I’ve got a true frontier bread recipe for you to try today. I wish I could claim this was handed down from mother to daughter from my great-great-grandmother, but I can’t. Since Linda beat me to biscuits, and Cheryl has a delicious-looking cornbread recipe coming on Friday–and I rarely plan far enough ahead to make yeast rolls–I had to go hunting. Luckily, there are some excellent cowboy cooking sites on the internet. So here’s Frying Pan Bread, from the Legends of America site, to go with Pam’s Italian Sausage Tortellini Soup and Elizabeth’s Stampede’s Comin’ Chili. I added a few suggestions of my own [in the brackets], but the link for the original recipe is at the end. Enjoy!
Frying Pan Bread [also called Bannock]
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
Water
Thoroughly mix dry ingredients. Add just enough cold water to make a stiff dough. [something under ½ cup for me]. Now let the dough rest while you heat up your skillet to medium, then add a little butter or bacon fat so the bread doesn’t stick.
Working dough as little as possible, form a 1-inch thick cake. Lay the cake on a greased, pre-warmed skillet. Brown the bottom of the cake lightly and flip or turn with a spatula to brown the other side. When both sides are lightly browned, prop the skillet in front of the fire [or slide it into a 375-400 degree oven] and let it bake [for 10-15 minutes]. Test for doneness by thumping the cake with a spoon handle or stick. A hollow ringing sound indicates doneness. An alternative test is to jab the cake with a twig or matchstick. If the twig comes out clean (no clinging dough), the cake is done.
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-frontierrecipes4.html#
History, Texas, cowboys, horses—these are a few of Tracy’s favorite things. Check out her westerns at www.TracyGarrett.com.
Love the website. I can’t eat wheat products so may have to investigate with rice flour!
Peace and thanks, Julie
That should work, Julie. Thanks for dropping in so early. 🙂
This reminds me of fried cornbread that I make. I use cornmeal, egg, and a little milk. Stir it up and fry it in skillet. Good with peas, beans, and greens.
Tracy, love the recipe! Simple and easy, right up my alley. Thanks for sharing. Hugs, P
This reminds me of the recipe for Navajo fry bread, Tracy. Wondering if this recipe has a Native American connection…
Anyway, it sounds delicious.
oooooooo, i LOVE simplicity 🙂
This sounds wonderful, Tracy. We had a fry bread on the wagon train trip that was absolutely mouth-watering. Wonder if this is it! xoxo
Tracy, I’ve always wanted to try frying pan bread but never had a recipe. It sounds delicious. And so easy. And it would sure put me in the mood to write. It would definitely take me back to the Old West. I can just picture cowboys (or American Indians) sitting around a campfire eating this with stew or beans.
Sorry I took your biscuit recipe from you. I didn’t know that was what you had planned.
Hi Tracy, My sons will love this! And it couldn’t be easier…
I love 4 ingredient recipes. This is what I call deadline fare.
Easy bread…right up my alley! Thanks for the recipe. 🙂