Lembas Bread

Here is the recipe I promised I would post. Note- this is just a French Bread recipe and that means it's not the same consistency or taste as Lembas Bread, but we were mostly concerned with making something good tasting so we just went with it. :)

Ingredients:

1 pkg regular or quick acting yeast

1 cup warm water (105-115 degrees)

1 Tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

3- 31/2 cups all purpose flour

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 egg white

1 Tbsp cold water

1. Dissolve yeast in warm water. Sprinkle a little sugar in with the yeast to help it rise.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, salt, 2 cups of the flour, the oil, and the yeast (add the yeast last so it has a chance to raise). Mix until smooth.

3. Stir in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Dough will be soft.

4. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic.

5. Place dough in a medium, greased bowl and turn greased side up.

6. Cover and let rise in a warm place, 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until double. (Longer rising gives typical French Bread texture)

7. Grease cookie sheet. Divide dough in half.

8. Roll each half into a rectangle, 15 x 8 inches, on a lightly floured surface. Don't roll them too thin!

9. Cut into squares the size you want your Lembas bread. Place each square on the baking sheet.

10. Cut an x into the top of each square, not cutting too deep. Paint the tops with cold water. Let rise, uncovered, for 1 hour, or until doubled.

11. Heat oven to 375, mix egg white with one Tbsp cold water, and brush on top of the bread.

12. Bake for 25-30 min. or until golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.

We used this link to make the leaf wrapping.

And that's it. Enjoy the deliciousness!

Note- to make this into French bread, follow the steps up until 9, and instead roll each rectangle into a 'roll' to make 2 long loafs of french bread. Cut shallow lines on the top instead of an x. Then just do the rest the same way.

That is what the regular French bread would look like.