06/24/2023
Last night we camped up north in preparation for this weekend's orienteering workshop. We had a lesson in making ash bread, which can be baked on a campfire without any cooking utensils so it's a way to make fresh-baked bread when backpacking without carrying any extra gear. After mixing up 3 batches of dough, Garrett, Matt and Jay kept it warm for an hour in their "proofing ovens" until the dough had risen and their bellies had doubled in size.
When part of the fire had burned down to white ash, we placed the wet dough directly on the ashes in a flat "loaf" about an inch thick. Flipping it every few minutes with sticks, we baked each loaf for 10-15 minutes. Surprisingly the ashes will mostly just fall off when the bread is tapped on a rock or log, and what ashes remain have little effect on the flavor.
Our results were good, a little underbaked in the center but very tasty when drizzled with honey. So next time you go camping, consider baking some fresh bread on your campfire! Here's our simple recipe:
166g flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp yeast
1T butter powder
Put in 1 quart Ziploc bag. Add 100ml / 3.5oz water and knead until smooth. Keep warm for about 1 hour. Place dough on hot ashes, and flip every few minutes until it sounds hollow when tapped.
