Boston Brown Bread

Name: Boston Brown Bread
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 15 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: New England
Ingredients: 1 cup rye flour; 1 cup Whole wheat flour; 1 cup Cornmeal; 1 tsp Baking soda; 1 tsp Salt; 2 cup Buttermilk; 0.75 cup molasses; 1 cup Raisins

A dense, steamed loaf of rye and cornmeal sweetened with molasses, the traditional companion to Boston baked beans.

🇺🇸United States· Massachusetts

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 180 min
Total: 195 min
Servings: 8
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 200 kcal

Equipment

•Coffee cans or pudding molds
•Large stockpot with a rack

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 200 kcal
fat: 2
carbs: 40
protein: 5
calories: 200

Instructions

1
Grease two 1-pound coffee cans or pudding molds.
2
Whisk the rye flour, whole wheat flour, cornmeal, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
3
Stir in the buttermilk and molasses until just mixed. Gently stir in the raisins if using.
4
Divide the batter between the prepared molds until two-thirds full. Cover each tightly with foil.
5
Set the molds on a rack in a large stockpot. Add boiling water halfway up the sides of the molds.
6
Cover the pot. Steam over a gentle simmer for about 3 hours, adding more water as needed.
7
Remove the molds from the pot. Let them cool for 10 minutes before taking out the bread.
8
Slice and serve warm. It is traditional to serve this alongside baked beans.

Chef's tips

Grease the cans well because the batter will rise as it steams. Keep the water at a gentle simmer rather than a rolling boil so the bread cooks evenly, and let it rest a few minutes before taking it out of the molds.