From: jim.speirs@canrem.com (Jim Speirs)
To: dannys@iis.ee.ethz.ch (Danny Schwendener)
Subject: Tasting Canada's Heritage
Summary: Bannock is truly a Canadian food, and making it is an experience
 every Scout should have. 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.


Article #R155.
==============

Tasting Canada's Heritage
Ben Kruser
The Leader, April 1991


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.


Red River Bannock

This recipe originated with the Red River settlers. It was cooked
in a brick oven or on a hearth. The drippings were probably
buffalo fat.

8 1/2 cups sifters flour
3 heaping tsp baking powder 
1 tsp salt

Sift into a large mixing bowl and make a hole in the centre. Mix
together:
2 cups melted beef drippings
2 cups warm water

Pour gently into the hole, working in the flour around it. Divide
the dough into pieces and roll into small biscuits 6-12 mm thick.
Set on middle rack of preheated oven (400 degrees F) and bake
about 20 minutes, until lightly brown.


Today's Recipes

For modern day campers and explorers, here are some bannock
recipes gleaned from several outdoor magazines and club journals.

Barager's Bannock

2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 cup rolled oats
3 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup margarine or lard
2 tbsp liquid honey
1 cup canned milk
1 cup water

Mix dry ingredients and work in shortening until mixture feels
mealy between the hands. Add liquid and pour into a 20 cm square
greased pan or the small skillet in the four man cook kit. Bake
30-40 minutes at 425 degrees F.

When preparing dry ingredients for the trail, use sugar instead
of honey. Old time woodsmen warn against splitting hot bannock
with a knife. Break it apart or it will be heavy. (Canadian
Recreational Canoeing Association, Kanawa Magazine, Spring '90)


Basic Bannock (for 12) 
1 cup whole wheat flour 
2 cups other whole grain flours 
heaped tbsp baking powder
1 1/2 cups walnuts, coarse coconut, chopped dried fruits, raisins
or cranberries
3 eggs
1/3 cup oil (optional)
2-3 tbsp honey or molasses 
1 cup water or more

Add ingredients in the order given. Mix (minimally) to drop
cookie texture. Pour into medium hot oiled cast iron pan over low
coals. Bake until it stiffens and sides leave pan (1/2 hour).
Loosen around and under bannock. Take bannock out, flip and cook
for another 15-20 min. (Explore Magazine #42, May/June)


"Bannock can be used as a bread, as dumplings or the batter
thinned with water or milk and cooked as a pancake or crepe,"
Carol Hodgins writes in Wanapitei Canoe Trippers Cookbook
(Highway Book Shop, Cobalt, Ont.). "You can vary the recipe by
using a combination of different flours, such as white, whole
wheat, potato or soy. Soy flour increases the protein, but only
add a small amount as it is heavy. Or try putting in some
cornmeal. The more white flour, the lighter the bannock will be."


Bannock (for 6-8 active canoe trippers)

4 cups white flour 
2 cups whole wheat flour 
1/2 cup bran 
2 tbsp baking powder 
1 tsp salt 
2/3 cup shortening 
2/3 cup milk powder 
approx. 1 cup water

Mix dry ingredients. Work in shortening with fingertips. Add the
water at the campsite, mixing until all the dry ingredients are
soft and moist but not sticky. Cook and test with peeled twig for
doneness.


Bannock for 9 person trip 

3 cups flour 
3 cups cornmeal 
3 cups oatmeal 
2/3 cup powdered milk 
1/3 cup white sugar 
1 tsp baking powder

Mix with water until stiff and cook (pretty basic instructions,
don't you think?  Source unknown).


If you would like your kids to experience bannock, but all this
mixing is too much for you, buy a box of quick biscuit mix. It's
already done for you. Happy eating!