Deep-Fried Bannock with Saskatoon Berries: A crispy, doughy, syrup-drenched dream dessert

“Bannock, also known as fry bread, always starts a conversation,” chef Shane M. Chartrand writes in his new cookbook tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine. “It usually involves a critique of other people’s bannock and detailed accounts of who makes the best!” Despite those high stakes, Chartrand says after many years and countless attempts, he’s finally come up with the “perfect single recipe” for bannock — and lucky for us, he was kind enough to share it. 

This take on bannock, with its fried, crispy shell and warm doughy centre, sits squarely in the dessert section and is topped with two star Canadian ingredients: Saskatoon berries and birch syrup. Scroll down for Chartrand’s helpful tips on how to get it right on the very first try.

Deep-Fried Bannock with Saskatoon Berries and Birch Syrup

By Shane M. Chartrand

I have a love–hate relationship with bannock (also known as fry bread). It’s a delicious and important food in Indigenous communities. At the end of the day, however, it’s most beloved when deep-fried and drizzled with honey and sugar. Enjoy it, but only from time to time.

Ingredients

• 1 batch Bannock (see recipe below)
• Neutral-flavoured cooking oil (such as canola), for frying
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups Saskatoon berries (fresh or frozen)
• ½ cup pure birch or maple syrup or good-quality organic honey

Bannock:

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp + 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp + 1 ½ tsp granulated sugar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 ½ cups water, at room temperature

Preparation

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl until well combined. Gradually add the water, blending it in with your hands. Be careful not to overwork the dough — it should just hold together. It will be a wet, shaggy dough but really resist overmixing it — at this point, you might think “this can’t be right,” but it is. Cover the bowl with a wet tea towel and set aside at room temperature for 30 minutes to rest. 

While the dough is resting, preheat a deep-fryer or fill a deep pot with about 3 inches of oil and heat to 350°F.

With floured hands, divide the dough into 2 oz portions — about the size of a large egg — and shape into ovals. 

Using your thumb, poke two holes into each portion of dough and then gently drop the dough balls into the hot oil. Fry, flipping as necessary, until golden brown all over, about 2 minutes. Using a wire-mesh scoop or slotted spoon, transfer the fried dough to a plate lined in paper towel. Set aside.

Place the sugar in a shallow plate. Rinse the saskatoon berries under cold running water, drain, and then roll them in the sugar. (If using frozen berries, you can toss them directly into the sugar.) 

To serve, cut each piece of bannock in half or quarters, drizzle with warm syrup or honey, and top with a spoonful of sweetened berries.

Yield: Makes 4 servings

Excerpted from tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine copyright © Shane M. Chartrand and Jennifer Crockrall-King. Reproduced with permission from House of Anansi Press, Toronto. www.houseofanansi.com