Camp Biscuits

[45man]

I have never made biscuits in my dutch ovens and I have 3 with legs and 2 for the stove. I agree altitude is the problem. I made bannock in cast skillets and such.
Maybe sourdough will work better. I used it many years ago and the wife bought a bunch of small crocks and wanted more. I have a starter again and make bread that is so good with a crust to die for but it seems I am the only one to eat it.
My family is funny. She buys canned whipped cream when I make real stuff with the Cream Right bottle. She does not like mine, pure whipping cream, some powdered sugar and vanilla. Nitrous gas. I have to use it all myself. It is in the fridge, then I see Ready Whip in the bottom.
Touchy as all get out. Once camping I made a dutch oven full of venison stew. We ate and a beetle fell in the pot. Carol tossed the rest out. I would have ate the beetle myself. I eat the 17 year cicadas and ate grass hoppers but they taste like grass. Ice fishing with farm raised maggots in my mouth was common and I ate many, sweet for sure.
Try sourdough for your oven, it has acids for the tang. Now to remember my sourdough recipe for pancakes. Secret is to whip the egg whites and fold in, light as a feather with crispy edges so a stack starts at 10. Don't forget bacon.

 

[WRustyLane]

Dang, 45man, your post above is makin' me hungry (except for the maggots)!

 

[Nyckname]

Dang, 45man, your post above is makin' me hungry (except for the maggots)!

What was that WWII movie about POWs in the Pacific, where they were eating maggots? I believe it was based on a true story.

 

[Grenadier1758]

Okay, since none of us know how to bake at high altitudes, I went to the KIng Arthur Flour company to see what they suggest.

The website (https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html) has some suggestions to prevent the baked goods from drying out and to help with the rising.

 

[Carbon 6]

I guess I missed that post. I don't think leavening is your problem, I think it is moisture. Things dehydrate very quickly at high altitude. Try making them with a wetter dough.
Because there is less air pressure at high altitude, gas produced by leavening is produced more easily and is more voluminous. you might need less baking powder.

You may also need to lower the baking time or temperature, because water boils quicker at higher altitudes, the water is driven off quicker making hockey pucks.

I was pretty spot on except for temp.

King Arthur does add a lot of extra info though.

 

[45man]

You are in a good place if you have cast iron, anything. A Dutch oven is all I use. We went fishing in Ohio, Salt Fork the home of grassman and we had a few run ins with the creature. Aside from that I went to hunt young chucks with my bow. I would get a few and put salt pork in the oven, then the meat and what else we had. Big fire in a hole to coals, drop the oven in with coals on top and fill the hole. Go fishing all day. Dig up the oven and I don't know if there is better then young chucks. We dug the scraps off the bottom. I have to rate home made sour cabbage or home smoked bacon and ham up there.
Now Bigfoot. I slept in my truck in coal mine lands and about midnight my truck was slammed. I thought it was a deer that could not see the color. Next night I was tossed of the bed board that spanned the bed in the truck cap.
Then we could camp with my huge and very heavy Blazon camper at the entrance of a very old cemetery. One night we heard running and the camper was slammed hard right next to me. Next night Ken woke me up in time to see the front of the trailer drop in the moon light. He asked if that was me, said the trailer was shaking, Takes five guys to lift the tongue. Next night we stayed up with crackers and peanut butter. BANG into the side and it ran around the truck and back to trip on the pull out stairs with a huge AAAAGH scream. Ran back up the hill and came back to slam the trailer again. My daughter found reddish hair on the step with some flesh. No DNA back then and it was tossed out. I had proof and lost it. This happen just down from Cadiz Ohio off route 22, not far from Salt Fork.

 

[Black Hand]

You are in a good place if you have cast iron, anything. A Dutch oven is all I use. We went fishing in Ohio, Salt Fork the home of grassman and we had a few run ins with the creature. Aside from that I went to hunt young chucks with my bow. I would get a few and put salt pork in the oven, then the meat and what else we had. Big fire in a hole to coals, drop the oven in with coals on top and fill the hole. Go fishing all day. Dig up the oven and I don't know if there is better then young chucks. We dug the scraps off the bottom. I have to rate home made sour cabbage or home smoked bacon and ham up there.
Now Bigfoot. I slept in my truck in coal mine lands and about midnight my truck was slammed. I thought it was a deer that could not see the color. Next night I was tossed of the bed board that spanned the bed in the truck cap.
Then we could camp with my huge and very heavy Blazon camper at the entrance of a very old cemetery. One night we heard running and the camper was slammed hard right next to me. Next night Ken woke me up in time to see the front of the trailer drop in the moon light. He asked if that was me, said the trailer was shaking, Takes five guys to lift the tongue. Next night we stayed up with crackers and peanut butter. BANG into the side and it ran around the truck and back to trip on the pull out stairs with a huge AAAAGH scream. Ran back up the hill and came back to slam the trailer again. My daughter found reddish hair on the step with some flesh. No DNA back then and it was tossed out. I had proof and lost it. This happen just down from Cadiz Ohio off route 22, not far from Salt Fork.

