Pan de campo, aka camp bread or cowboy bread, originated with the vaqueros of South Texas. My abuelita made it in a cast-iron skillet and enjoyed it with a steaming cup of coffee. It’s a flatbread that resembles a thicker, flatter biscuit with a crispy outside and soft, chewy interior.
Pan de Campo With Strawberry Butter
Strawberry butter
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 cup diced strawberries
Pan de campo
2 cups flour, plus more for dusting
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
10 tablespoons solid vegetable shortening, divided use
3/4 cup milk
1. Strawberry butter: In a medium bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy.
2. Add powdered sugar and mix until well combined. Stir in strawberries. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight before serving.
3. Pan de campo: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
4. Add 8 tablespoons shortening and use a pastry cutter or two forks to cut the shortening into the flour until the mixture resembles pea-sized coarse crumbs. Add milk, stirring just until dough forms.
5. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead gently until dough comes together to form a ball. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll dough into a ½-inch-thick circle.
6. Grease a 10-inch skillet with remaining 2 tablespoons shortening, then place
in oven for 5 minutes to heat through. Remove from oven, carefully place dough into skillet and return to oven. Bake 10 minutes, then flip bread and bake an additional 5 minutes.
7. Slice and serve topped with strawberry butter.
Serves 8.
