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My grandma had an amazing ability to create something special out of nearly nothing. Whether it was forming a beautiful baby blanket out of scraps of old clothing or a delicious apple pie out of just a few ingredients, her ‘can do’ attitude and creativity shone.
She lived out in the country and didn’t go to town often to restock supplies, so what could she do if she ran out of bread and yeast? Emergency flat bread is one delicious answer.
Bread is a great comfort food, especially during an emergency. But if you run out of bread, you might have to get a little creative and try something like emergency flat bread.
This tasty recipe is extremely easy, so you might not want to wait for an emergency to try it! Make it at home in your backyard, on a camping trip, or even in your kitchen.
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How to Get Started with Emergency Flat Bread
To make emergency flat bread, all you need is a heat source like a camp stove, a frying pan, and a little salt, flour, and water. It's a simple bread that doesn’t need any yeast or time to rise, so it’s great if you’re in a hurry to eat. It’s flexible, so you can adapt it to whatever circumstances you’re in: camping, emergencies, or even just for fun.
First, I made my dough, and then I set up my heat source. I used a Trangia, which is a small camp stove that runs on alcohol. You can use any kind of camp stove that you have on hand, whether it’s a propane stove with a burner or even a basic campfire. I only use camp stoves outside, of course. Make sure to always follow the safety precautions with whatever type of stove you are using.
I also used a small cast iron skillet sprayed with cooking spray. I find that cast iron dissipates the heat of the Trangia well and won’t get damaged by the flames. You could even use a griddle if that works better for your situation.
I find it helps to have everything on hand before I start cooking. You’ll probably want some oven mitts and a small spatula for flipping your emergency flat bread. And if you don’t have measuring cups, you can approximate the amounts.
Here’s how to make emergency flat bread.
Tools
- Camp stove
- Frying pan
- Cooking spray
- Spatula
- Oven Mitts
- Measuring cup and spoon
- Cutting board (for rolling dough)
- Rolling pin
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1 cup water (approximately)
- ½ Tsp salt
Directions
- To make the dough, put 2 cups of flour into a large bowl.
- Mix in ½ tsp of salt.
- Slowly, add water, just a little bit at a time. You may need as little as ¼ cup, depending on your climate and the type of flour you used. I needed about ½ cup of water.
- Mix the flour and water together until you form a soft dough. The dough should be just wet enough that it sticks together but it should not be sticky. If you find it’s getting too sticky, add more flour for balance.
- Knead the dough a few times until it forms a ball.
- Divide your dough into 8 to 10 balls.
- Roll them out onto a floured cutting board or counter top. Try to keep their round shape and roll them out as thinly as you can without them falling apart. They should resemble a tortilla.
- Light your camp stove and put your pan on it to heat up.
- Spray your pan with cooking spray. If you don’t have cooking spray, you can use a little bit of butter or oil to coat the pan. If you have a non-stick pan, you might not need anything at all.
- Place a rolled-out dough ball into the pan. Let it cook for 30 seconds to a minute, then flip. It may take more or less time, depending on how hot your stove is and what kind of a pan you are using.
- When the flat bread is fully cooked, place it on a plate and continue cooking the flat bread one at a time until all of your dough has been cooked.
Your emergency flat bread tastes best when it’s served hot, but you can save for it for later and eat it cold. Use it instead of bread for sandwiches, or as a tortilla for tacos or burritos.
Emergency flat bread is a little bit chewy and tough compared to a tortilla or other bread, so when you roll out your balls, make sure they are as thin as possible. This will help with the texture of the bread. Eat them hot or pack them for your next hike!
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