Emma Alter
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There are two schools of cooking when it comes to camping trips. One is to fill your pack with cans and dehydrated foods, and the other is to fill it with hardy fresh foods that can last a few days on the trail. The second option is, by far, the better one. When you are carrying your food on your back, losing the weight of cans and the garbage of pre-packaged food is a wonder. This is why bannock is the perfect camping food - warm fresh bread, made from almost no ingredients, cooked on a stick over the fire? There is nothing better.
I must admit, though: I did not cook my bannock bread over the fire. Unfortunately, my fire pit is full of weeds, and the cold, wet summer has stopped me from venturing into the woods more than necessary. Instead, I made this on the barbecue. We had a few guests for the weekend and when I walked through the door with this beautiful bread, fresh off the barbecue, the pancakes were all pushed aside. The bannock, essentially a giant scone, was the perfect base for the myriad of fresh jams and jellies (check back next week for one of these!) we have made this summer. It is also a great base for different fruits: while I made it with raisins, as the recipe called for, I am planning on making it with cranberries and blueberries this week. Unless you are baking for about 15 people, I highly recommend halving the recipe. I did this, and still had far more than 6 people could eat for breakfast!
Bannock Bread
6 cups of flour
1 cup of lard (you could use butter or shortening)
3 tablespoons of baking powder
1 tablespoon of salt
2 cups of currants or raisins
3 1/2 cups of water
1. In a bowl, mix the flour and lard together by hand. Add the baking powder, salt, and raisins.
2. Add the water, bit by bit, and work it into a dough.
3. If cooking in an oven (or barbecue) spread into a 16 by 16 inch baking pan. Place in the oven at 425F for about 20 minutes, until golden brown.
4. If cooking over a fire, divide the dough into four lumps. Firmly wrap each lump around the end of a four foot stick and prop securely over the fire. Leave until it is golden brown.
From Two Bay Tours.
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