If you don’t already know, I love camping. In recent years I’ve been exploring more into the backcountry and exploring away from front country camping but regardless of where I am or how far away from civilization I may be, I still prioritize having really good food.
Personally, after a long day outside nothing is better than a big mess of carbs to replenish my energy. Enter bread on a stick. This simple and hassle free recipe is great because it gives you the ability to replicate the warm cozy feeling of fresh baked goods no matter how deep into the bush you may be.
Being the “mom” of my friend group, I like bread on a stick because its a fun activity that brings everyone together and keeps people entertained. It’s also super rewarding to eat and requires next to no effort. The only effort that goes into this recipe would be making the warm water and mixing the bread in the ziplock bag (basically, it’s really easy).
How to make bread on a stick
To make bread on a stick, you want to do a little bit of prepping at home before you head out to the campsite. Mix together your flour, sugar, salt and instant yeast and stash it into a large Ziploc bag. Also pack your olive oil in a separate container. This can all be stored outside of your cooler with your dry food.
Once you get to the site and are ready to make the bread, heat up your water until its warm but not hot (bath temperature). I always heat up a bit more than I might need in case I need a bit extra.
Mix the warm water and olive oil into the Ziploc bag. I like to close the bag and mix the ingredients together by pushing on the outside of the bag to keep my hands from getting doughy.
Once mixed, place the closed bag containing the dough in a warm spot to rise for about an hour. I like to place mine in the sun or in a hot car. If it’s not that warm out, you can place it beside the fire to rise but make sure the dough is far enough away from the flames so that it doesn’t start cooking.
While waiting for the dough to rise, source out some larger sticks/branches that have about a two-inch diameter. Whittle the ends of these with a knife to get rid of all the crusty bark and reveal a smooth surface that won’t transfer weird crunchy bits onto your bread.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down to deflate it and divide it into your portions. This recipe makes three solid portions but can be stretched to four if you need.
Take each portion and roll it into a rope shape, then wrap the rope around the whittled part of your stick. Pinch the top and the bottom of the dough to secure it and slowly roast the bread over the coals of the hot fire. The key is to slowly cook the bread so it cooks from the inside out without burning.
You can tell your bread is cooked by ripping a small hole into it and looking at the dough inside. It’ll look raw if it’s not fully done.
Once fully cooked, dress up your bread by covering it with your favourite toppings! I like to pre-make garlic butter at home and stash it in my cooler for garlic bread. You can also cover it in cinnamon sugar or jam, whatever you want! Enjoy these warm, they’re best when they’re fresh!
Tips
- In order to get a good fire to cook on, you have to have coals. You can get coals by starting your fire 45-60 minutes before you’re ready to cook. They will form naturally but need time to burn down.
- A propane fire doesn’t have coals and is not ideal for cooking on top of.
- Cook the bread slow and steady, rotating often to prevent it from burning. Keep it away from the flames and instead try to find hot pockets with coals to get a nice even bake.
- Be sure to check fire restrictions in your area before having a campfire. Always make sure your fire is put out fully before leaving it unattended or leaving the site. To do this, drench it in water and push the coals around continuously until it’s cool to the touch and you can leave your hand on the pit without burning.
Campfire Bread on a Stick
Ingredients
- 1 tsp instant dried yeast
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2½ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 200 ml warm water approx
- toppings (garlic butter, cinnamon sugar, etc.) optional
Instructions
- At home in a Ziploc bag combine the instant yeast, sugar, flour and salt. Put the olive oil into a small container.
- At the campsite, heat up the water until it's warm but not hot (warm bath temperature). Add in the olive oil to the dry ingredients in the Ziploc and gradually add in the water into you get a doughy consistency (usually ~200ml). The dough will be sticky but not super wet.
- Mix together the ingredients inside the Ziploc by closing the top and squishing the sides together. You don't need to knead the dough. Set the dough aside in a warm place to rise for about an hour.
- While the dough is rising, find a couple large sticks with a diameter of approximately two inches. Whittle the ends of the stick with a Swiss Army Knife or carving knife to get a smooth surface for your dough. This is optional but I prefer this to get a nice clean stick.
- Once the dough has risen, divide into four equal portions and roll each portion into a rope shape. Pinch one end of the rope onto the top of the stick and wrap the dough around to form a cone/swirl on the stick. Pinch the bottom to secure it onto the stick even more.
- Hold or prop your stick up over the fire, choosing a spot with hot coals/embers to cook your dough evenly. Make sure to continuously rotate the bread so it doesn't burn.
- You can tell your bread is done by pulling out a small bit to peak at the inside. It will still look quite doughy and will be a bit squishy if it's not fully cooked. Enjoy your bread as is or top with some fresh garlic butter, cinnamon sugar or whatever your heart desires!