Traditional brown bread is served in New England with baked beans.  Brown bread is a steamed bread which is why I think it has fallen out of favor.

The bean company that I use also makes a canned brown bread, but it is tasteless compared to home baked bread.

Again I have gone to the Internet for the recipe because the one I had is long since lost.  The one following feels like my old recipe from Mother.

Equipment:

2 (two) 1 lb. empty coffee cans or any empty  can this size.

Pot deep enough to have water cover the coffee  can.

Aluminum foil.

String.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup whole cornmeal.

1 cup white flour.

1 cup whole wheat flour.

1 heaping teaspoon baking soda.

1 teaspoon salt.

1 cup raisins.

2 cups buttermilk,  nonfat  yogurt  or  sour  milk     

OR          

(2C. milk with 1Tb. of vinegar; clabbered for 5 minutes) 

3/4 cup dark, unsulphured molasses.

 

Directions:

1. Mix the cornmeal, flours, baking soda, salt and raisins together. 

2. Combine the buttermilk and molasses and stir them with a spoon or whisk into the dry ingredients. 

3. Place the mixture in two greased 1-pound coffee cans filling them about two-thirds full. 

Cover these loosely with foil that has been greased on the inside (to prevent sticking) and secure with string.

4. Place the cans in a kettle or saucepan on top of something (crinkled aluminum foil or jar lids or a stainless steel vegetable steaming insert will do nicely) to keep the can off the bottom of the pan. The kettle should be deep enough so its lid can cover the pudding container(s). 

5. Fill the kettle with boiling water two-thirds of the way up the cans. 

6. Cover, bring the water back to a boil, then lower to a simmer. 

7. Steam for about 2 hours, adding water if necessary.  An inserted toothpick should come out clean when done.

 

To remove the brown bread from the cans, insert a long knife and run around the edges of the bread to loosen.

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