Best A Bit Nutty Boston Brown Bread Recipes

BOSTON BROWN BREAD (NEW ENGLAND BROWN BREAD)

Steps:

• Grease a 9x5 loaf pan (or for a more authentic version, a 29 oz. coffee can) with a generous amount of butter. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.
• Whisk or stir together the cornmeal (1/2 cup), rye flour (1/2 cup), whole wheat flour (1/2 cup), baking powder (1 teaspoon), baking soda (1 teaspoon), and kosher salt (1 teaspoon) in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the maple syrup (2 tablespoons), molasses (1/3 cup), milk (1 cup), and vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) to the batter and whisk or stir together until everything is combined.
• Add the raisins to the batter and fold in.
• Pour batter in prepared baking dish. Cover tightly with foil (so the steam doesn't escape to keep the bread moist).
• Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before running a knife around the edge and gently removing it. Cool for 5-10 minutes longer, slice into 10 pieces, and serve slathered with butter with a side of baked beans.

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

Steps:

• Move a rack to the bottom third of the oven and heat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Spray the insides of the cans with nonstick spray and place set a deep 3-quart oven-safe pot. Begin heating enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the cans when poured into the pot.
• In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the wheat flour, rye flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder, salt and allspice. Add the molasses, buttermilk, vanilla and zest and whisk to combine. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared cans. Cover the top with a double thickness of aluminum foil and tie securely with string. Pour the boiling water into the pot. Carefully place in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the edges of the bread begin to pull away from the sides of the cans. Remove the cans from the pot of water, uncover, place on a cooling rack and cool 1 hour before removing bread from the cans. Serve with baked beans or slice, toast and serve with cream cheese.

AUTHENTIC BOSTON BROWN BREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, molasses, brown sugar and oil. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in walnuts and raisins. Transfer to a greased 8x4-in. loaf pan; cover with foil., Place pan on a rack in a boiling-water canner or other large, deep pot; add 1 in. of hot water to pot. Bring to a gentle boil; cover and steam for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, adding more water to the pot as needed. , Remove pan from the pot; let stand for 10 minutes before removing bread from pan to a wire rack. Serve with cream cheese if desired.

VERY BASIC BREAD

Steps:

• Combine 5 ounces of the flour, 1/4 teaspoon of the yeast, all of the honey, and all of the bottled water in a straight-sided container; cover loosely and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
• Place the remaining 11 ounces of flour, remaining yeast, and all the salt into the bowl of a stand mixer, and add the pre-ferment from the refrigerator. Using the dough hook attachment, knead the mixture on low for 2 to 3 minutes just until it comes together. Cover the dough in the bowl with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, knead the dough on medium speed for 5 to 10 minutes or until you are able to gently pull the dough into a thin sheet that light will pass through. The dough will be sticky, but not so sticky that you can't handle it.
• While the dough is kneading, pour half of the hot water into a shallow pan and place on the bottom rack of your oven.
• Grease the inside of a large straight-sided container with the vegetable oil. Place the dough ball into the container and set on the rack above the pan of water. Allow to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 to 2 hours.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, turn it onto a counter top, lightly dust your hands with flour, and press the dough out with your knuckles; then fold 1 side in towards the middle of the mass and then the other, as if you were making a tri-fold wallet. Repeat the folding a second time. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for another 10 minutes.
• Flatten dough again with your knuckles and then fold the dough in onto itself, like you are shaping something that looks like a jellyfish. Turn the dough over and squeeze the bottom together so that the top surface of the dough is smooth. Place the dough back onto the counter and begin to roll gently between your hands. Do not grab the dough but allow it to move gently back and forth between your hands, moving in a circular motion. Move the dough ball to a pizza peel or the bottom of a sheet pan that has been sprinkled with the cornmeal. Cover with the kitchen towel and allow to bench proof for 1 hour, or until you poke the dough and it quickly fills back in where you poked it.
• Place an unglazed terra cotta dish upside down into the oven and heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Combine the 1/3 cup of water and the cornstarch in a small bowl. Uncover the dough and brush the surface with this mixture. Gently slash the top surface of the dough ball in several places, approximately 1/3 to 1/2-inch deep. Add more of the hot water to the shallow pan if it has evaporated. Slide the bread onto the terra cotta dish in the oven and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Once the bread has reached an internal temperature of 205 to 210 degrees F, remove to a cooling rack and allow to sit for 30 minutes before slicing.

BOSTON BROWN BREAD WITH DRIED FRUIT

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only of 8x4-inch loaf pan with shortening or spray bottom with cooking spray; coat with flour.
• In medium bowl, mix flours, cornmeal and baking soda. In another medium bowl, beat molasses, egg and 2 tablespoons softened butter with electric mixer on medium speed about 3 minutes or until well mixed. Beat in flour mixture alternately with buttermilk until mixed. Stir in dried fruits. Pour into pan.
• Bake 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of crack comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes. Run knife around edges of loaf to loosen; remove from pan to wire rack. Brush with 2 teaspoons melted butter. Serve warm.

BOSTON BROWN BREAD

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• 2. Generously grease a 1-quart pudding mold or 1-pound coffee can. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in the molasses and milk. Fold in the currants.
• 3. Fill the mold or coffee can with batter. It should come up about two-thirds of the way. Cover the top with foil and tie securely with a string to make it airtight.
• 4. Place in a deep baking pan and fill the pan with boiling water, to come halfway up the side of the mold.
• 5. Place in the preheated oven and allow to steam for 2 hours, checking the water level after 1 hour. Add more boiling water if needed. Check by sticking a skewer into the bread; it will come out clean when done. Remove string and foil and allow to cool for 1 hour before unmolding.