How to Bake Bannock

Yields: 1 loaf

Preparation time: over 2 hours

Cooking time: 50 mins

Ingredients needed to make Bannock:

• 9 oz assorted dried fruits
• 1 lb 2 oz strong white flour
• 1 package (7 gm) instant yeast
• 2 oz light muscovado sugar
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 4 ½ oz unsalted butter, melted
• Beaten egg

Cooking instructions for Bannock:

• Pour 9 fl oz of lukewarm water in a large bowl and whisk in the caster sugar as well as the yeast until they dissolve; let it rest for about 10 minutes, or until it froths up.
• Fold in the flour gradually, along with a large knob of butter, until they blend thoroughly and clump together to form a soft dough.
• Place it on a working surface, dusted previously with flour, and massage it for about 5 minutes or until it turns flexible.
• Transfer it into a lightly greased bowl and roll it along its sides to grease it up slightly.
• Wrap it up in a tea towel and set aside for an hour, in a warm place, until it rises to double its size.
• After an hour, unwrap the dough and knock it down with your knuckles before returning it to the floured surface.
• Knead in the muscovado sugar, followed by the dried fruits, until they are distributed evenly throughout the dough.
• Roll it into a ball and place it on a lightly-oiled baking sheet.
• Wrap it back in a moist kitchen towel and set aside for half an hour, in the warm place, until it doubles in size.
• Warm up your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Paint the surface of the dough with the beaten egg and bake in the oven for 50 minutes or until it is baked through and puffs up to turn rich brown in colour; cover it loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil in case the bannock tends to brown quickly.
• Remove from oven and set aside until it is cool enough to handle.
• Carve out thick slices and add a large dollop of butter on top of each such slice.
• Serve warm.

 Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

Last Updated on March 5, 2013 by