Easy Bannock Bread Recipe - An Italian in my Kitchen (2024)

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ByRosemary

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Bannock Bread is an easy skillet no yeast fried bread recipe. A traditional Scottish/Indigenous bread made with simple pantry ingredients. Perfect when a quick bread is required or even around the campfire!

Easy Bannock Bread Recipe - An Italian in my Kitchen (1)

I originally shared this recipe six years ago when Canada was celebrating 150 years.

I decided I had to include one of Canada’s Native Peoples recipes. Without getting into the political surrounding of our not so wonderful treatment of our First Nations, I would like to tell you a bit about the origin of Bannock, this simple fried bread.

Table of Contents

Recipe Ingredients

  • Flour – all purpose flour
  • Baking powder
  • Salt
  • Oil – either olive oil or vegetable oil
  • Water
  • Vegetable oil for frying

As you see this type of bread has a leavening of baking powder and not yeast. Sometimes we get the urge for some bread but don’t have the time or the desire to wait for the rising time. Every now and then I like to make a No Yeast Pizza dough, or a delicious sandwich can be made with this Italian Flat Bread or why not an easy Irish Soda Bread?

How to make Bannock

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder. Then add the olive oil and whisk together with a fork, gradually add water and stir until the mixture until it almost holds together.

Easy Bannock Bread Recipe - An Italian in my Kitchen (2)

Move to a lightly floured flat surface and gently knead about 10 times just until the dough comes together(the dough will be sticky, do not over knead).

Divide into 5 balls and flatten with the palm of your hand. In a frying pan or cast iron skillet, fry the bannock in hot oil (350F/175C)on medium heat (enough to cover the bottom of a medium frying pan), until golden brown on both sides (and cooked on the inside).

Drain on a paper towel lined plate and eat warm or at room temperature.

Easy Bannock Bread Recipe - An Italian in my Kitchen (3)

The Origin of Bannock Bread

Bannock an unleavened bread, was originally brought to North America by Scottish explorers and traders. Indigenous peoples in particular Métis adopted bannock in their cuisine in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries probablyafter their encounters with Scottish fur traders.

As a result, even today many Métis and aboriginal western Canadians often prepare this dish. In western Canada, bannock is much more associated with native and Métis culture than with its Scottish roots.

Traditionally it was made with barley or oats, fat or lard and water. Then sugar and milk even buttermilk were added.

When to serve Bannock bread

With very few ingredients and easy to make Bannock is perfect as an accompaniment with a meal or even for Breakfast. It is often made when camping and it has been used as a staple food for wilderness explorers, trappers, and prospectors for centuries.

Easy Bannock Bread Recipe - An Italian in my Kitchen (4)

Tips for making the Best Bannock Bread

  • Whisk the dry ingredients before adding the oil and water. I used olive oil but vegetable oil is more traditional.
  • Bring the dough together with a fork.
  • Move the Bannock dough to a lightly floured surface and knead only until the dough comes together.
  • Do not over knead, this is not a yeast dough, and will be a little sticky, so therefore extra flour is not needed.
  • Break off pieces of dough and flatten with the palm of your hand.
  • Fry in hot oil on medium heat until golden brown and then turn to brown on the other side.
  • Drain on paper towels.
  • Eat warm or room temperature.

Can it be made with whole wheat flour?

Yes this bread can be made with whole wheat flour. It can also be baked rather than fried. Baked on a lightly oiled baking sheet in a pre-heated at 350F (180C) for 25 to 30 minutes.

Although baked Bannock is heavy and dense whereas fried is light and fluffy.

How to store Bannock

It is recommended to eat the bread as soon as it is made, this type of bread isn’t advised for storing.

I hope you decide to give this simple yeast free Bannock Bread a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!

Easy Bannock Bread Recipe - An Italian in my Kitchen (5)

Easy Bannock Bread Recipe - An Italian in my Kitchen (6)

Easy Bannock Bread

Rosemary Molloy

Easy Bannock Bread, a simple fried bread, fast and easy and so delicious, no yeast, the perfect camping, breakfast or side dish.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Course Bread and Pizza, Breakfast, Side Dish

Cuisine American, Canadian, Scottish

Servings 5 servings

Calories 208 kcal

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour (260 grams)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or vegetable oil
  • ¾ cup water (175 grams)
  • vegetable oil for frying

Instructions

  • In a large bowl whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder.

  • Then add the olive oil and whisk together with a fork, gradually add water and stir until the dough almost holds together. Move to a lightly floured flat surface and gently knead about 10 times just until the dough comes together(the dough will be sticky, do not overknead).

  • Divide into 5 balls and flatten with the palm of your hand. Fry in hot oil (350F/175C)on medium heat (enough to cover the bottom of a medium frying pan), until golden brown on both sides (and cooked on the inside). Drain on a paper towel lined plate and eat warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Notes

Do not cook on too high a heat or they will only cook on the outside.

The bread can be made with whole wheat flour, although I would only use 1/2-3/4 cup and the remaining all purpose. It can also be baked rather than fried. Baked on a lightly oiled baking sheet in a pre-heated at 350F (180C) for 25 to 30 minutes.

Although baked Bannock is heavy and dense whereas fried is light and fluffy.

