Fiction-Food Café: Dire Wolf Bread

(Recipe originally published November 2014 for Fiction Kitchen Podcast Episode 1)

Haha, based on Hot Pie's 2.0 version from season 4. ;)

Hot Pie's Direwolf Bread

1/2 Cup (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1/2 Cup White Granulated Sugar
2 Tbsp. Molasses
2 Cups Dark Rye Flour
1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
Pinch of Ground Cloves or Allspice (optional) 2 Tbsp. Milk 1 Egg 1 Tbsp. Water Turbinado Sugar, AKA "sugar in the raw" (optional)

In a large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, & molasses until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together the rye, oats, salt, baking soda, & optional spice. Pour the dry ingredients into the the butter/sugar mixture, a little at a time, & mix until crumbs form. Add the milk & the mixture will come together to form a dough.

Preheat your oven to 350ºF. On a sheet of parchment paper, flatten the dough to a 1/2" rectangle. Print, cut out, & lay the Direwolf Bread Template on top of the dough. Cut out the contour of the wolf, & then cut/puncture the inner markings, making sure not to push the knife all the way through the dough. Remove the template & define the crosshatches and lines. Save the cut away dough for another wolf or simply cut it into rectangles or triangles to bake along with the one wolf.

Lift the edges of the parchment & transfer the wolf to a large baking tray. Whisk the egg & water to make an egg wash & brush a thin layer on the wolf. Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top (optional) & then bake on the middle rack for about 17-20 minutes, or until the points of the wolf have just browned. Remove from the oven & very gently lift the parchment corners to transfer the wolf to a wire rack to cool completely.