Beremeal bannock. Lou Sander / 2008 / wikimedia / CC BY-SA 3.0
A beremeal bannock is a relatively large bannock made from beremeal, flour, salt, milk or water, plus either baking powder or baking soda as a leavener. Some older recipes may also call for cream of tartar.
Some recipes call for 2 parts beremeal to 1 part white (wheat) flour; others call for equal amounts of beremeal and wheat flour.
You roll the mixed dough out on a floured board, then cook it on a heated, ungreased griddle or girdle for about 5 minutes.
Beremeal bannocks come out soft because of the chemical leavener in them, though historically they would have been harder and flatter when the leavener wasn’t available.
Fans swear they are a little better with a glass of Scotch whisky.
Beremeal bannock is still made in Orkney, Scotland.
Language Notes
Beremeal bannock was called “bruinie” in Shetlands dialect.