Brown Bread

[nancya]

I'm looking for a good recipe for New England Brown Bread. The ones I'm finding call for graham flour and I don't think the Price Cutter carries that...

[mudbug]

This should point you in the right direction... New England Brown Bread recipes without graham flour.

[bigbuns]

This recipe is very old and has been used in my New England family for as long as I remember. I've never converted it to weights, because it's just always been in my head this way.

Blend in a bowl:

1/2 cup rye meal (if you can't find, just use all purpose flour, but there is a big taste difference.
1/2 cup corn meal
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Add
3/8 cup molasses
1 cup milk
1/2 cup raisins (optional, but I wouldn't eat it without them)

Grease a 1 to 1-1/2 qt mold (a 1 lb. coffee can is good for this)
Fill not more than 2/3 full. Put the cover on the mold or cover top of can with heavy foil and heavy elastic bands or tight string. Put this on a rack in a deep kettle and add boiling water to come up halfway around the mold. Steam 3-1/2 hours. You may need to add more boiling water as it evaporates to keep it at the halfway level.

Then take mold out, remove cover and set in 300 degree oven about 15 min.

Now, the real old-time New Englanders cut theirs with a string wrapped around and pulled. It's a lot easier than a knife when the bread is hot.

I love steamed breads and/or puddings.

[nancya]

Thank you very much, bigbuns! -- there's nothing quite like a tried and true family recipe. I look forward to trying it!