I am a huge fan of twisted bread and have therefore experimented with many variations of twisted bread dough. A simple, basic twisted bread dough is like a blank canvas (perhaps a bit of an exaggeration) – it’s just waiting for you to unleash your creativity and try new, exciting, and delicious variations. Like so many others, I grew up with fond memories from my scouting days. Many times, I have sat around a campfire with friends, each with our stick and a generous lump of twisted bread dough, well wrapped around the end. Who could make the best one without burning it completely!?
Others also read: Pancakes on a campfire for 2 people
Twisted bread is by no means a dish that challenges you gastronomically or takes hours to prepare. On the other hand, it’s quick to throw together and sets the scene for a cozy evening full of good vibes and nostalgia out in the forest. Although half the charm of having twisted bread is the process leading up to eating time, you can definitely refine your twisted bread dough exactly in the direction you want. 😃
Recipe for twisted bread dough
It’s very simple to put together a standard twisted bread dough. At its core, there are just 4 ingredients: water, flour, yeast, and salt. But why stop there? It’s really only your imagination that limits whether your twisted bread will be standard, a snack, dessert, or a full festive meal! Let’s look at variations of the four ingredients that make up the twisted bread dough:
Water: Instead of water, you can advantageously use milk, preferably whole milk, to give a richer flavor to your twisted bread. The liquid forms the connective tissue in the dough and is one of the ingredients you can adjust to get the perfect consistency. A little melted butter in the dough is also an option if you really want to treat yourself and others.
Flour: Wheat flour is the classic type of flour for twisted bread dough, but that shouldn’t stop you from trying other types... and make sure it’s ORGANIC. It just gives better rising. If you want more texture in the dough, you can replace or supplement the wheat flour with whole wheat flour and/or graham flour. If the dough is too sticky, just add a little extra flour until the dough no longer sticks to your fingers.
Yeast: Yeast gives a lovely, airy twisted bread dough. Especially when it has time to rise at a temperature as close to 36-37°C as possible. This gives more and better dough to make twisted bread from. And as we all know – more twisted bread = more coziness. You can replace the yeast with baking powder if you want to avoid yeast. Again, remember the organic variant. It costs only a little extra but gives better flavor, better rising, and a good feeling in the body.
Salt: Salt enhances the flavor of your twisted bread and helps give the bread a beautiful, golden color when baked over the fire. You don’t need much salt, and it can also be supplemented with a little sugar – especially if you want to go for a sweeter version of twisted bread, which I’ll get into later.
Psssst..... you can also use the fire for other things ;)
A simple recipe for twisted bread dough for 4 people can look like this:
2.5 dl low-fat milk
500g wheat flour
25g yeast
25g butter
1 tsp salt
Tip: If you need to make for more than four people, simply divide the amount above and multiply by the number of people you need to make for.
Instructions: It’s a good idea to make the twisted bread dough well in advance before you head out the door. Both because the dough needs time to rise, but also because then you can calmly pack the other things you need for the trip.
Start by melting the butter in a pot. As soon as it’s melted, pour in the milk and mix well. Cool it down to about 40°C – when it feels neither cold nor warm to the touch. Pour it into a bowl and crumble the yeast into the mixture. When the yeast is dissolved, add the flour and salt and then start kneading! Let the twisted bread dough rise for at least an hour with a lightly damp towel over it. After that, the dough will look like in the picture.
When you’re ready by the fire, divide the dough among everyone, shape it into sausages, and twist it around a good stick – I’ll get into those a bit further down.
Variations of twisted bread dough 🥖
Now that we’ve talked about the classic twisted bread dough, it’s time to explore all the delicious possibilities to pimp your twisted bread! There are many options to add ingredients both to the dough and to the finished twisted bread.
The twisted bread dough can be enriched with many different flavors before it’s twisted around the stick. From my own experience, I can briefly mention; grated cheese, honey, chopped chocolate, or all kinds of different spices and herbs. Chopped and fried bacon or chorizo are also really delicious options for a truly great twisted bread! It’s really fun and cozy to experiment and find your own favorite!
When twisting the bread around the stick, it’s smart to make sure to put a good lump of dough at the end. That way, you can gently pull the twisted bread off the stick when it’s baked. Think French hot dog bun – just 100 times better!
What tastes good in twisted bread? 🍫
The hole can be filled with many delicious things. Here are some suggestions.
- a grilled sausage you just roasted on the fire and some ketchup
- jam
- a pat of butter and cinnamon sugar
- chocolate slices broken into long pieces. This makes it easy to "sprinkle in" (or split it and put it in as shown in the picture below)
- or be a little naughty and just dip into a big glass of Nutella.
Twisted bread stick
What kind of stick should you use to twist your dough around? It really matters, as some types of wood react differently to heat and others can impart flavor to the twisted bread. The stick should be found in the forest and prepared yourself to get the authentic experience.
Good types of wood to mention are hazel, beech, oak, maple, birch, willow, or fruit trees. Spruce is useless in this context, as the twisted bread gets a really bad taste. Make sure the stick is thick enough. There needs to be a generous lump of dough at the end, so it’s no use if it’s too thin to hold the weight of the dough. Also, if you plan to put a sausage or similar inside the twisted bread, the stick’s thickness should be adjusted accordingly. At the same time, it should be long enough so you don’t sit uncomfortably close to the fire.
Remove the bark or score the stick at the end where the dough will sit before use. Let the stick dry out a bit before twisting the dough around the debarked end.
Or..... bamboo sticks bought at a hardware store. They are strong and maybe easier to get if you don’t have much time and just want to make a quick batch in the backyard.
Types of campfires for twisted bread 🔥
It’s a good idea to start building the fire well in advance before the twisted bread goes over the flames. Preferably an hour before, so the flames have time to die down and you can bake your twisted bread over the hot embers without the bread getting sooty on the outside from the flames.
Also read: Pancake recipe on a campfire for 2 people
Pagoda fires are especially preferred, as they quickly turn into embers.
That way, you avoid burnt bread that’s still raw inside, and instead get a delicious, golden twisted bread with a crispy crust. The twisted bread is done if it sounds hollow when you gently tap it – be careful not to burn your fingers, I speak from experience! Twist the twisted bread once while pulling it off the stick and then you’re ready to eat delicious, warm twisted bread under the open sky.
