Fried Bannock Recipe (2024)

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This Fried Bannock Recipe is soft, fluffy, and pan-fried to golden brown perfection. It's a simple food that can be eaten as a snack, breakfast, or side for any meal.

Looking for more Canadian recipes? Try my Beavertails and Timbits next!

Fried Bannock Recipe (1)
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  • 🥖 About Fried Bannock
  • 🧂 Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 📋 Recipe
  • 🍽 More Recipes You'll Love

🥖 About Fried Bannock

Bannock is a type of bread that was eaten by early settlers, fur traders, and Indigenous peoples in North America. While Scottish fur traders initially introduced it, it is now mostly associated with Indigenous peoples.

The first time I had bannock was at the PNE in Vancouver! An indigenous lady was selling them at a small table, along with some homemade clothing and jewelry. They were super delicious!

If you've never had bannock before, they're similar to most flatbreads but thicker and maybe a bit more dense. They taste delicious by themselves, but most people eat them with a side of jam or butter.

🧂 Ingredients

Fried Bannock Recipe (2)

The basic recipe consists of flour, water, fat (or lard), and salt. Some people prefer to use milk instead of water for a softer crumb, but personally, I prefer water because it makes their shelf life longer.

Traditionally, the dough is unleavened, however, nowadays, most recipes include baking powder to make them lighter and fluffier.

  • Flour: This recipe was tested using all-purpose flour.
  • Salt: I used coarse kosher salt in this recipe. I use a 2% concentration to ensure the bread is perfectly seasoned. For 3 cups of flour, that's about one and a half teaspoons. Reduce the amount by half if you use fine sea or table salt.
  • Oil: For frying the bannock bread, choose a neutral-flavored oil, such as canola or vegetable oil. Lard also works well.
  • Baking Powder: Just a small amount makes the bread lighter and fluffier. Usually, 1 teaspoon per cup of flour is required, so my recipe calls for 3 teaspoons, which is equivalent to 1 tablespoon.
  • Water: Yup, you'll need some water, too. You can substitute half of it with milk for a more tender crumb.

🔪 Instructions

STEP 1: In a large bowl, mix together flour, salt, and baking powder.

STEP 2: Add water and stir until a dough forms. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes until the flour is well-absorbed. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes; this helps the gluten relax, making the dough easier to work with.

Fried Bannock Recipe (5)
Fried Bannock Recipe (6)

STEP 3: Heat ½ cup of oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Break off small pieces of the dough, flattening each to about ½ inch thick.

STEP 4: Fry each piece in the hot oil until golden brown on both sides, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the fried bannock to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve with your favorite jam, and enjoy!

Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days. I like to air-fry them for a couple of minutes at 400℉ to re-crisp them.

Fried Bannock Recipe (7)

📋 Please Note
I'm a non-indigenous home cook sharing my attempt at recreating Bannock. The first time I tried Bannock was at the PNE, where an Indigenous person at a small stand was selling them. It was super tasty.

While my intention is to appreciate this dish, I want to acknowledge its cultural significance for Indigenous communities. My perspective may not fully capture the depth of this tradition. For a better understanding, I encourage you to read this post.

📋 Recipe

Fried Bannock Recipe (8)

Fried Bannock Recipe

This Fried Bannock Recipe is light, fluffy, and pan-fried to golden brown perfection. It's a simple food that can be eaten as a snack, breakfast, or side for any meal.

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine Canadian

Servings 4 people

Calories 590 kcal

Ingredients

  • 3 cups flour (360g, plus more as needed)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons coarse kosher salt
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons water (270g)
  • ½ cup oil (for frying)

Instructions

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

  • Add water and stir until a dough forms. Knead the dough for 2-3 minutes until the flour is well-absorbed. Allow the dough to rest for 10 minutes; this makes the dough easier to work with.

  • Heat ½ cup of oil in a skillet over medium heat. Break off small pieces of the dough, flattening each to about ½ inch thick.

  • Fry each piece in the hot oil until golden brown on both sides, approximately 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer the fried bannock to a paper towel-lined plate. Serve with your favorite jam, and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 590kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 10gFat: 29gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 18gTrans Fat: 0.1gSodium: 1195mgPotassium: 101mgFiber: 3gSugar: 0.3gCalcium: 193mgIron: 5mg

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.

