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Chickenfeet
03-04-2003, 23:13
Some questions...

1. What is THE best recipe for a nice light sort of pan bread?
2. Do dried eggs (cooked before dehydrating) do the trick? Or should I not even bother putting them in?
3. Why can't I stop watching the stupid banana?
4. What section do grocery stores normally keep their dried milk?

many thanks.
xoxoxoxoxoxo

DebW
03-05-2003, 10:19
You can get by without eggs in most panbread recipes. I looked into egg substitutes once. When the purpose of the egg is just to hold the batter together, the following can be substituted for one egg:

2 Tbsp cornstarch, potato starch, or arrowroot plus 2 Tbsp water

1 heaping Tbsp soy flour plus 2 Tbsp water

I've tried the soy flour and it worked all right. I tend to use whole wheat flour in my pancakes. In a book I have at home there is a nice recipe I've used for cornmeal pancakes that needs no egg. But I like heavy whole grains with a gritty texture.

Pippi
03-06-2003, 13:58
Dried eggs are relatively cheap to buy (especially if you shop around on the Net (kingarthurflour.com has them, but you might find them cheaper elsewhere). I would imagine that that is a much safer and better alternative than pre-cooking eggs and then adding them to a baked item (it's be like adding scrambled eggs to a cake mix).

When we hiked that AT a couple years ago, we "baked" using the plastic cooking bags into which we added generic quick bread mixes (using commercially dried eggs) and then placing the bag in simmering water...that definitely worked for us and it was very fun to have warm muffin-type things in the bitter cold...we stopped "baking" after a month or so when it got warmer. If you were bent on using homemade ingredients, it would be pretty easy to modify many muffin recipes to be doable while backpacking using powdered eggs and vegetable oil....

DebW
03-06-2003, 14:14
Originally posted by strawberryscoop
Some questions...

4. What section do grocery stores normally keep their dried milk?

many thanks.
xoxoxoxoxoxo

Nonfat powdered milk is easy to find, probably near the baking products. It's also possible to find whole dried milk, which tastes alot better. Nestle Nido is one brand. I found it near the babyfoods in a local supermarket. :confused:

Redbeard
03-06-2003, 14:21
The basic recipe for bread is flour, water, yeast. Egg is used to condition the dough into something more cake like. Biuscuit type bread uses baking powder for levening instead of yeast, add eggs to turn buiscuits into pancakes.

Pippi
03-06-2003, 14:44
My assumption is that we were talking about quick breads (which would not use yeast at all, but usually a chemical leavener.) You could fry these breads in a pan in some sort of fat (although they are more difficult to cook evenly that way) or do the submersion technique I described before in an oven-proof plastic bag and simmering water.

Bread does not require yeast or any leavening at all if you want to get technical -- it is just flour and a liquid that has been cooked (i.e. the flatbreads such as matzoh etc.) While you could easily make flatbreads on the trail (hey, just add water to flour, they're really not that interesting when all is said and done).

I love to make bread, but even I would not go through the proofing, kneading, rising process of yeast breads while backpacking...

Redbeard
03-06-2003, 20:52
I was just tryin' to sound smart:D Making real bread is a pain in the booty even with a kitchen.

Haiku
03-07-2003, 12:40
The simplest bread I've made is Indian chapatis. It's only flour and water (approximately one part flour to 1.5 to 2 parts water, experiment as needed). Once mixed, separate into balls about golf ball sized, and roll out flat. Fry on a dry pan (see, no oil needed) a few minutes until cooked. After they're done you can either eat as-is or scorch them directly over a flame (I put them right on the burner of my gas stove, and they puff up a bit). The only tricky part while hiking would be the rolling them out part. You could always spice them up by tossing in some cumin seeds or crushed cardamom pods.

