Canada: Bannock Bread

 As I am located in the USA, I thought starting with our northern neighbors made sense. It is also a little sentimental for me. My father was a huge Jack London fan and he read extensively about the indigenous people in Canada. Since one of the breads that kept popping up during my research is a staple in many of the indigenous nations of Canada, I felt it fitting that this bread would be the first bread of my adventure.

It is called Bannock. Although, it goes by many names in Canada.  Inuit call it palauga, Mi’kmaq luskinikn, and Ojibwa ba‘wezhiganag. Bannock bread first made it's way to Canada in the 18th century, by way of Scottish trappers and was quickly adopted by the indigenous people. It remains a staple in parts of Canada, to this day.

There are as many slightly unique recipes for Bannock as there are bakers that bake this type of bread. It is ideal for cooking over a fire and has a long shelf life would contributed to it's popularity amongst the explorers and workers in the Canadian wilderness. On a different practical note, it is dense and carb heavy which provides much needed energy in the wild.

I chose a basic recipe for Bannock. It can be found in the '150th Canadian Celebration Cookbook' by Theresa Buker.

Ingredients:

• 2 3/4 cup flour
• 2 tsps baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted Butter softened
• 1 cup water

1. In a large bowl and with a wire whisk, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. With a pastry blender, mix the unsalted butter into the flour until it resembles fine crumbs.
3. With a fork, mix the water into the flour, until it becomes a sticky dough.   
4. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 8 to 10 times
5. Pat out to about ½ inch thick
6. Lightly grease the electric frying pan. Set the temperature to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
7. Place the flattened Bannock dough into the frying pan. Cover with the lid. Set the timer for 8 minutes.
8. When the timer goes off, turn the Bannock over. Reset the timer for another 7 minutes.
9. The dough will be thick and golden on both sides.
10. Remove from the pan. Cut into wedges and serve hot, with butter.  

Notes: I broke the dough up into smaller pieces and cooked them, 3 at a time, in a ceramic coated saute pan and cooked on an electric range on medium low heat.

The result:

My panel of taste tasters: my husband, my 9 year old daughter, my 6 year old son, and myself. We all liked it. It was salty and kind of heavy, but crumbled nicely. It tasted like a cross between a pancake and biscuit and it is very easy to see it's appeal for helping people to get through a long trek or some cold nights.