During the month of December, Buddy will highlight, the Twelve Days of Fearlessness. Whether it is getting up the nerve to lace up your old ice skates with your five-year-old or conquering a halfpipe like your teenage days, fearlessness is not just situational for all- for some, it is a way of life.
In late March of 2011, I had just entered Tennessee while hiking on the Appalachian Trail. With some miles already under my boots since Springer, I was settling into a regular routine of waking up pre-dawn, cooking breakfast, and hitting the trail.
I had just traded out some heavier hiking boots for trail runners, and on my first day with a lighter load, Mother Nature did her thing and hit me with some snow, quickly soaking through my socks.
Descending from a ridgeline, I caught up with a couple who were out for the weekend. We chatted for a bit, and when they found out that I was thru-hiking, they were quick to offer me some food. Not one to turn down a bit of trail magic, I accepted a bag of homemade baked goods.
I took a bite and was met by a dense, sweet dough– much heavier than I expected. It was as if the caloric density of a plate of brownies had been shrunken into one-inch cubes. Recalling the lembas bread of the Lord of the Rings elves, I asked the couple what this sorcery they’d gifted me was called.
“Logan bread,” was the reply.
The sandwich bag contained another six pieces that would serve as extremely satisfying mid-afternoon snacks for the remainder of the week.
Upon my return to civilization (and reliable Internet), I looked for a way to recreate this Logan bread. I discovered a recipe in the *New York Times Natural Foods Cookbook *from 1972, but it wasn’t exactly the same. Some additional research led me to a few other recipes, and I’ve combined them to make something that does the job.
Now, in our mission to help others be a bit more fearless in their pursuits, I’ll share my take on a delicious, filling, DIY snack or meal for your next adventure.
Logan Bread
Pre-heat the oven to 350° F.
Dry Ingredients
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3 Cups all-purpose flour
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1 1/4 Cups rolled oats
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3/4 Cup brown sugar
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2 tsp baking powder
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1 tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
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2 eggs
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1/2 Cup honey
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1/2 Cup molasses
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1/2 Cup canola oil
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1 Cup applesauce
Add-ins
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1 Cup dried cranberries
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1 Cup sliced almonds
Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl and stir until they are evenly combined. Mix the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and stir until they are evenly combined. Combine the two bowls and stir until they are evenly combined. Mix in the add-ins, and, yes, stir until they are evenly combined.
Pour the mixture into a greased baking tin or pan. Bake at 350° F for 45 minutes or until the bread is set.
Remove from the oven and let stand for at least 10 minutes before cutting into the desired size for transport and storage.
Optional: Return the cut pieces still in the pan to an oven on low to dry the bread. This is useful if you plan to store it for long periods of time or are trying to save ounces in your pack.
The Origin Story
Logan bread is a somewhat fabled dish. Its origins are allegedly as a tastier replacement for hardtack for an expedition to the summit of Mount Logan in the Yukon.
The recipe in the *New York Times *cookbook makes a somewhat bigger batch, but its origins are clearly of a long-distance adventure as the book describes its yield as feeding two men for 16 days.
Read Day 1– Fear Itself
