More food on a stick
Sausages, vegetable skewers and sweet treats – the recipes that only need a stick and a bed of embers.
See all stick recipesStick bread over an open fire – how to make it golden and baked through
Flour, baking powder, a stick and a bed of embers
- 8 stick breads
- Time: 15 min + 10–15 min baking
- Difficulty: Easy
- 9 ingredients
- 10 steps
Stick bread is the first thing many children cook over a fire – and it is easy to get right, if you know where it usually goes wrong. The secret is thin dough, a warm stick and embers instead of flames. Then the bread turns golden on the outside and baked through on the inside, instead of burnt on the surface and doughy against the stick.
The dough takes five minutes to mix at home, and you can take it with you in a bag. This basic recipe has no yeast, so the bread can be baked as soon as the fire has burned down. You will find more ideas among our recipes on a stick.
Method
- Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl.
- Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like coarse crumbs (or stir in the oil).
- Pour in the milk a little at a time and work it into a firm, smooth dough that is not sticky. Add more flour if it sticks to your hands.
- Put the dough in a bag if you are heading out. It keeps well in the cool bag for a few hours.
- Light the fire in good time. Baking only starts once the wood has burned down to an even bed of embers, after about 30–45 minutes.
- Peel the bark off the last 20 centimetres of the stick and warm the tip over the embers for a minute. A warm stick bakes the bread from the inside.
- Divide the dough into 8 pieces and roll each piece into a long, thin snake, about as thick as a finger.
- Wind the dough snake in a spiral around the warm end of the stick, with a small gap between the turns. Press the ends firmly so that they don't come loose.
- Hold the bread 10–20 centimetres above the embers – not in the flames – and keep turning the stick.
- After 10–15 minutes the bread is golden and ready. It slides easily off the stick and sounds hollow when you tap it.
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Let the bread cool for a minute before you pull it off – the steam inside is hot. The hole left by the stick is perfect for filling with butter and jam.
Tips for stick bread that bakes all the way through
- Thin is better. A thick roll of dough burns on the outside before it is cooked inside. Finger-thick is right.
- Embers, not flames. Flames make soot and burn. Wait until the fire has died down and hold the bread a little above the embers. More about getting the embers right is in fire skills and tips.
- Warm the stick. It is the difference between doughy and baked through next to the stick.
- Sticks of deciduous wood. Hazel, birch and willow work well and give no resin taste. Never use yew – it is poisonous.
- Make the dough firm. A loose dough slides off the stick when it gets warm.
Stick bread with children
Stick bread is perfect for children from about three years old, with an adult beside them. The children can roll dough snakes, wind them around the stick and hold it over the embers themselves. Set a clear safety zone around the fire and let the children sit while they bake – it is easier to hold the stick still then.
Long sticks keep a distance from the heat. Younger children often need help turning so that the bread doesn't burn on one side. More advice on ages, tasks and safety can be found in the guide cooking with children over an open fire and in fire safety in nature.
Vary the stick bread
- Sausage in stick bread: thread on a grilling sausage, wind a thin dough snake around it and bake until the bread is golden.
- Cinnamon stick bread: brush the finished bread with melted butter and roll it in cinnamon sugar. Like a quick version of our fire-baked cinnamon buns.
- Cheese bread: knead 100 ml of grated aged cheese into the dough.
- Herb bread: mix 1 tbsp of dried oregano or thyme into the flour.
- Wholegrain: replace up to half of the plain flour with wholemeal or spelt flour. The dough becomes a little denser – roll it even thinner.
- With yeast: replace the baking powder with 12 g of dried yeast and let the dough rise somewhere warm in the bag for 30 minutes. The bread becomes airier but needs planning.
Common mistakes
- The dough is too thick – the bread stays raw next to the stick.
- The bread is held in the flames – it becomes sooty and burnt.
- The stick is cold or wet – the dough doesn't release and stays doughy inside.
- The dough is too loose – it slides off when it gets warm.
- The fire is lit too late – everyone stands around waiting for embers.
More recipes to try
All recipes →Where are you allowed to light a fire?
Under the Swedish right of public access you can usually make a small fire in nature, but not during a fire ban, not directly on bare rock (it cracks) and never in a way that could let it spread. The easiest option is a prepared barbecue site. Always check the municipality's or county administrative board's fire ban notices before you go – read more in lighting fires in nature: rules and responsibility and about the Right of Public Access.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the stick bread doughy inside?
Usually the dough is too thick or the stick is cold. Roll the dough finger-thick, warm the stick before you wind on the dough and bake over embers instead of flames, so that the heat has time to get in.
Can you make the stick bread dough the day before?
Yes. This baking powder dough can be kept in the fridge in a sealed bag until the next day. The baking powder loses a little strength, so the bread turns out slightly denser, but it works well.
How long should stick bread be baked?
Allow 10–15 minutes over an even bed of embers. The bread is ready when it is golden all over, slides off the stick and sounds hollow when you tap it.
Which stick is best for stick bread?
A fresh, thumb-thick stick of deciduous wood, for example hazel, birch or willow. Peel the bark at the end and warm the tip before you wind on the dough. Don't use yew, which is poisonous, and ask the landowner before cutting fresh sticks.
Can you make stick bread without milk?
Yes, swap the milk for water and the butter for rapeseed oil. The bread is then dairy-free and tastes almost the same.
Want to cook more over the same fire? Try kolbullar as a main course and s'mores for dessert, or pack the rest of the picnic with the help of our guide to outing food.
More guides and recipes to read
More to bake and grill by the fire