Texas State Bread

Pan De Campo (Cowboy Bread)

Adopted on June 18, 2005

Pan decampo (Cowboy Bread) became the official state bread of Texas when Governor Rick Perry signed House Concurrent Resolution No. 98 on June 18, 2005.

Flat bread traditionally made in a Dutch oven over a a mesquite fire.
Dates back to trail driving days. Sometimes called Cowboy Bread or Camp bread.

Texas State Bread: Pan De Campo (Cowboy Bread)

Flat bread traditionally made in a Dutch oven over a a mesquite fire.
Dates back to trail driving days. Sometimes called Cowboy Bread or Camp bread.

It's about the kind of bread the cowboys ate.

State Rep. Ryan Guillen, D-Rio Grande City, has introduced a bill that would make pan de campo the official state bread of Texas.

Pan de campo, sometimes called cowboy bread, was a staple on South Texas ranches. It is thicker than a tortilla but thinner than a biscuit.

"Pan de campo enjoys a singular stature in Texas history and culture that is rivaled only by its undeniable appeal as a versatile and satisfying food," Guillen's resolution states, "and it is only right and proper that this essential element of the state's greatness receive official recognition."

Cowboy Bread or Camp Bread

Ingredients:

8 cups of unbleached flour
8 tsp baking powder
4 tsp. salt
4 tsp. sugar
3 cups milk
1 1/2 cups corn oil

In a bowl add flour, baking powder, salt and sugar.
Add the vegetable oil to flour mixture.
Next, add milk a cup at a time. Dough should be a little sticky.
Dust a bread board or counter and begin to knead the dough.
Form 4 round rolls. Roll our with a rolling pin to about 1/2 inch thick
and place on an ungreased baking sheet.
Preheat oven to about 400 degrees. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
Pan de campo should be golden brown.

Texas House Concurrent Resolution No.98

Texas House Concurrent Resolution No. 98, 79th Legislature, Regular Session (2005)
79R6150 JTR-D

By: Guillen H.C.R. No. 98

CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The colorful history of the Lone Star State is
inextricably associated with the romance of cowboy culture, and
among the many legacies of this proud heritage is the delicious flat
bread known as pan de campo, or cowboy bread; and
WHEREAS, Relied on by early settlers and vaqueros to sustain
themselves as they rode the range, pan de campo has transcended its
humble origins to take a place of honor at such events as the Pan de
Campo celebration that is sponsored annually by the San Diego
Chamber of Commerce in Duval County; and
WHEREAS, With thousands of participants and spectators, the
celebration includes such events as softball and volleyball
tournaments, a parade and live Tejano music, and the pan de campo
cook-off; and
WHEREAS, The chefs who make contemporary variations on pan de
campo recognize that cowboy bread's appeal lies not only in its
elegant simplicity but also in its role as a redolent reminder of
the state's storied past and the vaqueros of South Texas; and
WHEREAS, Because the cowboys who introduced pan de campo to
Texas had no access to conventional kitchens, the bread was
prepared in small portable ovens, and it was this distinctive
cooking method that gave pan de campo its characteristic texture
and flavor; and
WHEREAS, Pan de campo enjoys a singular stature in Texas
history and culture that is rivaled only by its undeniable appeal as
a versatile and satisfying food, and it is only right and proper
that this essential element of the state's greatness receive
official recognition; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the 79th Legislature of the State of Texas
hereby designate pan de campo the Official State Bread of Texas.

Designating pan de campo the Official State Bread of Texas.

Texas Law

Pan de campo was adopted as the official state bread of the State of Texas by House Concurrent Resolution No. 98 and is, therefore, not listed in the Texas Statutes.