Bannock Eggs Benedict Recipe - a Canadian Twist on a Classic Breakfast

I should preface this with the disclaimer that I am in no way an expert chef, but I have made brunch on Saturdays and Sundays for about 32 years, so I have some experience! Bannock has a complex and interesting history in Canada. (for more information Bannock at The Canadian Encyclopedia). It is a simple skillet bread made with very accessible ingredients. It is yummy, fast and easy. Aside from making bannock in the woods in elementary school I really came to appreciate it during the first lockdowns in 2020 when we had a 12 kg bag of flour and no yeast. It became our bread.

Baking Tools:

• Two medium skillets
• Small saucepan
• Blender or immersion blender
• Stand mixer
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Ramekin for poaching eggs
• Slotted Spoon for poaching eggs

Ingredients:

Bannock:

• 1 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 1 tbsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/4 cup Melted Butter
• 3/4 cup Water

Hollandaise Sauce:

• 3 Egg Yolks
• 1/2 cup Hot Melted Butter
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
• 1/4 tsp Salt

Everything Else:

• Eggs for poaching
• Baby Spinach Leaves
• Peameal Bacon if desired - in the USA there are many discussions of what 'Canadian Bacon' is - the meat-eaters in my family prefer peameal.
• Black Pepper for garnish

• Add the flour, baking powder, and salt to your mixer
• Mix to combine
• Add the melted butter and water
• Mix to form a large ball - do not over mix (this mixing can be done easily by hand as well)

• Form the dough into small puck shapes (I like them to be a bit smaller than my palm)
• Add your choice of fat to the pan - butter or bacon grease works best
• Bake the bannock until cooked through, turning as needed - usually between 15 and 20 minutes. I use this cooking time to make the Hollandaise sauce and poach the eggs.

Now, while the bannock is cooking we prepare the Hollandaise sauce.

• Separate the whites from the yolks of 3 eggs
• Add the yolks to a blender with the lemon juice, dijon mustard, and salt
• Make sure your butter is hot - I usually melt it in the saucepan and pour it directly into the blender while the blender is going.
• When the sauce is combined I return it to the saucepan from the butter and cover it

If you are adding bacon I would cook it while you are poaching the eggs so that everything will be ready at the same time.

• Fill a medium-sized skillet with about 4 cm (1,5") of water and bring it to a boil
• Reduce the heat to medium-high
• Crack your egg into a ramekin
• Gently slip your egg into the water
• If you have multiple eggs to cook put them into the water clockwise giving their neighbours space :)
• Cover the pan
• Poach for 3 minutes for a runny yolk and 5 minutes for a firmer yolk

• Cut one of your bannock buns in half and add your optional bacon
• Place spinach leaves on top of the bacon
• Add some Hollandaise sauce on top of the spinach - this is not an exact science - drizzle is the word I would use
• Place your poached eggs now
• Grind some fresh black pepper onto the eggs (again optional)
• Now drizzle some more Hollandaise and enjoy!