Lazy Man's Skillet Bannock Recipe from Francois Lake Cabin

This easy skillet bannock is made for the lazy cook. Mix it like pancake batter and in minutes you’ll have a warm, tender slab of bannock to slather with butter. (Skip to recipe.)

Summer has flown by.

We hosted dear friends from Germany, attended a family reunion, and spent slow, restorative days at the cabin with mom and my sisters — saunas, long conversations and a little wine. Those stretches of warm, endless childhood days feel shorter each year. Now the months blur faster, full of good things, but somehow moving quicker than before.

One bright day we canoed the North Saskatchewan River with our German guests, and later took shelter in an Edmonton subway station during an enormous thunderstorm that flooded streets and stranded cars. That was an adventure we won’t forget.

The family reunion was held at my uncle’s lakehouse outside Kamloops, B.C. It marked 60 years since our family immigrated from Germany. Reconnecting with aunts, uncles and cousins, hearing the older generation’s stories about leaving home and starting anew in Canada, made me proud and grateful for our family history.

skillet bannock, and family reunion cake — My cousin’s daughter Tanis is a wonderful baker; she made the reunion cake and all the breads for the weekend.

After the reunion we retreated to Francois Lake, one of my favourite places. Dad built the cabin and every corner holds memories of family summers and our children growing up.

skillet bannock and morning coffee at Francois Lake — Nothing beats morning coffee outside, watching fish jump on the lake.

skillet bannock and the fisherwoman's outhouse at Francois Lake — Amenities are outdoors — and the view is worth it.

view from the 'throne' at Francois Lake — The view while sitting on the ‘throne’ with the door open is of the lake and sauna hut — nothing to top that.

skillet bannock, a gift of fresh rainbow trout — A neighbour gifted us fresh rainbow trout.

skillet bannock and the old tire swing — Our kids put a lot of miles on this tire when they were little.

skillet bannock and shelling beans at Francois Lake — Even chores are enjoyable here — Mom shelling broad beans.

skillet bannock, and lamb chops over the campfire — Is the fire hot enough yet?

Francois Lake cabin, meals outside — One of our campfire meals: minted lamb chop, campfire corn, potatoes and sautéed beet greens with bacon.

evening bonfire at Francois Lake, skillet bannock — A big bonfire with neighbours on a velvety evening.

skillet bannock, and wildflowers at the cabin — The wildflowers welcomed us.

Bannock is part of our cabin ritual. My sister Nancy teaches at a school with many Indigenous students and learned classic bannock techniques there. She’s become our family’s bannock expert. We wrap strips of dough around poplar sticks to roast over the fire or shape it into patties to fry in a cast-iron skillet — this dense, flaky camp biscuit is a favourite. At the cabin there’s even a small pamphlet of traditional bannock recipes from British Columbia First Nations.

Nancy baked a skillet bannock one evening and we tore off warm wedges, spreading them with butter. It was flaky, satisfying and exactly what a lakeside meal needs.

a warm wedge of skillet bannock — A warm wedge of Lazyman’s Bannock — stirred and cooked in a skillet.

Back home I tested a lazyman’s bannock from the pamphlet. It worked beautifully even with a gluten-free flour blend. This skillet version is moister and softer than traditional bannock — more like a firm pancake — but still perfect for melting butter on top. It’s quick to make and ideal alongside a pot of homemade soup.

greased pan ready for skillet bannock — A greased skillet ready for the bannock batter.

Anything called “Lazy Man’s” gets my attention.

Skillet Bannock with butter and jam — Delicious warm from the oven, with butter and jam.

I’m a bit of a bannock enthusiast and already have a couple of versions I enjoy, but this easy skillet recipe is now a regular in my kitchen. It’s simple, forgiving and fast.

* * * * *

Kitchen notes: This bannock is very simple — rub cold butter or lard into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse oatmeal, then stir in milk and water to make a lumpy batter. You can’t wrap this loose batter around a stick, but you can bake it in a skillet or on a grate over hot coals at the campsite. Cooking time over a fire depends on the heat, but the bannock is done when the center springs back to the touch or a skewer comes out with only dry crumbs.

You can prepare the dry mix (with the fat rubbed in) ahead and store it in a sealed bag for camping; add liquid when ready to bake. I’ve tested the gluten-free version with my own mix and it turns out light and tender. Regular wheat flour will brown more on top.

Lazyman Skillet Bannock

adapted from Thelma Blackstock’s recipe in Bannock Awareness (British Columbia Forest Service, 2006)

2 cups (280 g) all-purpose flour, or 2¼ cups (315 g) gluten-free flour mix
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup butter or lard, plus extra for greasing
1 cup (240 ml) milk (or plant-based milk)
1 cup (240 ml) water

Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Grease a 10-inch (25 cm) cast-iron skillet generously with butter or lard (an 8–9 inch square baking dish also works).

In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Rub in the butter or lard with your fingertips until the mixture forms coarse, oatmeal-sized crumbs. Stir in the milk and water until the flour is fully moistened; the batter should remain slightly lumpy.

Pour the batter into the greased skillet and bake 20–25 minutes, until the center springs back when pressed. For campfire cooking, use hot coals and a grate; cooking time will vary with heat and distance from the coals.

Allow the bannock to cool briefly, then cut into wedges or squares. Serve warm, split and spread with butter as a side, or with butter and jam for breakfast or a snack. Serves 8–9.

Note: Photos in this post show the gluten-free version. Gluten-free bakes tend not to brown as much, but the flavour and texture are excellent.

Guten Appetit!

If you enjoy these recipes, please follow along on social media — I share updates and new ideas regularly.