British Open Bannocks for everyone!

The surprisingly delicious-tasting Scottish Bannock is a welcome change! If you're a big Outlander fan like I am, you'll appreciate the reference to Bannocks throughout the series. 

After mixing ingredients a dough begins to form

Place the dough on a lightly, floured surface

After kneading the dough a couple of times, roll it into a ball

Flatten the dough to an eight-inch circumference

Use one T. of coconut oil per side or 2 T. total

Fry the Bannock 10 plus minutes until golden brown

Flip the Bannock over and fry the other side (about 10 minutes)

Slice the Bannock and serve with butter or a sweet jam

Store the Bannock in a container for up to three days in the fridge. 

Jump on the Scottish bandwagon with me! This was such a fun recipe to create. The bread wasn't what I expected at all; maybe the texture but not the flavor. It reminded me of the crusty brown bread served at steakhouses. It's hardy with earthy undertones!

My introduction to Bannocks was through the Outlander series. It was during the height of the pandemic and I was looking for something to watch on tv.  My daughter suggested the series and I got hooked! 

In the show, the characters are always traveling around, talking about,  and eating Bannocks. I knew it was a form of unleavened bread but that's about all I knew. I enjoy historical fiction and Outlander is my cup of tea. Speaking of tea, Bannocks are a wonderful accompaniment to tea. I digress. 

One of the Outlander episodes that really focused on Bannocks was Jamie and Claire's return to Lallybrock. There was a Bannock mishap. Jamie had been drinking the night before and was told to eat a Bannock for breakfast (apparently it's a cure for hangovers). He said something about the Bannock tasting terrible. Mrs. Crook said she had to grind the flour by hand causing it to have a pebble-like texture.

Well, the old mill was broken; the mill that grinds the flour. Jamie got pretty upset about it and decided to take matters into his own hands and fix the mill. Long story short, he fixed the mill and ended up naked in the ice-cold creek. What he said about the chill...you'll have to watch the series. 

So many references to Bannock's, I had to check it out. After some investigating, I created my own recipe with my little twist. 

Ingredients:
Two cups of rolled oats
One cup of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
3/4 teaspoon of salt
3/4 teaspoon of smoky paprika
3/4 cup of buttermilk substitute which is 3/4 cup of any kind of milk. I used lactose-free and 1 1/2 teaspoons of freshly-squeezed lemon juice. Add the two together. Let it sit for 30 minutes. You'll see the milk look curdled. It's a great substitute. 
2 T. coconut oil 

Directions:
Use a high-powered blender to grind the old-fashioned rolled oats. Add to a mixing bowl. Add the flour, baking soda, salt, and paprika. Mix. Add the milk. Begin to form the dough.

Lightly flour a surface. Knead the dough a couple of times. Form into a ball. Flatten to a circumference of approximately eight inches. 

Heat one T. of coconut oil on medium heat. Place the Bannock in the oil. Cook 10 plus minutes or until golden brown. Flip. Fry the other side for about 10 more minutes. Take out of the pan. Cut into eight pieces. Serve with butter or a sweet jam. Store the remaining Bannocks in an airtight container for up to three days in the refrigerator.