Thanks again to the Townsends Channel for these two videos on primitive "bread". Certainly not brioche, not a croissant, but hearty, easy to prepare food for the trail.
Ash Cakes: The simplest way to turn your corn meal or flower into a simple bread is to "bake" it in the hot coals of a fire.
Preparing The Dough: Creating the lump of dough couldn't be easier. If one carried the corn meal or flour in a leather pouch, one could roll down the sides and make a small depression in the meal and pour some water into it. By stirring the mixture, the water combines to create a the dough, which could then be carefully lifted out and placed on the bannock board, your skillet, or directly on the ash.
These are screen shots from "Long Hunter Vol. 2" with Mark Baker. Of the four DVDs, #2 is the best for the the aspiring trekker. View the images from left to right, top to bottom.
Step 1: Roll the sides of the pouch down the sides.
Step 2: Make a depression in the meal and pour some water into it.
Step3: Stir the dough with a twig or chopstick.
Step 4: Carefully remove the dough ball and knead it gently to insure an even mix.
Now go make some ash cakes!
