Bannock Bread (Indigenous North America)

Bannock Bread (Indigenous North America)

Bannock is a quick, yeast-free bread that has been enjoyed for centuries by the indigenous peoples of North America. It is a great bread to try for beginning bakers, or if you just have to have some carbs but don't want to go to the store. Try making it on the stovetop or over a campfire!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Bread, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Indigenous

Servings 5 Pieces

Equipment

• Normal Kitchen Utensils

Ingredients

  

• 3 C All-Purpose Flour Spooned and Leveled
• 2 Tbsp Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 C Water
• 1/2 Stick Butter
• 1 Tbsp Extra Butter or Oil For Cooking
• 1 tsp Salt

Instructions

 

• Melt the butter.
  1/2 Stick Butter
• Thoroughly mix all the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) in a large bowl.
  3 C All-Purpose Flour, 2 Tbsp Baking Powder, 1 tsp Salt
• Add in the butter and water and mix until a dough forms. It will be loose and sticky – not really a kneadable dough, but more like really thick pancake batter.
  1 1/2 C Water
• You can either portion the dough into 5 pieces or leave it whole. I generally like to portion it out, especially because it is much more manageable.
• Heat some butter or oil in a large pan over medium heat (hot enough to cook the flour, but not burn it quickly).
  1 Tbsp Extra Butter or Oil
• Once the pan is hot, spoon the dough into the pan and flatten it out a little bit. It should be around an inch thick if possible.
• Cook the dough in the pan for 10-15 minutes, flipping first when the bottom begins to turn golden, and then every couple minutes afterward. The bread should increase slightly in volume as the baking powder activates. Take it out when it feels solid in the middle.

  If you're unsure, slide a toothpick in. It should come out clean when the inside is cooked through.
• Serve as a side with pasta or stew, or as a breakfast with honey, jam and butter.

Notes

Pro tip: press down a little on the bread after the first flip. That will help flatten it out. 

Keyword Bannock, Bread, Indigenous, Quick

Bannock (sometimes called frybread) has a presence throughout all of North America and almost every Indigenous nation. The original version of Bannock was believed to be made with the Camas plant with newer recipes taking influence from European settlers – primarily the Scottish – over time.

Today, the modern version of Bannock typically uses wheat flour. There are also tons of Bannock variations – from this recipe, which is a looser dough cooked on the stovetop, to other recipes that make kneadable dough and bake it in an oven.

To learn more about this historical icon, check out these articles from CBC Radio and The Canadian Encyclopedia.