Brown Bread

This is old-school Boston brown bread, steamed in coffee cans for three hours until it comes out dark, dense, moist, and faintly sweet from dark molasses. Three flours (cornmeal, rye, and whole wheat) give it a complex, grainy texture that regular bread can’t touch, and plump raisins scattered throughout add little bursts of sweetness in every slice.

No yeast, no kneading, no oven. Buttermilk and baking soda handle the leavening, and the steam does all the cooking. The foil-topped coffee cans make cylindrical loaves that slice into perfect rounds, traditionally served warm with butter and baked beans.

Kitchen Tips

• Grease the coffee cans generously with butter. Brown bread sticks tenaciously to bare metal and you’ll tear the loaf trying to unmold it.
• Weight the pot lid down tightly. Escaping steam means the bread won’t cook evenly and the center may stay raw.
• Don’t open the pot for at least two hours. Every peek releases steam and drops the temperature, adding to the cooking time.
• Let the bread cool in the cans for a full 20 minutes before unmolding. It firms up as it cools and slides out much more cleanly.

Variations

• Use currants instead of raisins for smaller, more evenly distributed pops of sweetness.
• Add a teaspoon of ground ginger and a pinch of allspice for a spiced, gingerbread-like version.
• Slice leftover rounds and toast them in butter for a crispy, caramelized breakfast with cream cheese.