Calorie Dense Bannock

One of the things I wanted to avoid on our Winter Skills Camp was spending a lot of time preparing food.

So a little thinking and preparation in advance was in order.

What I wanted to come up with was a calorie dense food that would

1) Supply quick energy from simple carbohydrates

and

2) Longer burning energy from complex carbohydrates.

So into the kitchen I go to throw some ingredients together.

I baked 3 small loaves during the day Thursday using a small (6 inch) enameled steel skillet.

Here's the mix ...

1/4 cup plain white flour

1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 packet instant oatmeal (maple and brown sugar)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3/4 cup raisins

Enough milk to make it a good (slightly on the wet side) dough

Bake at 375 degrees until done.

(About 30-35 minutes)

We were surprised when we tallied up the calorie count. One small loaf contains something to the tune of 770 calories.

Other than 180 calories from the 2 packets of hot chocolate that I had Saturday night, this bread was my sole source of sustenance from Saturday morning until we returned to base camp late Sunday morning.

How did the idea work out considering the cool temperatures and amount of physical exertion?

Exceptionally well. Not just in the taste department.

At no time during the day Saturday, overnight on Gazebo Hill, or Sunday morning and the return hike did I experience any noticeable loss of physical energy.

Having done this initial experimentation ... the next batch will be adjusted to include protein. Either from nuts or eggs. 

All of the dry ingredients (and a measure of powdered milk) can be mixed in advance, packed along, mixed with a little water and baked next to some hot coals.