Question 1: What does any of this have to do with biscuits?
Question 2: Can you prove anything about these encounters that you have claimed?
Question 3: Who cares about your imagined experiences?

Back to dutch oven biscuits, which are not the easiest thing to to pull off. One should remember to get the pan off the bottom using 3 pebbles/bottlecaps/other so the bottoms don't burn and pre-heat the entire oven (lid included).

 

[Zonie]

Although 45man's post doesn't seem to have anything to do with making camp biscuits except for hinting that a dutch oven might be used, by asking questions about the things he posted the person asking just further directs the topic "off topic".

Lets forget about the two prevoious posts and get back to talking about biscuits. (Yum.)

 

[Juice Jaws]

My wife is the Queen of dutch ovens. Cooks anything in them from meat to pies. She said her secret for good camp biscuits is 8 briquettes on the bottom and 12 on top in a cold dutch oven. Doesn't time them, can tell when they are done by smelling them. Also she thinks the only thing elevation does is maybe they take a little longer to cook . And we have camp from the sea level to about 8,500 ft.

 

[Carbon 6]

She said her secret for good camp biscuits is 8 briquettes on the bottom and 12 on top in a cold dutch oven.

That's the 3 up and 2 down method, it works very well, give you an oven temp of around 350 dgrees.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

My wife is the Queen of dutch ovens. Cooks anything in them from meat to pies. She said her secret for good camp biscuits is 8 briquettes on the bottom and 12 on top in a cold dutch oven. Doesn't time them, can tell when they are done by smelling them. Also she thinks the only thing elevation does is maybe they take a little longer to cook . And we have camp from the sea level to about 8,500 ft.

I do quite a lot of Dutch Oven cooking also. Outside temp also makes a difference in cooking time. I suggest we start a separate thread in the recipe section to discuss.

 

[Carbon 6]

Wind also make a big difference, does for me at least. I also love to cook in dutch ovens. I must have at least a dozen. Some brand new yet

Better hurry up and start that new thread Tom.

 

[Juice Jaws]

That's the 3 up and 2 down method, it works very well, give you an oven temp of around 350 dgrees.

Explain the 3 up and 2 down, thought it was 12 up and 8 down

 

[Juice Jaws]

Yes temp and wind can make a difference. Of course wind is easy, just make a wind break

 

[Carbon 6]

Explain the 3 up and 2 down, thought it was 12 up and 8 down

I did say it wrong, read this.

http://www.dutchovendude.com/campfire-cooking.php

 

[Juice Jaws]

I did say it wrong, read this.

http://www.dutchovendude.com/campfire-cooking.php

Thanks good read, she mainly knows the temp. by the number of coals she puts out.

 

[Carbon 6]

I've moved on from briquettes, I make my own charcoal. You can also use coals from the fire.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

That was my original inquiry. Though that has not really been answered I have learned much.

These charts previously linked didn't help? https://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html#cakes
Well here's CSU's book on the topic of cooking all sorts of stuff at atltitude. https://extension.colostate.edu/top...ty-health/high-altitude-food-preparation-p41/
Here is a rather scientific book on baking at high altitude https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uiug.30112019445920;view=1up;seq=9
Here's an old book developed in Denver CO (av elevation 5400 ft.) Doesn't give the why, just all sorts of recipes https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=coo1.ark:/13960/t8v98qc7w;view=1up;seq=22;size=150

LD

 

[Juice Jaws]

I've moved on from briquettes, I make my own charcoal. You can also use coals from the fire.

She likes the easy way with briquettes, fine with me.

 

[Carbon 6]

Nothing wrong with it, briquettes are convenient, easy and predictable in heat output and burn time. Using briquettes makes your dutch oven as reliable as your house oven.

Does she use a chimney starter ?