It is recommended to eat the bread as soon as it is made, this type of bread isn’t advised for storing.

Nutrition

Calories: 208kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 3g | Sodium: 236mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 1g | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2.4mg

Did You Make This Recipe?Please leave a comment below or pin it to your Pinterest account!

Updated from June 29, 2017.

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Easy Bannock Bread Recipe - An Italian in my Kitchen (2024)

FAQs

What are the three ways that bannock can be prepared? ›

There are many versions of bannock and different nations make more than one version. Bannock can be baked in a pan or on a stone (camping), shallow pan-fried, or deep-fried.

What is traditional bannock? ›

Bannock is usually unleavened, oval-shaped and flat. The version that we know today came from Scotland. In its most rudimentary form, it is made of flour, water, and fat or lard. Milk, salt, and sugar are often added, depending on the recipe.

Why is my bannock hard? ›

This is the part where you don't want to knead the dough too much because if you do… your bannock will become real hard. So make sure that you knead the dough only about 3-4 times, it should not take too long to do.

Why is my bannock so dense? ›

Don't over mix the dough or you'll end up with dense tough bannock, less handling you get lighter fluffier bannock. Place on a floured surface and flatten out with your hands, (don't use a rolling pin) cut circles out with cookie cutter or glass.

Is fry bread the same as bannock? ›

Bannock is a fry bread

Bannock is a type of fry bread, which originates from Scotland but was eventually adopted by the Indigenous peoples of Canada, particularly the Métis of western Canada. Bannock stems from the Gaelic word bannach, which means “morsel,” a short and sweet but accurate description.

What does bannock taste like? ›

Classic bannock has a smoky, almost nutty flavour blended with a buttery taste, while dessert bannock can have flavours resembling a donut or shortbread. Making bannock is an art that takes years to perfect.

What nationality is bannock? ›

Bannock (British and Irish food), a kind of bread, cooked on a stone or griddle served mainly in Scotland but consumed throughout the British Isles. Bannock (Indigenous American food), various types of bread, usually prepared by pan-frying also known as a native delicacy.

What are the 5 white gifts? ›

The “Five White Gifts” — flour, sugar, salt, milk and lard — are ingredients that are full of historic injustices and ongoing colonial legacies. These five foods were given out in ration boxes by the government of Canada during the 1940s to Indigenous families living on reserves.

What does bannock mean in Scottish? ›

The name Bannock seems to originate from the Old Celtic English “bannuc”, derived from the Latin “panicium” for “bread” or meaning “anything baked”. Made simply from oatmeal and flour, the first citing of a bannock or bannuc recipe in Scotland was in the 8th Century.

How do you keep bannock fresh? ›

It will rise and be about 4 cm (11/2 inches) thick when done. Enjoy with stews or as a sandwich. Store in a plastic bag or closed container. Will keep two to three days at room temperature or five days in the fridge.

How do you make bread not rock hard? ›

In the oven: Preheat oven to 200° or Warm setting. Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place on a baking sheet, and pop it in the oven for 5-10 minutes. In the microwave: Wrap the bread in a damp (not soaking) towel, place it on a microwave-safe dish, and microwave on high for 10 seconds.

Why is my homemade bread always hard? ›

The flour could have too low a protein content, there could be too much salt in the bread recipe, you did not knead it or leave it to proof long enough, or you could have killed the yeast by leaving the dough to rise in a place that was too hot.

How can I make my bread fluffier instead of dense? ›

Potato Flakes or Potato Water

Starch helps the dough by trapping the gas from the yeast in the dough and makes the bubbles stronger. This helps the bread to rise and be lighter and fluffier. If you are boiling potatoes, you can use the unsalted water in place of the water in your bread recipe to help out the yeast.

What is the significance of bannock bread? ›

Despite its controversial origins, Bannock bread symbolizes resilience within Indigenous communities. Creatively blending traditional ingredients with the concept of breadmaking, Indigenous peoples transformed and adapted Bannock, showcasing their resourcefulness in the face of adversity.

What is so special about blue bird flour? ›

Blue Bird Flour is milled in Cortez Colorado with a fine grind and high gluten content. Blue Bird Flour is the key for the best Authentic Native American Frybread! The Native American Frybread Secret. A Bleached enriched Flour Perfect for breads and Donuts as well as cakes and pastries.

What are the 3 basic methods of mixing bread dough? ›

There are three mixing methods used for yeast doughs: the straight dough method, the modified straight dough method, and the sponge method.

What are the three methods for preparing quick breads? ›

Three common mixing methods are the muffin mixing method, the creaming method and the biscuit mixing method. The muffin method suits muffins, loaf breads, pancakes, and waffles. Biscuits and scones benefit from the biscuit method, while the creaming method offers an alternative for muffins and certain bread types.

What are the three types of mixtures used for making quick breads? ›

Quick breads are prepared by the blending-, creaming-, or biscuit-method which determines the final texture and crumb of the finished product. The blending-method, also known as the muffin-method, combines the wet ingredients in one bowl and dry ingredients in a second bowl before mixing together.

What are the best ways to eat bannock? ›

Top with butter, nut butter, jam or you can even melt a cube of cheese inside the dough.

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