My Logan bread recipe

[Jeff J]

I made a batch tonight, and I thought I'd share. It's been well received by fellow hikers, and it has become my staple lunch/snack food. I've found recipes online, but they all seem to call for loads of oil or something else I don't want to include. This is made from ingredients I try to keep stocked anyway.

Fresh from the oven (phone pic):

Texture close up:

Recipe:
3 C whole wheat flour
3 C AP flour
2/3 C powdered milk
2 tsp salt
tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

lightly toast:
1 C old fashioned oats
1/2 C wheat germ
2/3 C chopped nuts (I've been using pecans)

1/2 C dark brown sugar
1 C chopped dried fruit (this batch was half strawberries and half dates)
1/2 C melted butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 C honey, warmed
~1 C warm water (this batch used about 1.25 C)

Instructions:
Mix the dry ingredients together in a very large bowl, aerating well. Toast the oats, wheat germ, and nuts in a 350F oven for 5 minutes, stir/flip, and toast another 3 minutes. (Tip: don't go too long; if you smell the nuts with the oven closed, they're burned.) Add to dry mix. Add the sugar and fruit and mix well.

Melt the butter; meanwhile, whisk the eggs. Heat the honey. (Tip: this is the best time to grease the pan since you're about to knead.) Add the remainder of the wet ingredients, reserving some of the water in case less than a cup is enough. Knead. (I manage this one handed; if you have a stand mixer, I'm jealous.) The dough should be thick and sticky; you will get club hand if you're doing this by hand.

Grease a 9"x13" baking dish and spread out best you can. Bake at 350F for 40 to 50 minutes. 40 minutes will leave it moister, 50 minutes will make it dry enough to last a respectable amount of time without freezing or refrigeration. I'm assuming 60 minutes makes it bone dry, good for longevity, bad for taste.

Totals (not portioned out): 6624 cal, 171.2g fat, 1200g carb of which 98.9g fiber and 377.4g sugar, 161.7g protein.

In 36 pieces, each piece then: 184 cal, 4.76g fat, 33.3g carb of which 2.75g fiber and 10.5g sugar, 4.5g protein.

Edit: Total weight 74.6 oz not completely cool or dry. 8 pieces from the center in a freezer bag: 16.2 oz. So admittedly, below the ideal calories per ounce. But delicious! And this is the wettest batch I've made yet; the center was still nice and moist like banana bread should be.

-Jeff

[Bob Gross]

Jeff, your Logan Bread looks interesting. Mine is a lot darker and appears to be heavier, but I can understand that since mine has no eggs. It would be interesting to see how long yours keeps without any mold. I found that moist fruit bits will grow mold earlier, so I use nothing but dry fruit bits.

–B.G.–

[Rick Horne]

Bob, are you willing to share your recipe.

[John Jensen]

Bob's original, and my variation, are here.

I walked up on a group saying mine tasted good ;-), so I know I have unbiased opinion.

I need to try a batch with candied ginger …

Update: heh, when I told them Bob's version lasted 30 days, they all stopped, hand on the way to mouth, and said "how old are these?"

[Bob Gross]

John beat me to the punch.

Some Logan Bread is intended to travel for a long time. I've eaten my own Logan Bread that is six months old, and I have some in my kitchen now that I baked in July 2011. It is developing a certain character.

I will eat it as long as there is no mold growing on it and it doesn't break a tooth.

–B.G.–

[Jeff J]

When I first made some, I left some out on the counter but in a ziploc bag, just like how I would carry it on a trip, to see when mold would start. I had eaten the rest of that batch before any mold started, about two weeks, so I ate that portion as well before I found out. It wasn't terribly stale, just a little extra toothiness to it. I speculate that the cup of honey does a decent job of inhibiting any funk, as well as baking it dry.

Last night was the first time I've actually added up the nutritional info; I might add some coconut butter or something to boost the calories. I'm disappointed that it's below 100cal/oz.

-Jeff

[Rick Horne]

I had the chance to taste Bobs last summer and it was tasty. Not sure how old it was :-(

[Bob Gross]

It tastes good only on the last half of a backpack trip, when you are already getting hungry.

–B.G.–

[Adan Lopez]

Jeff,
Your bread looks like it could be fun. From your totals above, you state that it was cut in 36 pieces and how many calories were in each. About what size were each of those pieces? Also, your post is about a few weeks old now, do you still have some bread left? how is it holding up?

[John Klinepeter]

Bringing back an old thread. I just baked a loaf or cake of Logan bread and I am quite pleased. I used cranberries, cherries, and walnuts as the variable ingredients. Flavorful, not too sweet. I will definitely add this to my backpacking "pantry".

I did not knead, as such, but merely kept working the mixture with a wooden spoon. Didn't want to get my hands messy. I also got distracted and baked the bread for 52-53 minutes but it turned out fine, perhaps just a tiny bit too crusty.

Thanks Jeff!

[jimmer ultralight]

I've done some research into Logan bread recipes..I thought about the Cranbberries as well but many folks say watch out for the walnuts. They tend to go rancid much faster than almonds etc..

[John Klinepeter]

Thanks for the hint about the viability of walnuts. I will choose a different nut next time. In the mean time I will freeze the bread and consume small portions over a several day period; should be safe that way.

[jimmer ultralight]

Well, try to keep a few bars back and seen how long the nuts go before going bad..It will be instructive for all of us..

Pecans go rancid fast as well. Ground Almonds would make a fine Logan bread with a mixture of dried Cranberries, Dates ,Raisins and maybe Apricots , me thinks..

What kind of Walnuts did you use, Black or English?

[Bob Gross]

English walnuts are practical since they are easier to shell. Black walnuts are hard to crack, but the flavor is more intense. Take your pick.

I quit using walnuts in my Logan bread specifically because I thought that the nuts were going bad after a time. I like to keep my Logan bread edible until at least six months. Mine was the recipe without any eggs or yeast.

–B.G.–

[John Klinepeter]

I am not good at identifying walnut types. They are C****o's California walnuts, no other info on the package, purchased many months ago. I have set aside a two inch cube of the bread on a plate and loosely wrapped it in a plastic bag. There is at least one visible nut piece. Ambient in my kitchen is in the 50's F (10 to 15C) this time of year so the test may not translate well to those who maintain a more normal house temp.

I will check on it occasionally and report any findings.

[Bob Gross]

California walnuts are commercially practical since they are easy to harvest and the shell is thin, so it is easy to crack to extract the meat. The California walnut is actually an English walnut tree grafted onto a Black walnut root that is more resistant to rot.

So, for practical purposes California walnuts are English walnuts. They have become so prevalent that it is difficult to find Black walnuts anymore unless you are directly in the middle of Black walnut growing country. Most consumers do not want to go to the extra trouble of picking out the walnut meats, so they just purchase whatever the grocery store has to sell.

If you grew up in the middle of Black walnut country (like this son of the Midwest), then you can recognize the extra flavor of Black walnuts. Plus, the natural walnut oil will stain your skin for longer time when you have been busy de-husking the nuts. Don't ask me how I know this.

I would guess that the Black walnut has more fat in it to make it more aromatic, but I really don't know for sure.

–B.G.–

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