Boston Brown Bread
Our modern take on Fannie Farmer’s classic recipe for steamed Boston brown bread includes currants for sweetness and a traditional loaf pan.
By Yankee Magazine|Sep 27 2015|
Coffee By Design | Portland, Maine
Photo Credit : Katherine KeenanThe only changes we made to this classic recipe for Boston brown bread were to add dried currants for sweetness and to cook the dish in a common bread pan rather than the “well-buttered mould” that Farmer used. Of course, you may also use a large, buttered coffee can for your vessel, as many New Englanders like to do.
LEARN MORE: Fannie Farmer | New England’s Gifts
Yield:
6 to 8 servingsIngredients
Butter, for greasing the pan
1 cup rye flour
1 cup graham or whole-wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1/3 cup dried currants
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon table salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
3/4 cup molasses
Instructions
Generously grease a 9×5-inch bread pan and set it aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the rye flour, graham flour, cornmeal, currants, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add the buttermilk and molasses, and stir until combined. Pour into the prepared pan.
Butter a piece of aluminum foil large enough to cover the top and sides of the pan. Lay it over the pan, press down around the sides, and tie a piece of kitchen twine around the upper part of the pan to secure the foil.
Place the loaf pan in a large pot with a tight-fitting lid. Add enough water to come halfway up the sides of the loaf pan. Bring to a boil; then cover and reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Simmer, checking the water level several times, until the loaf is cooked through and a toothpick comes out clean, about 3 hours.
Carefully remove the loaf from the pot, and remove the foil.
Cool for a few minutes; then invert onto a cooling rack. Let cool slightly before serving.
Serve warm or at room temperature. It’s delicious toasted, with plenty of salted butter.
A lovely Brown Bread and easy to make. I have been making this bread for eons from the recipe in my old Fanny Farmer cookbook. I steam it in a pudding mould that I aquired from KAF, and it always turns out beautifully. A Classic Brown Bread! Served with Baked Beans or have it with your Breakfast, you can’t go wrong.
Who has a pot big enough to hold a 9×5 loaf pan? Not me! Are there any alternatives? (My slow cooker isn’t big enough, either.)
You can use a Dollar Tree store roasting pan or a regular roasting pan if you have one.