Bannock (Skillet or Oven)

Before you start

Bannock is a no-yeast bread built from very few things: flour, baking powder, salt, a little fat and enough water to make a soft dough. The name traces back to Scottish oat and barley flatbreads, and a flour-and-baking-powder version became a staple across Canada, including in many First Nations and Métis communities, where families keep their own versions. This page gives one simple, everyday build rather than any single community's recipe.

The main choice is how you cook it. In a skillet the round fries gently in fat and develops a crisp, freckled crust on both faces with a soft, scone-like middle. In the oven it bakes more evenly and stays paler. Either way, keep the heat moderate: bannock is thick, and high heat scorches the outside before the center loses its raw, gummy core.

Ingredients

• 250 g (2 cups, spooned and leveled) all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp (8 g) baking powder
• ¾ tsp fine salt
• 1 tbsp granulated sugar — optional; adds a little browning
• 45 g (3 tbsp) cold butter or lard — cut into small pieces
• 180 ml (¾ cup) cool water — or milk, plus a splash more if needed
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, lard or butter — for the skillet

Method

1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Rub the cold fat into the flour with your fingertips until no pieces larger than a lentil remain and the mixture looks like coarse sand.
2. Pour in most of the water and stir with a fork until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms. Add the rest only if dry flour remains at the bottom of the bowl. Knead it in the bowl 5 or 6 times, just enough to smooth it.
3. Pat the dough into a round about 2 cm (¾ in) thick and slightly smaller than your skillet. Poke a few holes through it with a fork, which helps steam escape and keeps the round flat.
4. Skillet method: heat the 2 tbsp fat over medium-low until it shimmers. Lay in the dough, cover and cook for 9 to 11 minutes, until the underside is deep golden and the edges look set.
5. Flip with a wide spatula, cover again and cook another 9 to 11 minutes. The bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped and a thin knife slid into the side comes out without wet dough, or the center reads about 93°C (200°F).
6. Oven method: heat the oven to 200°C (400°F), set the round on a greased baking sheet and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden on top and browned underneath.
7. Rest the bannock for 5 minutes, then cut into wedges. Serve warm with butter, jam, honey, or alongside stew or soup.

Tips for success

• If the outside browns before the inside cooks, turn the heat lower rather than higher and keep the lid on; trapped heat finishes the middle.
• For a campfire, cook over embers, not flames. A skillet set on a grate above a bed of coals behaves much like medium-low on a stove.
• Mix the dry ingredients and fat at home and carry them in a bag. At camp you only need to add water and stir.

Substitutions

Butter or lard

Use 3 tbsp vegetable oil stirred in with the water. The crumb is a little less flaky and more uniform, but it still cooks well.

Water

Milk or buttermilk gives a softer, richer bread that browns faster. With buttermilk, add ¼ tsp baking soda to the dry mix.

All-purpose flour

Replace up to 75 g with whole wheat flour for a nuttier round. It absorbs more liquid, so add 1 to 2 tbsp extra water.

Variations

Berry bannock

Fold 100 g fresh blueberries or saskatoon berries into the dough at the end and cook on slightly lower heat.

Bannock on a stick

Roll small pieces of dough into ropes, wrap them around a peeled green stick and toast them slowly over embers, turning, for 10 to 15 minutes.

Troubleshooting

Gummy, raw center

The round was too thick or the heat too high, so the crust set before the middle cooked. Keep it near 2 cm thick, cook on medium-low with the lid on, or finish it in a 180°C (350°F) oven for 10 minutes.

Hard, dense bread

The dough was too dry or kneaded too long. It should feel soft and tacky; knead only until it holds together. Also check that your baking powder is fresh.

Burnt, greasy crust

Too much fat in a pan that was too hot. Use just enough to film the skillet and let it shimmer, not smoke.

Storage

Bannock is best the day it is cooked. Wrap cooled leftovers and keep them at room temperature for up to 2 days, then reheat in a skillet or toaster oven. Freeze wedges for up to 2 months.

Safety notes

Do not taste the raw dough; uncooked flour can carry harmful bacteria until it is cooked through. Contains wheat, and milk if you use butter or milk.