UK · Flour and Confectionery Products
Lembas Bread (Elvish Waybread)
Lembas is the elvish waybread from Tolkien's Lord of the Rings — a single piece said to fill the stomach of a grown man.
Ingredients
- all-purpose flour320 g
- cold unsalted butter113 g
- brown sugar70 g
- heavy cream160 ml
- honey2 tbsp
- baking powder1 tbsp
- cinnamon1 tsp
- salt0.5 tsp
- vanilla extract0.5 tsp
Method
- 1Preheat the oven to 220°C. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2Whisk together the flour, brown sugar (70 g), baking powder, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
- 3Add the cold butter, cut into small cubes, and rub it into the flour with your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Work quickly — you want visible pieces of butter, not a smooth paste.
- 4In a small bowl, stir together the cream, honey, and vanilla. Pour over the flour mixture and stir with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out and press together — do not knead.
- 5On a lightly floured surface, pat or roll the dough to about 1 cm thick.
- 6Cut into rectangles roughly 8×5 cm. Score a shallow X into the top of each piece with a knife.
- 7Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are just golden. The centers will look slightly underdone — that is correct. They firm up as they cool.
- 8Cool completely on the pan before storing. Keep in an airtight tin for up to 5 days.