The Happy Camper: How to Make Logan Bread
The colder it gets, the less I travel great distances and the more I just hang around, camping and cooking. I’m not sure if it’s my body craving nutrition to keep warm or the simple fact that the nights are longer and experimenting with camp recipes helps pass the time.
One of my all-time favourite camping desserts is Logan Bread. It contains everything needed on a cold camping trip: calories, nutrition, long shelf-life and great taste.
Logan Bread was invented by an expedition team who set out to summit Mount Logan in 1950. Rather then the usual hardtack, the climbers created a kind of do-it-yourself energy-bar. Like any recipe, however, there’s some debate over the original ingredients. However, the common components stayed the same. It’s the added bonuses, like raisins vs. chocolate chips, that have been altered.
Ingredients
11⁄2 cups whole wheat flour
11⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (rye flour was thought to be what was originally used)
11⁄4 cups rolled oats
3⁄4 cup lightly packed brown sugar
11⁄2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup applesauce
1⁄2 cup liquid honey
1⁄2 cup canola oil
1⁄4 cup molasses
1 cup raisins
2/3 cup sunflower seeds
Most prepare this at home, taking advantage of using the fresh ingredients (eggs) and forgoing the hassle of carrying separate containers for liquid ingredients (honey, molasses, apple sauce). This is a wise choice, and the bread has a long shelf-life. But it’s still doable to make it fresh in while camping. Here’s how:
In a large pot, combine flours, rolled oats, sugar, baking powder and salt. In a second pot, stir together eggs (powdered eggs will do or substitute with 1/2 cup of powdered milk), applesauce, honey, oil and molasses. Pour liquid ingredients into dry ingredients; stir just until well-blended. Stir in raisins and sunflower seeds. Divide batter into two greased nine-inch (23 cm) square pans. Bake in a reflector oven, against hot coals, or use a Dutch Oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly pressed. Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes before cutting into squares or bars.
Dare to be different: rather than add raisins or sunflower seeds, add cranberries, almonds, walnuts or chocolate chips. Try substituting canola oil with coconut oil.
For more camp recipes check out my new book The New Trailside Cookbook, published by Firefly Books.
