The Hunger Games:
“By the time I reached home, the loaves had cooled some-what, but the insides were still warm. When I dropped them on the table, Prim’s hands reached to tear off a chunk, but I made her sit, forced my mother to join us at the table, and poured warm tea. I scraped off the black stuff and sliced the bread. We ate an entire loaf, slice by slice. It was good hearty bread, filled with raisins and nuts.”
Do you know what tomorrow is?
Its Mocking Jay, part 2, day.
The release of the final installment in the Hunger Games movie franchise. It’s the day that I’ve been thinking about for a whole year, since the last movie came out, and I can’t believe it’s finally here! I love the Hunger Games. Sure it took me forever to get on the bandwagon and read the books, but once I did I became a hunger games junkie. I’ve re-read the series several times, saw each movie several times in the theater and then several more times on dvd and a few more times on Netflix. I can’t get enough.
You see, I’m a sucker for a love story and despite its violent and brutal dystopia setting, The Hunger Games is ultimately a love story. Actually, more like a love triangle. Gale and Peeta love Katniss and Katniss loves Gale and Peeta. Gale is her best friend but Peeta saves her life. Gale is a fighter, a hunter and Peeta is adorable.
Sorry Gale, I am team Peeta all the way. From the very beginning, ‘the boy with the bread’ won my heart and his love for Katniss kept me going to the very last page. He is her dandelion in the spring. The promise that life will go on, and that it will be good again. *Sigh*
Plus, he bakes.
I mean, seriously, who doesn’t want a guy that can make a loaf of bread? Especially a good hearty loaf filled with raisins and nuts.
This bread requires a little more effort than most yeast bread, working in the nuts and raisins was a pain as they kept flying out, but trust me it’s worth it. It’s so good that my family and I polished off an entire loaf, slice by slice, before it had finished cooling.
Good thing the recipe makes 2 loaves.
Good Hearty Bread
Adapted from the UnOfficial hunger Games Cookbook
Makes 2 Loaves
Ingredients:
1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110°F)
1 1/2 cups warm milk (110°F)
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
3 tbsp molasses
3 tbsp honey
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 eggs
3 cups whole wheat flour
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 cups raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 egg white
2 tablespoons cold water
Directions:
- In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, dissolve yeast in the warm water until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the milk, butter, molasses, honey, salt, cinnamon, sugar, eggs, whole wheat flour and bread flour until smooth and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.
- Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Place raisins in a bowl of tepid tap water. Let soak until needed.
- Grease two 8.5″ x 4.5″ loaf pans.
- Punch dough down. Turn out onto the lightly floured surface;sprinkle with raisins and walnuts and knead them in.
- Divide dough in half.
- Roll dough into loaves, keeping raisins folded inside.
- Place loaves into greased loaf pans.
- Let rise until doubled, about one hour
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Beat egg white and cold water; brush over loaves.
- Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes or until golden brown. If top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.
- Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
- 1 1/2 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup warm water (110°F)
- 1 1/2 cups warm milk (110°F)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 3 tbsp molasses
- 3 tbsp honey
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups whole wheat flour
- 3 1/2 cups bread flour
- 2 cups raisins
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1 egg white
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- In a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, dissolve yeast in the warm water until foamy, about 5 minutes.
- Add the milk, butter, molasses, honey, salt, cinnamon, sugar, eggs, whole wheat flour and bread flour until smooth and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Place raisins in a bowl of tepid tap water. Let soak until needed.
- Grease two 8.5" x 4.5" loaf pans.
- Punch dough down. Turn out onto the lightly floured surface; sprinkle with raisins and walnuts and knead them in. Divide dough in half.
- Roll dough into loaves, keeping raisins folded inside.
- Place loaves into greased loaf pans. Cover and let rise until doubled, about one hour
- Preheat oven to 375°F.
- Beat egg white and cold water; brush over loaves.
- Bake at 375°F for 40 minutes or until golden brown. If top browns too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 15 minutes.
- Remove from pans to wire racks to cool.
