How to Make Emergency Survival Bread

Ahh, bread. There’s a reason that we, and by “we” I mean almost the entirety of the human race, have been consuming bread in one form or another for centuries. It takes some of the most basic ingredients with generally long shelf lives and turns it into something not only palatable, but pleasurable.

Why Do We Love Bread So Much?

The main ingredient of most breads is a flour of some kind, and most types of flour contain carbohydrates, the macronutrient frequently referred to as carbs. They’re thought of as rather villainous in many modern diets, there’s a good reason why we have such a hard time giving them up. Carbs actually make us happy, so happy, in fact, that the majority of us are addicted to carbs.

The carbohydrates found in almost all types of bread do a wonderful job of filling our bellies and providing a quick boost in energy levels. While more processed carbs found in white flour may not keep us full for as long as we’d like, whole grain wheat flour and other flours with lots of fiber do a great job of keeping us satisfied over a significant period of time.

Bread is also fairly portable, which is part of why it was so widely utilized as a main food source in days gone by. Look at the popularity of sandwiches even today for a great example of this.

More practical reasons aside, people like bread because there are so many different variations of it that there is a variety to suit almost every taste on the planet in every culture imaginable.

Is Bread Really a Good Survival Food Option?

Absolutely! Making bread can pretty much be a simple or as complicated as you want it to be, and though there can be a bit of a learning curve for most people who don’t make their own bread on a daily or even yearly basis, anyone can make it. You can make it from ingredients that are easily stored, and though regular bread doesn’t have an inherently long shelf life, those separate components do. There’s also a lot of room for variation, allowing you to work with what you have. I’ll share with you a remarkably simple flat bread recipe that’s perfect for everyday and for survival situations.

You may want to practice preparing this bread over an open flame before you need to, just like you hone the rest of your survival skills. I made up this batch over the stove for an afternoon snack for my kiddos, and they loved helping mix and roll out the dough.

Making Emergency Survival Bread

You’ll need these materials:

• A small mixing bowl
• Measuring implements
• A sturdy spoon
• A rolling pin (or smooth glass that you can use as a rolling pin)
• A skillet
• A heat source
• A spatula or other utensil for turning the bread

Plus, you’ll need these ingredients:

• 1 c all-purpose flour (or other wheat flour of your choice)
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ to ½ c water
• If desired, oil of your choice for skillet

Seriously, those are all the ingredients this recipe requires. It’s very simple and it mixes up and cooks quickly. This bread is almost like tortillas, but with a little tougher texture. I suggest cooking them immediately before eating them as they tend to get tough when they’ve sat out for a while.

Preparing the Dough

Step 1: Put the flour and salt in the mixing bowl.

Step 2: Add ¼ c of water. Mix it in thoroughly. If all the flour mixture isn’t able to be incorporated into a sturdy dough, you may need to add a little more. Be sure you add water slowly so you don’t get too much. When the all the flour mixture is incorporated and the dough is not sticky and can form into a ball easily, you’re good to go.

Step 3: Knead the dough for about five minutes.

Step 4: Roll the dough into a ball and put it back in the mixing bowl to rest. Allow it to sit for about 15 minutes. The kneading and resting processes help the dough become more elastic by setting the gluten in the dough up to form into long, stretchy chains of protein.

Step 5: Split the rested dough into several lumps about the size of ping pong balls and roll them up neatly.

Step 6: Roll out each of the dough balls into a flat circle, as thin as you can get it. The dough will bounce back a bit and it won’t roll out quite as thin as you want it this time. So long as it isn’t terribly humid, you don’t need to worry about flouring your work surface like you oftentimes do with dough; this dough is really not sticky at all and will peel right off countertops.

Step 7: Heat your skillet until a drop of water in it sizzles instantly.

Step 8: Take one of the dough circles and roll it out as thin as you can get it again. The little rest after the first rolling allows the dough to be rolled even thinner.

Step 9: Place the first dough circle in the pan. You can add a little oil to the pan if you’d like, but it’s not necessary. The flattened dough will immediately start to curl up around the edges.

Step 10: Let the dough cook in the skillet until large bubbles begin to form, then flip it over to brown up the other side. Each piece of flat bread only needs to cook for a few minutes total.

Step 11: Cook the rest of the flat breads the same way.

This very basic flat bread is incredibly versatile. You can serve it as a part of main dish for breakfast, lunch, or dinner or with jam or honey for dessert.

They’re perfect for serving up anything taco-style, whether it’s actual Mexican fare or any other food you’d like to have in a hand-held form.

Do You Have the Ingredients for Emergency Survival Bread in Your Stores?

While storing some traditional bread ingredients in your emergency stores isn’t very practical, this very basic survival bread recipe is easy to prepare for. You likely already store these ingredients in some form or another, and it takes very little time to prepare. Learn how to make this simple flat bread to add a little versatility to your survival diet.

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