Bannock: yeastless pan-fried surviaval bread

Started by Quietus, October 13, 2012, 10:13:14 PM

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Quietus

The post in this GD area, "Cabin shopping list", prompted a recipie for bannock, a yeast-less pan-fried bread.
 
Bannock has been made for several centuries in NA, by people on the move.  Mostly by people in the North.
 
There's about as many ways to make it, as makers.  It's hard to screw up. except by too hot of a pan.  The following list of ingredients and directions are from a 1958 book by Calvin Rutstrum.
 
You want a fry pan.  Teflon and cover at home is real nice.  Cast iron and the utilizing of a reflector fire, is a more advanced skill, haven't tried that, but that is the traditional way of making bannock in the northland.
 
Ingredients for a piece of bannock that will feed two people for a day are:  cup and a half of flour; big tablespoon of baking powder;  big tablespoon dried milk;  teaspoon sugar;  teaspoon salt;   and a big tablespoon of melted shortening, butter or lard for the hardcore.  Mix it all up dry.  Add water to make a dough, pourable.  Pour it into the heated fry pan.  Dough should be dry enough that, when poured, it comes to be close to an inch thick in the pan.
 
The recipe source cautions about overheating the pan, this is good advice.  You want real low heat to get a nice brown on the heated part of the dough as you lift it and check color.  Give it some more time, then flip it over and try not to break up the patty.  It's going to be a big thing, maybe 8" across and thick.  When flipped, give it the same browning time to finish.  The toothpick test applies to bannock as to other things.
 
The reasons for bannock, are for oven-less and yeast-less times of living.  The bread is really pretty good, most people have never been exposed to it.
 
As with most doughs, you can add whatever to it.  Tonight's batch got basil and parmesan cheese, the kind out of a shaker.  I like it.

gil


KC9TNH

Quote from: Quietus on October 13, 2012, 10:13:14 PM
As with most doughs, you can add whatever to it.  Tonight's batch got basil and parmesan cheese, the kind out of a shaker.  I like it.
It's getting nippy out and this is sounding good; a chunk in a pocket with some venison sticks.

Sunflower

Should I add a little oil or bacon fat to the pan before setting in the dough? Should I flatten it with a spatula? Does the pan get covered?
Thxs