout the western interior of Canada. By the mid 1800's the original flour-water mixture became more elaborate with the addition of salt, suet, lard, butter, buttermilk, baking soda, or baking powder. Bannock acquired other names, too: bush bread, trail bread, or grease bread. The traditional way to prepare bannock was to mix the ingredients into a large round biscuit and bake in a frying pan or propped up against sticks by the campfire. The frying pan usually was tilted against a rock so that it slanted towards the fire for part of the baking.

Tiger's Bannock (tried and true)

Ingredients:

1 cup white flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/3 cup or more cold water

Directions: Mix dry ingredients thoroughly then rub in butter until well incorporated. Add enough water to make a thick dough. Form into 1-inch thick cakes and place in the bottom of a greased cast iron frying pan. Cook on low heat until done on both sides, or prop the pan in the coals of the campfire. For a variety add dry fruits, raisins, blueberries, etc. Taste especially good with molasses and butter when done. For pancakes, simply add a couple of eggs, omit the butter and substitute water for milk. For native style use half white flour and half corn flour. To avoid the mess when clean up is a problem, measure out individual portions into a Ziploc and knead until done.

Campfire Bannock

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
8 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
about 3 cups cold water

Directions: Mix dry ingredients thoroughly and stir in enough water to make a thick batter that will pour out level. Mix rapidly with spoon until smooth. Pour into large greased frying pan and set on hot coals. Turn when bottom is brown. Cook until no dough sticks to sliver of wood poked into the middle.

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