Learning about how the Vikings invaded France and other islands, including Canada, spurred us to make Viking Bread. Since the Vikings would have had to have ground their own barley, oats and rye by hand this is a rather heavy, coarse bread.
3 cups whole wheat flour or use another coarse flour
2 cups white flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cups warm water
1 cup oats
Mix all dry ingredients saving out a 1/4 of cup of oats for the top. Stir in the 2 cups of water until it become hard to stir. At that point start to knead it to incorporate the rest of the flour until it become stiff. Make it into a circle and place on a baking stone. If using a cookie sheet it needs to be greased. Sprinkle the rest of the oats on top. Put the bread into a cold oven and turn on to 375 degrees. Bake for one hour.
We enjoyed it with butter and raw honey. It was very, very filling since it is such a dense bread. We thought it would also be good with a chili or stew and plan on making it again. I also pointed out to the kids that when you read books and someone had a hunk of brown bread and water to eat that this was probably the kind of bread they would have been given.