Bread making on the Bibbulmun Track
While on the Bibbulmun Track, Dave and I made bread every day except town days (approximately 50 loaves), so we learnt a bit about what worked best.
This is what we did:
- What you need
- We used one stainless steel pot, one rack (the bottom of a chip frying basket), a small stuff sack with well-floured handkerchief inside (for rising), a disposable glove (keeps dough out of the fingernails) and a 1-litre plastic measuring jug.
We had pre-measured 200gm bags of breadmix (make your own or purchase at the supermarket) and some yeast.
To avoid burning, your stove must have a really low setting.
- Preparing the dough
- Put a little breadmix into the handkerchief (prevents sticking while rising) and the rest into the jug with 1 tsp of yeast and enough warm water to make a dough. Avoid too much water as you do not want the dough to stick to the handkerchief. Knead in the jug until elastic then wrap loosely in the floured handkerchief. Put in the stuff sack then under somebody's shirt (next to the body!).
Keep in your sleeping bag at night (yes it got flattened more than once, but at least it was warm!). Re-knead the next morning, re-wrap loosely in the handkerchief and put back in the stuff sack. Put on the rack inside the pot ready for carrying. Warm it up on a very slow stove before leaving camp. Carry the dough in the pot until lunch time.
- Cooking the bread
- Unwrap, trying to avoid collapsing the dough, place on the rack in the pot and cook over a very slow flame for 25 minutes or until it sounds hollow when tapped. Fight off the competition and enjoy!
Susan Guscott