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Bannock
Simple skillet bread of First Nations, Métis and Inuit kitchens, cooked in a pan or over a fire
Bannock is a quick bread of flour, baking powder, fat and water, cooked in a cast-iron pan, baked, fried or wrapped around a stick over a campfire. It's eaten in First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities across Canada, at powwows, family meals and on the land, and every family has its own version. Its history is complicated: wheat flour and lard reached many communities through trade and government rations, and bannock became both a food of survival and a living symbol of community and resilience. Long before that, Indigenous breads were made from local plants and roots. This is a simple home pan version, not any one nation's recipe. Chef's tip: mix only until the dough just comes together; overworking makes bannock tough.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Ingredients
Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 10 ½ oz plain flour, 1 tbsp baking powder, ¾ tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar in a bowl. Stir in 1 ¾ oz dried blueberries or saskatoon berries if using.
Step 2: Add 1 ¾ oz butter and most of ¾ cup water or milk and stir with a fork until a soft, slightly shaggy dough forms; add the rest of the water if dry. Common mistake: kneading like bread; a few turns are enough.
Step 3: Pat the dough into a round about 2.5 cm thick, to fit a 23–25 cm cast-iron pan.
Step 4: Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in the pan over a medium-low heat. Lay in the dough, cover with a lid or foil and cook for 8–10 minutes until the bottom is golden and the top looks dry at the edges.
10 minStep 5: Flip and cook for 8–10 minutes more, uncovered, until both sides are golden and it sounds hollow when tapped.
10 minStep 6: Cut into wedges and eat warm, with butter, jam or alongside soup or stew.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 260 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 40 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bannock take?
- About 30 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 20 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of baking powder?
- ¼ tsp bicarbonate of soda + ½ tsp cream of tartar per 1 tsp.
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