Lunch Bannockwiches Recipe

Mix dry ingredients

In a large bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar until evenly combined.

Cut in butter

Add the cold cubed butter to the flour mixture. Using a pastry cutter, two knives, or your fingertips, work the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces of butter remaining.

Add liquids and form dough

Stir the milk and water together in a measuring cup. Pour the liquid into the flour-butter mix and stir with a wooden spoon until a shaggy, slightly sticky dough forms. Do not overwork — mix just until combined.

Shape the bannock

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat or roll it into a disk about 1/2 inch (1–1.5 cm) thick and roughly 8–9 inches (20–23 cm) in diameter. If you prefer individual sandwiches, divide dough into 4 equal portions and shape each into a 5–6 inch round about 1/2 inch thick.

Cook on stovetop

Heat a large heavy skillet or cast-iron pan over medium-low heat and add 1 tablespoon oil or melted butter. If cooking one large bannock, gently transfer the disk to the skillet. Cover and cook for 8–10 minutes undisturbed, until the bottom is golden brown. Flip carefully, add the remaining tablespoon of oil or butter around the edges, cover again, and cook another 8–10 minutes until cooked through and golden on both sides. For individual rounds, cook 5–7 minutes per side, covered, until puffed and cooked through. Use a skewer to test — it should come out clean.

Rest and slice

Transfer cooked bannock to a wire rack and let rest 5 minutes. If you made one large bannock, slice into 4 sandwich-sized portions horizontally (like a bun) or cut into rounds. If using individual rounds, split each horizontally to open for filling.

Combine filling ingredients

In a medium bowl combine the shredded chicken, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, diced celery, minced red onion, chopped parsley, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Mix until evenly combined. Taste and adjust seasoning — add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if desired.

Chill or use immediately

For best flavor let the chicken salad rest in the refrigerator for 15–30 minutes to meld flavors, though it can be used immediately if you are short on time.

Optional: toast bannock

If you like warm, slightly crisp bread, spread a little butter on the cut surfaces of bannock halves and return to a hot skillet or toaster oven for 1–2 minutes per side until lightly toasted.

Layer the sandwich

Place a lettuce leaf on the bottom half of each bannock, add a generous scoop (about 1/2 cup) of chicken salad, top with a tomato slice and a cheese slice if using, then place the top half of the bannock. Repeat for all sandwiches.

Serve

Serve the bannockwiches warm or at room temperature. These hold well for a few hours in a cooler or lunchbox. Leftover chicken salad keeps 2–3 days refrigerated; leftover bannock keeps 1–2 days tightly wrapped.