apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time


Word of Mouth: Bannock

2009_06_10-bannock4.jpgBannock, noun: A flat bread, popular in Canada and the northern United States, often made of oatmeal, barley flour or corn meal.

We're all about cooking and eating outdoors this month, so we perked up when we saw this rustic bread being prepared on an episode of Bobby Flay's Grill It! It was, of course, baked right on the grill.

 
 

2009_06_10-fried-bannock.jpgAccording to the British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range, Bannock was a staple in the diets of nearly all of North America's first peoples. The European version was invented by the Scots and is made with oatmeal, while Aboriginal people prepared bannock with corn and nut meal, and flour made from ground plant bulbs.

Originally rolled in sand and cooked in a pit, or wrapped around a stick and toasted over an open flame, Bannock today is more commonly grilled, deep-fried, pan-fried or oven baked.

On Grill It!, Ontario's Rugged Dude Carson, a hunting and fishing enthusiast, said bannock is popular with campers because the dry ingredients (he used just flour, baking powder and salt) can be easily carried and mixed with water to form a quick dough. He added lots of fresh blueberries to his dough, brushed it with canola oil and put it directly on the grill. The finished bread looked crispy on the outside with lots of nice grill marks, but soft on the inside, flecked with juicy blueberries.

Have you ever made bannock?

More

Related: Recipe: Grilled Potato, Gorgonzola and Prosciutto Pizza


(Images: Flickr user Dano, licensed under Creative Commons, British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range)

Tags

Word of Mouth, grilling, bread, Bobby Flay, bannock

Share

Comments (14)

I grew up in a small northern Ontario community, and for me the only way to make bannock is to wrap the dough around a stick and cook it over the fire. The stick adds flavour (namely, the flavour of charred stick - don't knock it til you try it). A good way to get kids to eat it is to fill the centre of the wrapped dough with some chocolate chips. Bannock-making demonstrations are also a really typical thing to see at maple syrup festivals, and pouring mapley goodness all over warm bannock is delicious.

Deep-fried bannock sounds like an abomination.

posted by kittystockings on June 10th 2009 at 11:13am
view kittystockings's profile

I'm with kittystockings, the stick is the way to go. I remember being in Brownies and getting a badge for bannock making! Is that just a Canadian thing?

posted by rhiana on June 10th 2009 at 11:59am
view rhiana's profile

@rhiana,
The badge in Brownies rings a bell, but I think you had to make more than just bannock. Or was that in Girl Guides? I'm all confused now. I needs me some fried dough.

posted by Michelle of Montreal on June 10th 2009 at 12:21pm
view Michelle of Montreal's profile

The badge getting part is definitely a Canadian thing, but we make bannock at the cottage pretty regularly and its not an uncommon thing for friends of ours in the NE (NY)

posted by kaitlin on June 10th 2009 at 12:25pm
view kaitlin's profile

Yup! You can do it on a stick too - here it is RAW on a stick.

posted by mstinagray on June 10th 2009 at 1:09pm
view mstinagray's profile

The stick-cooking sounds awesome (otherwise, isn't it just any other flatbread?). Hmm, wonder if I could pull a chair up to my broiler and do the same thing?...

http://www.abreadaday.com

posted by eprewitt on June 10th 2009 at 3:34pm
view eprewitt's profile

Yep, another Canadian here to say that we cooked bannock on a stick at Girl Guide camp. Fun and yummy.

posted by angorian on June 10th 2009 at 4:16pm
view angorian's profile

Mmmm. Fresh bannock with maple syrup. That's classic and everyone should try it before they die. I'm prepared to make that statement.

I grew up in an area of Canada steeped in rich First Nations heritage, so bannock was for sale at every event with more popularity than mini-doughnuts (damnit, now I want mini-doughnuts). My husband and I actually found a flea market with a bannock stall recently and have been making frequent trips (because open fires are apparently a no-no in our apartment building).

It is one of those amazing basics that everyone who camps should know because it can be so versatile. I've grilled it on cast iron over a fire, on top of hot rocks in a fire, wrapped around a stick, filled them with fruit, melted cheese on them.....my stomach is grumbling.

I've never heard of it being deep-fried, but I suppose if you can deep-fry a chocolate bar...

posted by Graceless on June 10th 2009 at 4:58pm
view Graceless's profile

I remember making the bannock for the Brownies badge and eating too much! I was sick to my stomach from it. So I hadn't tried it again till a couple of weeks ago when they used it as a bun for burgers at a street festival... SO delicious....

posted by sholt on June 10th 2009 at 7:04pm
view sholt's profile

I have never seen this before but plan to try it. Reminds of Chapati though.

posted by taqah on June 10th 2009 at 10:49pm
view taqah's profile

Deep-fried bannock sounds to me like a beignet. Mmm, beignets.

This sounds wonderful. Though... rolled in sand?! How does that not end up being nasty?

taqah, I think most cuisines have some kind of flatbread. Chapati, tortillas, crepes, pancakes.... Gah, now I'm hungry.

posted by Elizabeth B on June 11th 2009 at 12:55am
view Elizabeth B's profile

Oh, I've got a bannock badge! So does my sister and probably every girl we grew up with in Ontario. Seriously, this stuff is the best. I can't imagine making in my London kitchen, though- bannock should be wrapped around a stick and cooked over a fire at sundown, preferably while singing Girl Guide songs. To make it at home would feel like cheating!

posted by Ele (@Kitchenist) on June 11th 2009 at 11:33am
view Ele (@Kitchenist)'s profile

I too seem to remember the Brownie badge being JUST about bannock. That can't be right, can it? It seems like a rather narrow skill. That being said, bannock is wonderful. We also used to wrap it around a hot dog and it would all cook simultaneously over the campfire.

posted by hilarybue on June 11th 2009 at 1:13pm
view hilarybue's profile

Forget poutine and tourtiere! To me bannock is true Canadiana. Growing up on the West Coast, bannock was one of the first recipes I learned in early elementary school though unlike some of the other comments, I've only ever had it fried on cast iron. Yummy spread with jam but I may try it with butter and cinnamon sugar. Thanks for reminding me of this!

posted by liverwurstontoast on June 11th 2009 at 8:34pm
view liverwurstontoast's profile