RECIPES
Corn Bread
Bannock
Flat Bread
Lefse
Baking Powder Biscuits
Traditional sliced bread gets squished pretty badly, it can mould easily, or it goes stale. The same rings true with Greek pitas and other soft flatbread. Only tortillas have a long shelf-life.
Soups and stews are better with fresh bread. With a backpacking oven you can make pizza, focaccia, muffins, rolls, and biscuits. But some breads can be easily made in a pot or frying pan. The bannock recipe can even be made over a campfire.
CORN BREAD
Preheat oven 350°. In large bowl combine with whisk 2 ½ c white flour, 1 ½ c cornmeal, 3 tbsp baking powder, ½ tsp salt, ¼ c white sugar. Add 3 extra large eggs slightly beaten, 2 c buttermilk, 1 c corn niblets thawed, 1 c aged cheddar cheese grated, ½ c canned mild green chilis chopped. Mix until just blended. Spoon into 9” greased pan and bake 40-45 minutes until top golden brown and well cooked. Cool. To reheat, return to 350° oven wrapped in tin foil for 15-20 minutes.
BANNOCK Makes 4 servings
Traditionally, bannock is baked on a stick, but it also cooks well in a frying pan. Bannock is good to dip in soups or stews and also makes great sandwiches. Add a tablespoon of sugar and dried fruit to the dry ingredients for a sweet bannock. Add roasted garlic powder to some butter and use the bannock as a base for garlic bread. If you prefer to use whole wheat flour you can replace half of the all-purpose flour with all-purpose whole wheat flour.
1 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1–2 tablespoons vegetable oil
At Home: Mix the dry ingredients, and add to a ziplock bag. Add the oil to the other vegetable oil that you are taking on your trip.
At Camp: Add enough cold water to the bannock mix to make sticky dough. Cook the dough in a frying pan. When the bottom is golden, flip the bannock to cook the top. If your pan is smaller than 9 inches in diameter, divide the dough in half and cook half at a time You want the bannock to be about 1/2 inch thick before cooking.
Allow to cool. Wrap any leftovers in parchment paper, and store in a ziplock freezer bag.
Bannock is delicious with rhubarb and strawberries dehydrated at home. It’s also great alongside your morning eggs or your favorite soup or stew. Bannock with some cheese and shelf-stable sausage is good for lunch – make the bannock at breakfast or even the night before. For dessert, stuff with caramel and apples.
FLATBREAD Makes 4–6 servings
This bread is delicious when sprinkled with a little spice blend called za’atar.
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus 1/4 cup extra all-purpose flour for kneading
1 envelope rapid-rise yeast (about 2 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil, for frying
At Home: Place the flour except for the additional 1/4 cup in a large ziplock freezer bag with the unopened envelope of yeast. Wrap the 1/4 cup extra flour and sugar separately in plastic wrap and the salt in a labeled ziplock and put in the bag with the large amount of flour. Pack the oil with the other oil you will take with you on your trip.
At Camp: Put 1/2 cup warm water in your cup and mix in 1 teaspoon of sugar. Sprinkle the rapid-rise yeast into the water, and let it sit for five minutes. Meanwhile add 1/2 cup warm water to the freezer bag containing the salt. Remove the extra flour bundle from the large bag of flour and set aside. When the yeast is activated pour the mixture, along with the salt water mixture, into the large bag with the flour. Knead the bag for 8–10 minutes, adding more flour if needed. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and flatten each piece into a 1/4-inch thick circle. Heat a little of the oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry each flatbread, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides.
If you prefer to use whole wheat flour you can replace half of the all-purpose flour with all-purpose whole wheat flour.
Leftover flatbread can be use the next day for lunch with your favorite hummus or spread.
LEFSE
This is a Norwegian rolled potato “tortilla”. Make these at home and take backbacking. Great warmed up, butter, jam and roll up.
4 cups mashed or riced potatoes-dry and cooled (You want them very fine and dried out)
3/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup evaporated milk or whipping cream
2 1/2 cup flour-work it in then knead the dough
Work the dough until it is fairly dry, not sticky.
On a rolling surface (I use a tupperware one or a cloth covered board) roll out about a fistful of dough until it’s very thin. Use lots of flour to keep from sticking. Place on a hot 350-400? flat skillet ( I use teflon) Turn over in about 30 seconds to the other side. Then remove and place on a cloth or paper to cool. The tool used to turn and move the lefse is a thin small wooden stick that slides under the dough. I use a couple of wooden skewers. To freeze I place them between wax paper and put about 8 into ziplock bags.They will keep for several months. You can put PB or PB&J, butter and sugar/cinamon, or whatever you like in them.
BAKING POWDER BISCUITS Yield 36 biscuits (easy to halve the recipe)
• 4 cups flour
• 8 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cold Crisco or butter
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 large beaten eggs
• 1 1⁄2cups cold milk
Sift together flour and baking powder. Stir in salt and sugar. Cut in the Crisco or butter until the mixture resembles crumbs.
Stir together eggs and milk. Make a well in the dry mixture and stir in the milk mixture with a fork. Stir just to moisten, then turn out onto a lightly floured board.
Knead about 15 times, then pat lightly into a circle, about 1/2-inch thick. The secret to light and fluffy biscuits is to handle the dough as little as possible. With a sharp round cutter, cut out rounds, without twisting the cutter. Just give it a sharp tap, then lift straight up (twisting the cutter causes the biscuits to slope over when they are baking) place on a baking sheet.
Bake at 350°F for 15 to 20 minutes.
Variations:
DROP BISCUITS: increase milk to 2 cups; grease pan. Drop dough by spoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets.
SCONES: Add 2 tablespoons sugar; decrease milk to 1 cup.
BUTTERMILK BISCUITS: Add 1/4 teaspoon baking soda to flour. Substitute buttermilk for milk.
CHEESE BISCUITS: Add 2- 2 1/2 cup (8 – 10 oz.) of the strongest shredded cheese you can find (or you do not get a good cheese flavour). Put a small amount grated cheese on top of biscuits. Bake on cookie sheet sprayed with no-stick cooking spray.
SOFT-SIDED BISCUITS: Place biscuits in 9-inch round or square pan or on cookie sheet with sides touching. Bake at 450°F for 12 to 14 minutes.