In 2005 pan de campo was declared the state bread of Texas. Pan de campo also known as “camp bread” or “cowboy bread” originated with the vaqueros of South Texas. The bread baked quickly and was eaten with a heaping spoon of beans or dried meat. The crispy exterior made pan de campo a delicious portable meal while the vaqueros tended cattle on the South Texas ranchos.

A festival dedicated to love of pan de campo was first held in San Diego, Texas in 1978. It was a celebration of the food, music and culture of South Texas and helped cement pan de campo as the state bread of Texas and forever made this vaquero bread a beloved part of South Texas- Tejano history.

Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons lard or shortening, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup buttermilk

Procedure

1. Preheat oven to 450°F.
2. Stir together the dry ingredients, then blend in the shortening with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture is crumbly.
3. Add buttermilk, a bit at a time, until you can form a not-too-sticky ball of dough.
4. Turn it out on a floured surface and knead gently for about 1 minute.
5. Flatten the ball of dough and roll out into a round about 1/2 inch thick.
6. Prick the top all over with a fork.
7. Meanwhile, melt a little shortening in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet (enough to coat the bottom).
8. Add the round of dough to the skillet and place in the oven.
9. Bake for about 6 minutes, then flip the bread and bake another 6 minutes.