Growing Stone

Keeper

Fire-Bread

Deep undergrond at the communal hearths, dwarven men and women have long made a particular sort of little flatbread.  "Fire-Bread" is one of the names for this bread.  "Puff-Bread", "Steam-Ball", and "Scorched-Fingers Bread" are other names by which it is referred; but in all tribes if you speak of "Hearth-Bread" the dwarves will know what you are talking about.

These simple breads are a good accompaniment to curries and stews as well as being tasty for breakfast or even dessert, depending on what they are eaten with.  They also make excellent food to take on journeys, as they are compact, dense, and, once they are cooled, quite dry.  One has merely to wrap them in a cloth along with whatever dried meat or cheese one wishes to dine on as you walk the mountain trails, and one has a hearty meal that will stay good, not going stale, for some time.

But it is right out of the fire that these simple treats are at their best.  Soft, aromatic, and steam-filled.  It is common around the central hearth to see dwarf children ducking in beneath the arms of their parents to snatch a Hearth-Bread before it has cooled.  (Dwarven chilcren also learn quickly to toss the bread from hand to hand until it has had time to cool.)

The ingredient list for this stable is short.  To make Hearth-Bread you need only wheat flour, salt, and water.

For every cup of flour used, mix with it a small amount, half a spoonful, of salt.  Add water to this mixture until it is a dough that is no longer clinging to every surface.  Form the dough into balls about half the size of a hen's egg.  Give them a dusting of more flour so that you can stack the dough balls without them sticking too much to one-another.

The balls at this point can be stored in a cool place, covered by a damp cloth, until you wish to cook them.  It is always preferable to cook them immediately before serving.  It is not

this recipe is continued on the next page