This quick and versatile recipe is great to have in your back pocket. It uses simple ingredients you're likely to have on hand and is easily altered to suit almost any meal. I've included multiple mixing and cooking methods for a few different options.
With simple tweaks, you can make a wide variety of biscuits, bannock, and dumplings to suit your taste. Keep them plain or play around with any flavour combinations you can think of.
I like to pre-mix the dry ingredients to take along on camping and cabin trips for a freshly-made bread option that's ready in minutes!
Cold fat is ideal - I like to toss cubed butter in the freezer for a bit before blitzing everything in the food processor.
However, room temp or even melted fat is fine too. Use a fork, two knives, or a pastry cutter to mix it evenly throughout the flour mixture.
For rolled out biscuits - start by adding 2/3 cup of liquid and stir. Add more liquid if needed, just a little at a time, until the mixture comes together in a ball.
For drop biscuits and dumplings - add 1 cup of liquid and mix until the dry ingredients are fully incorporated.
For fried bannock - add 3/4 cup of liquid and mix together. Add a little more, if needed, until the dough is easy to work with. I like it a little on the wetter side and typically add closer to the 1 cup mark.
For rolled out biscuits - turn dough onto a floured surface and knead 10 times. Roll out to 3/4" thickness. Use a floured biscuit cutter or cup pressed straight down into the dough without twisting to cut biscuits. Place onto a parchment-lined baking sheet.
For drop biscuits and dumplings - use two spoons to drop biscuits onto a parchment-lined baking sheet. Dumplings can be dropped directly into the simmering soup or stew.
For fried bannock - using floured hands, shape dough into rounds in your palm. Aim for roughly a 1/2" thickness. Set aside while heating fat in a skillet over medium heat.
For rolled out biscuits - bake in a 450F oven for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown.
For drop biscuits - bake in 450F oven for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
For dumplings - drop into simmering soup or stew, cover and let cook for 10-15 minutes. Dumplings are done once doubled in size and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
For fried bannock - heat a generous amount of fat in a skillet over medium heat. I prefer bacon fat but butter, lard, or oil will also work. Place dough rounds into hot skillet and fry for 3-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and cooked through.
This recipe leaves a lot of room for interpretation. The methods used as well as any additions you might want to include can transform this into whatever you desire.
Biscuits and bannock can be used for sandwiches, burgers, breakfast sandwiches, a side for almost any meal, or simply add butter, jam, cheese, or any other toppings for a delicious snack.
This dough can also be used for things other than the biscuits, bannock, and dumplings noted above. Try wrapping it around a stick and roasting it on an open fire. Or wrap sausages or hotdogs and fry for an alternative to buns. The possibilities are endless!