Haiku.

stormin norman
07-17-2003, 22:30
I have made chapatis before and they come out pretty good. I have added raisins and other dried fruit to sweeten them up. You just have to keep an eye on them so they do not burn.

asmtroop3
07-18-2003, 06:59
Native americans make Bannock.
A flat/pan bread made soley out of sunflower mash and flower to form cakes. I mix in some bacon or venison jerky and they keep forever. I use a little honey to dip.Make a Donation to the Jimmy Fund (https://www.jimmyfundwalkregistration.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=22672&lis=1&supId=5741195)

Doctari
11-09-2003, 00:22
Here is my recipe:
Chapattis: Makes 4 - 6, 4” round cakes.
Ingredients: 2 cups fine flour, 1-tsp. salt, pepper to taste. (Mix flour & salt & double zip lock)
On the trail: Gradually mix enough water into zip lock (or in a small bowl as I do), to make a soft dough (About like a piecrust). Knead it well, [optional, this makes handling easier: Set aside for 1 hr. then Knead again.] Divide into small bits & flatten into very thin rounds (apx. 1/8 inch thick). Grease pan with a little oil. Heat pan very hot. Cook rounds 15 - 20 seconds on each side until brown spots appear. DON’T OVER COOK!
Hints: PLEASE, please, please, practice this at home, several times before you hit the trail! I use Golden temple flour as it is specially made for Chapattis, it is available at ethnic food stores (Indian), but almost any wheat flour will do. You can mix ½ cup rice flour for a different flavor & texture (a little gritty but tasty). The oil I use has about a Tbs. of dried Garlic buds in 5 Oz oil this adds that special touch. If you like the taste, try ½ cup rye flour or even corn meal. When I roll out the chapattis I use my Lexan water bottle, with a little oil on it as a rolling pin. As a rolling surface I have a small piece of hard plastic cut to the size of my fry pan, you can use a 2 or 3 Lb coffee can lid cut to size.
Serving suggestions: Brush with a little olive oil & eat as is, peanut butter on a hot chapatti is great, let cool or not & make a sandwich, honey & chapattis for breakfast, etc.

MadAussieInLondon
11-09-2003, 06:53
Biuscuit type bread uses baking powder for levening instead of yeast, add eggs to turn buiscuits into pancakes.

i think your biscuit and my bisiut are two different things. what is biscuits to you?
we dunk bickies in tea. certainly nothing like pancakes?

are are you talking about scones?

Groucho
11-09-2003, 14:28
i think your biscuit and my bisiut are two different things. what is biscuits to you?
we dunk bickies in tea. certainly nothing like pancakes?

are are you talking about scones?

:welcome Biscuits here are scone(like) there. Our cookies are your bickies. I don't think I could ask anyone for a bickie, unless on the trail at least 3 days.

Pancakes would have less fat and more water than a biscuit. Add more fat for waffles.

Our fries are your chips and our chips are your crisps. It's a wonder we can communicate at all.

Got this from watching British comedy, particularly Hyacinth Bucket, er, I mean Bouquet.

Exactly what is involved in the construction of a bacon bottie?, and is that how you spell it? :jump

MadAussieInLondon
11-09-2003, 19:14
Our fries are your chips and our chips are your crisps. It's a wonder we can communicate at all.

Got this from watching British comedy, particularly Hyacinth Bucket, er, I mean Bouquet.

Exactly what is involved in the construction of a bacon bottie?, and is that how you spell it? :jump

well i'm aussie so;

aussie; hot chips = hot chips, cold chips = cold chips.
englisish; hot chips = hot chips/fries, cold chips = crisps.

bacon butty == bacon sandwhich.
chip butty == chip sanger. etc.

i used to like watching keeping up appearances.. i felt for the old bloke ;) hahah
that and One Foot in the Grave....

hahahah

im glad to know scones = biscuits, so i know what I'm asking for when i rock up next year :) hahah

Doctari
11-09-2003, 22:52
You don't happen to have any other recipes for trail food based on Indian cuisine, do you? That's my favourite food, I've been wondering how I was going to have some on the trail. I was thinking of taking those boil-in-the-bag prepared foods (like bengan barta), but they're rather heavy.

I have a recipie for "Everything", will give a look at them for Indian & send ya some. I am writing a cookbook for LD hikers, and still need a few dishes tested on the trail :-)

Doctari

IdahoDavid
11-11-2003, 14:04
You might enjoy this old Native American/Boy Scout method for baking bread without cookware. With a commercially made biscuit mix or your own receipe make a dough you can roll into "snakes" about a foot long. Peel a willow branch about an inch in diameter and shaper one end. Wrap you dough around the branch and position over wood coals or charcoal turning it regularly until its golden brown. (Don't use a pine branch. The pitch adds a bad flavor to the bread.)

I don't know what the rules are about cutting green twigs on the AT, but here in the West willow is common enouhg that cutting the occassional branch is OK. It's good manners to get back away from the trail to collect the branch, however.