Canadian recipe

Métis-Style Campfire Bannock

Name: Métis-Style Campfire Bannock
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Canadian cuisine
Ingredients: 500 g all-purpose flour, plus a little for shaping; 15 g baking powder; 8 g fine salt; 35 g granulated sugar; 300 ml cool water, added gradually; 45 ml neutral oil or melted lard, plus more to grease the pan

A simple, lightly sweet bannock inspired by one Parks Canada-documented Métis campfire recipe: a soft flour dough cooked in a greased cast-iron pan until golden outside and tender inside.

Rocky Mountain House, Alberta (one documented Métis adaptation)

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 20 min
Total: 40 min
Servings: 6

Rustic golden campfire bannock rounds made in a cast-iron skillet — **Real finished-dish photograph**Photograph by Carl SteinbeißerSource page · Original file · CC BY-SA 3.0Cropped, resized, and compressed by Recipe Nest Vault.

Ingredients

500 g
all-purpose flour, plus a little for shaping
15 g
baking powder
8 g
fine salt
35 g
granulated sugar
300 ml
cool water, added gradually
45 ml
neutral oil or melted lard, plus more to grease the pan

Method

01
Prepare the cooking area
Build a stable bed of glowing embers or preheat a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Set the pan level and keep a heat-safe plate nearby.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
02
Mix the dry ingredients
Whisk flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together in a large bowl, breaking up any lumps so the leavening is evenly distributed.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
03
Make a soft dough
Stir in 250 ml water and the oil or melted lard. Add the remaining water a tablespoon at a time only until no dry flour remains; knead gently for about 1 minute.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
04
Shape the bannock
Divide into 6 equal pieces. With lightly floured hands, shape each into a thick round about 10 cm wide; keep the pieces thick rather than flattening them like crackers.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
05
Cook slowly until golden
Grease the skillet lightly. Cook the rounds in batches over gentle steady heat for 7–9 minutes per side, turning once, until golden brown and cooked through. Move the pan away from direct flames if the bottoms darken too quickly.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph
06
Rest and serve warm
Rest the bannock on a clean cloth for 5 minutes. Serve warm plain, with butter, or with a little berry jam; avoid presenting one recipe as the only bannock tradition.
Cooking-step illustration, not a photograph

Practical notes

Tips

Handle the dough gently and avoid adding excess flour; a slightly tacky dough fries tender instead of dense.
Keep the oil at a steady moderate temperature so the centre cooks before the outside darkens.

Common mistakes

Oil that is too hot browns the outside before the centre cooks; oil that is too cool makes the bread greasy.
Pressing or puncturing after the bread begins to puff can deflate the pocket and create a dense centre.

Substitutions

For the Métis campfire adaptation here, a cast-iron skillet on a stovetop can replace the fire; cook in batches and control heat carefully.
Flour and fat choices vary among communities and families; do not describe this single documented version as universal bannock.

Storage

Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate within 2 hours at 0–4°C for up to 3 days. Reheat only the portion needed until piping hot throughout.

Cultural context

Bannock recipes and meanings vary among Indigenous peoples, Métis communities and families. This version is explicitly adapted from the Parks Canada recipe served by Métis interpreters at Rocky Mountain House; it is one documented example, not a universal recipe.

Sources and photo credit

This standardized method was independently rewritten after cross-checking the references below. Recipe Nest Vault does not claim that the credited photographer cooked from this exact version.

Recipe references

Bannock 2.JPG — Photograph by Carl Steinbeißer; CC BY-SA 3.0.

Step illustrations: Original illustrations created by Recipe Nest Vault with OpenAI image_gen.

Back to Canadian recipes

Métis-Style Campfire Bannock

Ingredients

Method

Prepare the cooking area

Mix the dry ingredients

Make a soft dough

Shape the bannock

Cook slowly until golden

Rest and serve warm

Sources and photo credit

Recipe references

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