Post by lunkertime on Nov 19, 2008 11:20:17 GMT -5
Bannock is truly a Canadian food, and making it is an experience every Scout should have. Because our country was settled by many different ethnic groups with varied access to cooking supplies, there does not appear to be one single traditional recipe. Today's recipes provide a more lavish product.
For both the historical purist and camp culinary chef, here is a selection of bannock recipes along with a little history to liven the dinner conversation.
>From the Pioneer Cook
"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," writes Beulah Bars in The Pioneer Cook (1980, Detselig Ent. Calgary, Alta.).
"Galette (or gellette) was the name used by the voyagers of the North West Company for an unleavened flour-water biscuit made by baking in a frying pan, or in the ashes of the camp fire.
"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 1800s, 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.
Here are two early Canadian recipes you might try.
Campfire Bannock
* 4 cups flour
* 8 tsp baking powder
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp sugar
* about 3 cups cold water
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 a sliver of wood poked into the middle.