I seldom measure. Sometimes that works out well for me; other times it works out better for my dogs. Be that as it may, in the spirit of dashes, dollops and three-fingered pinches, I offer you this recipe for bannock, a traditional camp bread made in a skillet.
Bannock
- Flour- about that much
- Powdered milk-less than the flour but more than you think
- Salt-no, not that much
- Baking Powder- more than that
- Water or stale beer-less than for pancakes but maybe more than for biscuits
- Several dollops of butter (it almost goes without saying: bacon grease or lard may be substituted for butter, and good on you for thinking of it!)
- Jam to taste
Mix dry ingredients thoroughly, mix in liquid less so, plop into a medium hot buttered skillet (should not sizzle much at all) as soon as liquid is kneaded in, smash flat with spatula, and this is important: keep the heat low and cook slowly, flipping the bannock over to cook it through without scorching.
With cast iron you can remove the skillet from the coals and let the retained heat cook the bannock, returning to the heat as needed. Flip frequently until golden brown on both sides. Serve with butter and jam.
You can add berries to this if you wish. If you mix the dry ingredients in a zip-lock bag before leaving for camp, you can add water directly to the bag and mix it by kneading the bag, making for a quick and relatively mess-free preparation.
Bannock
Equipment
- Cast iron skillet, or maybe a stick. Perhaps a board.
Ingredients
- 1 let's say a double handful Flour
- 1 single handful Powdered milk -less than the flour but more than you think
- 1 three-fingered pinch Salt
- 2 three-fingered pinches Baking Powder
- 1/2 cup more or less- splash in a little at time and stir it in just until you achieve the desired consistency Water or stale beer -less than for pancakes but maybe more than for biscuits. Err on the dry side if you intend to roast your bannock on a stick or wrapped around a sausage.
- 3 or so dollops butter it almost goes without saying: bacon grease or lard may be substituted for butter, and good on you for thinking of it.
Instructions
- Mix dry ingredients thoroughly, mix in liquid less so
- plop into a medium hot buttered skillet (should not sizzle much at all) smash flat with spatula, and this is important: keep the heat low and cook slowly, flipping the bannock over to cook it through without scorching.
Notes
With cast iron you can remove the skillet from the coals and let the retained heat cook the bannock, returning to the heat as needed. Flip frequently until golden brown on both sides. Serve with butter and jam.
You can add berries to this if you wish. If you mix the dry ingredients in a zip-lock bag before leaving for camp, you can add water directly to the bag and mix it by kneading the bag, making for a quick and relatively mess-free preparation. 
If you mix the batter a little thicker, you can wrap it around a stick and roast it, or wrap it around a cooked sausage or hot dog and cook the bun right on the meat. You can also plaster it to a plank propped in front of the fire to bake bread without any pans.
