# Survival Bread



## swjohnsey (Jan 21, 2013)

I normally don't eat alot of bread. When I do it is whole wheat. This ain't gonna work in a survival situation. I have baked whole wheat bread and the process ain't pretty. When I'm backpackin' I like to carry flour tortilla. They are high in calories, they meet my 100 calories/ounce requirement and they are durable. Oh yeah, they are cheap.

I am storing lard, enriched flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. I need simple bread that is quick and easy to prepare using simple ingredients.

The first try was flour tortilla. All you need is flour, lard, salt and water. I used 2 cups flour, 1/4 cup lard, teaspoon salt and about a cup of water. Dump flour and salt in bowl and mix together. Cut in lard. I just used my hands to squish it up until the lard was indistinquishable. Add water, about half first and then a little at a time until you get it to the consistancy you want. It should form a ball that you can pick up and work.

Turn the ball out on a floured surface. I used a big plastic cutting board. Kneed the dough for a couple of minutes or so. While you are doing the preheat a skillet. Cut the dough into ten or so golf ball sized balls. Roll one of these out into a tortilla, thin as you can get it. using a rolling pin or a piece of 1" dowel. Throw it into the hot skillet and smooth it out by hand. Cook it for about 30 seconds, check it to see if it is browning. Fliip it over and cook on the other side 'til brown to your satisfaction, flip it again and cook another 30 seconds. While you are doin' all this flippin' a pro will be rolling out the next tortilla.

Pan de campo, cowboy bread was second experiment. Same ingredients with the addition of 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Water need to be hot/warm to get the baking powder to work. My baking powder was old and didn't work very well. Check it by putting some into hot/warm water. It should foam up. The process is the same as for tortilla until you start to cut it into balls. Take the ball of dough and put it in a skillet you can put in the oven or on a pan or cookie sheet. Smash the dough down 'til it is a circle about 1 inch thick and maybe 10 inches in diameter. Put it in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes or you can cook it in a skillet over a fire or in a dutch oven.

You can make balls like you do with tortilla but put them in a dutch oven. Fill the bottom of the dutch oven and you will have cowboy biscuits.

Tell me what y'all are doin'.


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## hillobeans (May 17, 2012)

Thanks for the recipes, swjohnsey- I think even I should be able to handle these without screwing them up too badly . Bookmarked.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I think matzo would be a good survival food. I mean the Hebrews survived on it in the desert.

Unleavened bread of any kind for that fact.


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## AnonyManx (Oct 2, 2012)

Grimm said:


> I think matzo would be a good survival food. I mean the Hebrews survived on it in the desert.
> 
> Unleavened bread of any kind for that fact.


I suspect that modern matzoh made from refined flour (from modern-day, high-gluten, highly-hybridized wheat) is vastly different than the manna that was eaten during the wandering a in the wilderness.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

AnonyManx said:


> I suspect that modern matzoh made from refined flour (from modern-day, high-gluten, highly-hybridized wheat) is vastly different than the manna that was eaten during the wandering a in the wilderness.


Manna is different than the matzo eaten by the Hebrews. Manna was from God given to the Hebrews and not man-made like bread. It is believed it is a type of algae. But then don't get me started on the 'manna machine' theories.


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

I love making flour tortillas, my problem is I end up making sopapillas out of the leftovers... so I always make enough for plenty of leftovers. LOL dang they are good!


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

Swjohnsey, I'm confused why breadmaking won't work in a survival situation? The Amish make bread without electricity and bake it on a woodstove so why is it not going to work? Are you talking about a bug out situation? 

Tortilla flour is just wheat flour with lime added to release the vitamin B. It doesn't keep any longer than regular flour. Flour for corn tortillas lasts even less time.


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## swjohnsey (Jan 21, 2013)

Breadmaking will work, just takes lotsa time and effort. It takes about all day to make a loaf of bread which is why pioneers usually baked once a week or so.


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

swjohnsey said:


> Breadmaking will work, just takes lotsa time and effort. It takes about all day to make a loaf of bread which is why pioneers usually baked once a week or so.


I make artisan breads, as in Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. It doesn't take a lot of time or effort. Worth looking into if you are interested.


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## swjohnsey (Jan 21, 2013)

Tell me more.


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## Lake Windsong (Nov 27, 2009)

Lots of varieties to the recipes, I recommend the book, check to see if your library has it.
Dissolve 1 1/2 tsp yeast in 3 cup warm water. Then add 1 1/2 tbs salt and 6 1/2 cup flour. Mix only till moist, hand mixing is fine, let it rise at room temperature couple hrs, overnight is fine. You can refrigerate the dough after that, breaking off handfuls to bake. Flour your hands to quickly shape out a round loaf,place an empty broiler pan on bottom shelf of oven and preheat oven 450 F while the loaf rests. (You can dust the pan/stone you cook it on with cornmeal for a rustic, country bread texture to prevent sticking). Dust the top of loaf with flour, slash a design on the top with a serrated knife. Pour about a cup of water into the broiler pan and place your bread pan on the next higher shelf. Takes about 30 minutes to bake. Refrigerate the rest of the dough up to 2 weeks, just don't put it in a totally airtight container.
You can experiment with adding different ingredients, and there are lots of varieties in the book and on online recipe sites. Fresh bread at every meal *smile*


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## Davarm (Oct 22, 2011)

Have you ever thought about cornbread?

Its easy to make and can be made while backpacking with a simple reflector oven made of some foil and cardboard. If you use home ground cornmeal, you can also use the meal to to make corn tortillas(no leavening needed). I wouldn't recommend store bought cornmeal, doesn't work or taste very good.



swjohnsey said:


> I normally don't eat alot of bread. When I do it is whole wheat. This ain't gonna work in a survival situation. I have baked whole wheat bread and the process ain't pretty. When I'm backpackin' I like to carry flour tortilla. They are high in calories, they meet my 100 calories/ounce requirement and they are durable. Oh yeah, they are cheap.
> 
> I am storing lard, enriched flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. I need simple bread that is quick and easy to prepare using simple ingredients.
> 
> ...


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## swjohnsey (Jan 21, 2013)

I just made a solar box cooker. The weather hasn't been very cooperative lately but I'm lookin' for stuff that will work in it. I'm gonna try the pan de campo and corn bread.


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