Did you make this?Let me know how it was!

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Fried Bannock Recipe (2024)

FAQs

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 is Native American bannock? ›

Bannock, a round of mostly flour, baking powder, water and some sort of fat, has been a part of Indigenous peoples' diets since the 18th century. It is believed that bannock, derived from the Gaelic word bannach, was introduced here by the Scottish fur traders.

Why do Canadians eat bannock? ›

Bannock became a staple for voyageurs, fur traders, prospectors, and later, Indigenous peoples. It is a quick and simple carbohydrate-rich food, which was hard to come by in many parts of Canada. Many would mix the dough right into their flour bag, and toss it onto a pan whenever the need arose.

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. It's amazing this tasty bread is still baked today!

Why do Native Americans eat fry bread? ›

To prevent the indigenous populations from starving, the government gave them canned goods as well as white flour, processed sugar and lard—the makings of frybread.

What do Native Americans call fried bread? ›

Frybread (also spelled fry bread) is a dish of the indigenous people of North America that is a flat dough bread, fried or deep-fried in oil, shortening, or lard.

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.

What ethnicity is bannock? ›

The Bannock tribe (Northern Paiute: Pannakwatɨ) were originally Northern Paiute but are more culturally affiliated with the Northern Shoshone. They are in the Great Basin classification of Indigenous People. Their traditional lands include northern Nevada, southeastern Oregon, southern Idaho, and western Wyoming.

Why is bannock good? ›

bannock is the best thing since sliced bread… because it's sliced bread but waaay better. For those who aren't in the know, fry bread and bannock are traditional Indigenous breads that are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. And let me tell you, they're like a warm hug for your taste buds.

What is an interesting fact about bannock? ›

In Scotland, before the 19th century, bannocks were cooked on a bannock stane (Scots for stone), a large, flat, rounded piece of sandstone, placed directly onto a fire, used as a cooking surface. Most modern bannocks are made with baking powder or baking soda as a leavening agent, giving them a light and airy texture.

What are the 5 white gifts? ›

Five White Lies – flour, sugar, salt, dairy, and lard – were “gifted” to Indigenous peoples. The government created the reservation system and forcibly relocated Indigenous peoples to smaller plots of less-resourceful and desirable land.

What did Shoshone bannock eat? ›

They hunted wild game, fished the region's abundant and bountiful streams and rivers (primarily for salmon), and collected native plants and roots such as the camas bulb. Buffalo served as the most significant source of food and raw material for the tribes.

What does Brie mean in Scottish? ›

brie. / (briː) / noun. Scot broth, stock, or juice.

What is the Scottish nickname for whiskey? ›

Uisge beatha is the Scottish Gaelic term for 'water of life' with uisge simply meaning water and beatha meaning life. It is a straightforward translation of the Latin 'aqua vitae'. Over time and through common use in Scotland, uisge beatha was shortened and 'uisge' became known as 'whisky'.

Do Scots still eat bannocks? ›

And what better way to enjoy a 'fly cup' than with a tasty bannock! There are almost as many different bannocks as there are regions in Scotland. In Aberdeenshire a bannock is a hearty pancake usually served with butter and jam, whereas in Angus it refers to an oatcake, and in the Borders it's more like a fruit loaf.

What is another name for fry bread? ›

Fried dough is also known as fry dough, fry bread (bannock), fried bread, doughboys, elephant ears, beaver tails, scones, pizza fritte, frying saucers, and buñuelos (in the case of smaller pieces).

What is the difference between bannock and bread? ›

Bannock is an old English word of Celtic origin and may have been the first word used to describe bread. Many native cultures of North America have also incorporated bannock, or frybread as it is also called, into their cuisine. Bannock is a yeast-less bread that we cook every night in our convection ovens.

What are the different names for bannock? ›

Bannock, skaan (or scone), Indian bread, alatiq, or frybread is found throughout North-American Native cuisine, including that of the Inuit of Canada and Alaska, other Alaska Natives, the First Nations of the rest of Canada, the Native Americans in the United States, and the Métis.

What is bannock similar to? ›

Bannock is a form of flat bread, the same thickness as a scone cooked on a griddle or fried in a pan. Today it may also be baked in an oven. Originally made of oatmeal, it takes the form of a large oatcake.

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