Schlangenbrot (Snake Bread)

Campfire meals in the woods are great in any season in Switzerland. In spring you’re surrounded by tender new leaves and beautiful forest flowers, in summer the forest is the best place for finding shelter from the scoarching sun, in autumn the forest floor is covered in an amazing variety of mushrooms and in winter the fire provides warmth for both body and soul. We try to head to the woods for a few hours and possibly a campfire lunch regularly, all throughout the year. The Schlangenbrot (snake bread), a bread baked on a stick over the fire, is a firm favourite amongst the Swiss kids and adults alike. It’s such a comforting and satisfying thing to make and eat. And not difficult at all.

Shortcut: If you’re in a hurry or decide on a very spontaneous campfire meal, you can also buy a ready-made pizza dough instead of making your own.

 

Recipe for 6 small breads

• 250g plain flour or a mix of plain and brown flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp dried active yeast or 10g fresh yeast (in crumbs)
• 1.5dl lukewarm water
• 1.5 tbsps olive oil

Method

Mix the flour and salt. Add the yeast, water and oil and mix until it resembles a dough. Knead the dough for 7 minutes by hand or 5 minutes in a kitchen machine.

Place dough into a plastic container and cover with the lid and let it prove for at least 30 minutes and a maximum of 2 hours. You should be baking the snake bread after two hours maximum.

Head to the woods, make your fire and find some fresh twigs (don’t use a too dry stick as it’ll catch fire quickly). Take 1/6th of the bread dough, make a long string and wrap it around the stick. Once the flames have disappeared, cook the bread over the fire. The breads take between 10 and 20 minutes until fully baked. If you hold it too close to the fire, the outside will be browned and crusty quickly but they will be still doughy inside. If you hold them too far away, they don’t bake for a long time. Just give it a go and see what the ideal distance is.

Eat while still warm!