Lembas, the famous bread from Tolkien’s Middle Earth.
It is mentioned many times throughout Lord of the Rings for providing sustenance on the great journey to Mount Doom. Lembas was made by the elves, especially for travel, and wrapped in Mallorn leaves for protection.
“The lembas had a virtue without which they would long ago have lain down to die. It did not satisfy desire, and at times Sam’s mind was filled with the memories of food, and the longing for simple bread and meats. And yet, this way bread of the Elves had potency that increased as travelers relied upon it alone and did not mingle it with other foods. It fed the will, and it gave strength to endure, and to master sinew and limb beyond the measure of mortal kind.” – J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King.
There are many ways this bread has been imagined into being. For this adaptation of the recipe, it will be made in the style of another bread that also has many stories and traditions behind it, Irish Potato Bread. A staple on an Irish Sunday breakfast table, and the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of something to sustain someone for an adventure, even if it’s just a journey into your day.
Happy travels!
Recipe
Ingredients:
- 8 Medium potatoes (Makes approximately 12 pieces, each potato will make one and a half parcels depending on the preferred size).
- 1/3c Milk of choice.
- 1 tbsp Nutlex (butter or alternative).
- 1/2c flour & more for rolling.
To decorate:
- Vegetable leaves as wrapping, I found Chinese Broccoli easiest to work with.
- String to tie it together.
Method:
- Preheat oven to 160c.
- Peel potatoes, and chop into smaller pieces or quarters to boil faster. Boil till soft and drain water.
- Add Nutlex and milk, mash together and mix till smooth. Add flour and mix to combine evenly.
- Allow to cool till warm to touch. Using your hands shape dough into a ball. Dust the cutting board & rolling pin with flour to prevent sticking, to use all the mixture you may have to do this a section at a time as it will take up a large space on the board. Roll out some of the mixture till 1cm thick. Slice into rectangles using a knife.
- Transfer lembas slices to a baking tray lined with baking paper. Once you have repeated this with the remainder of the mixture, score the surface of the bread with a knife creating an ‘x’ from corner to corner. Do this lightly as to not cut all the way through.
- Place in oven at 160c, bake for 10 minutes. Once firm on top, flip over to cook the under side for 10 more minutes. They should lightly darken once ready but not brown, they will harden once cooled. (An alternative option is to cook in a pan, like a pancake).
Serving options:
If eating straight away, layer a platter with a bed of leaves and place hot lembas on top.
For eating later, wrap the lembas in leaves and tie together with some string. Best eaten warm. Be sure to remove the string before warming in the oven or microwave. The bread will freeze well if stored separated between baking paper.
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