Brown Bread

5 from 1 vote

Boston Brown Bread is a dense, slightly sweet New England specialty known for its unique steamed preparation and hearty flavor.

Prep Time15

Cook Time3

Total Time3 15

Course: Breads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: boston brown bread, how to make brown bread, steamed brown bread recipe

Servings:

Calories: 231kcal

Author: Melissa Griffiths

Ingredients

2 cups buttermilk
1 cup flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat flour
¾ cup molasses
2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Prepare the Mold and Steamer: Grease a 9-inch tube pan (12-cup) with butter or cooking spray. Place a rack inside a Dutch oven or steamer, making sure that the rack is elevated at least an inch from the bottom.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, whole wheat flour, baking soda, and salt.
In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk and molasses.
Beat the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients in a large bowl using an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, ensuring all ingredients are combined.
Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl using a spatula to make sure everything is well mixed.
Beat the mixture again with the mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.
Pour the batter into the greased tube mold, filling it evenly.
Cover the mold tightly with aluminum foil to prevent steam from getting into the batter.
Place the mold on the rack in the dutch oven or steamer. Pour boiling water into the dutch oven until it almost reaches the bottom of the mold. Keep the water boiling over low heat.
Monitor and Test: Continue steaming for about 3 hours, adding boiling water as needed to keep water in the pan. Check for doneness by inserting a wooden pick into the middle; it should come out clean when the bread is done. The bread will also look uniform on the top and spring back lightly when touched.
Unmold the Bread: Remove the mold from the steamer and carefully unmold the bread. Allow it to cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This bread is also delicious at room temperature.

Notes

Some tube pans have a bottom that pop out, like the kind you would use for angel food cake. Don't use that one, you need solid pan for this one. A Bundt pan will also work well.
Make sure to use fresh baking soda, as it's essential for the bread to rise properly.
If you don't have a 9-inch tube mold, you can substitute with any similar-sized mold or can, but ensure it's suitable for steaming.
Often brown bread will be steamed in tin cans! It's very fun to do, you can put this recipe in 2 or 3 large tin cans (not the huge #10 tin cans, more like the tall and skinnier cans baked beans come in) and steam it the same way, they'll take about 2 hours to cook.
Raisins are really traditional in brown bread, you can add 1 cup of rehydrated raisins to this recipe (soak the raisins in warm water for 15 minutes, drain, and then add).
Monitor the water level during steaming, and ensure it doesn't evaporate completely, as this can affect the cooking process.
The bread can be enjoyed warm or at room temperature, and pairs well with butter, jam, or honey.
Leftovers can be wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days or frozen for longer storage.
As the bread starts to age and dries out after a day or two, it's common to slice the bread, butter both sides well and pan fry it just a little to crisp it up and warm it at the same time. This is a great way to refresh this bread. Serve with honey, jam, or even cream cheese.

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