Nate is very happy about Bannock!
In our FireCraft class we teach this to fulfill the requirement of cooking over open flame. Bannock is a great mix that you can take to the woods and it will last several days before you need to actually bake it. I even carry it with us on our overland trips to make a quick staple to go along with the meals we cook on the back of the Jeep. When traveling you need to maintain a balanced diet and Bannock helps us maintain the need for grains.
Baking Bannock is easy once you have done a few loaves. At first you are going to “blacken” a few loaves and leave the inside runny or gooey. It only takes a few runs and you’ll have it down. I keep a small cast iron skillet in my bush pack for making bannock. Yes, its extra weight, but I don’t mind since I’m usually setting up a hunting or fishing camp for several days in the back country.
A baggie makes it easy to mix and then place on a warm skillet
.Here is the recipe we teach in class. We place this in a zipper baggie until we are ready to use it, then simply add water (varies) and mix. Once mixed we cut a corner on the baggie and squeeze it out and on to the skillet. Come out to one of our FireCraft classes and we’ll get you on the right path to making Bannock. The finished product should look like a pancake. You can add sugar and cinnamon to the mix for a different flavor.
What you need:
- 1 zipper bag
- 1 cup flour (substitutes can be made for those who cannot tolerate flour)
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 1/4 cup dry milk powder
1 tbsp. shortening
We can make the mix before we leave on a pack trip or even pick up materials while out on the road. I can make up a two-week supply and throw into individual zipper bags to last me on a two-week trip. I learned pretty quick that sifting the dry ingredients is an important step to not forget. If you don’t follow this, the cake gets pretty uneven and / or won’t rise. Also, keeping your skillets is essential for successful loaves. Olive oil works well for this.
It takes a few batches to perfect you Bannock cake
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