Hungry Travels

You know what’s high entertainment?  Listening to New York sports radio and hearing callers melt down when the local teams are tanking.  I admit, I get a certain degree of pleasure being a Boston sports fan living in New York.  Aside from the Giants beating the Pats in the Super Bowl (which I don’t want to talk about), it’s been pretty good times for ‘ol Boston.

(That clicking sound you just heard is New York readers un-bookmarking my site.)

So let’s continue the Boston celebration here in the heart of Westchester with a hometown treat: Boston brown bread.

I was so taken by this dark, moist, sweet, traditional colonial New England bread after eating it in Cape Cod a few weeks ago, that I vowed to make it.  Then, lo and behold, my sister emailed me this Gourmet recipe.

The recipe requires only a few ingredients and a few simple steps, but there’s a wrinkle to the process that makes it unique — rather than being baked, the bread is steamed in a coffee can.  Sounds strange, right?

1 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups brown bread flour *
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup dark molasses
1 cup milk
1/2 cup dried currants or raisins

* I searched high and low for brown bread flour — no luck. Gourmet says it’s a New England specialty, so it’s possible you can’t find it around here.  No problem, you can make your own by combining equal parts wheat flour, rye flour and cornmeal.

You start by taking any old coffee can — I used a 13 oz can — and greasing the inside with the butter.

Mix together the flours, baking soda and salt, then stir in the molasses, milk and dried fruit (I used raisins).

Pour the mixture into the coffee can, cover it with tin foil, and secure it tightly with string.  (This step will trigger flashbacks of 8th grade science experiments — it’s like you’re making a volcano.)

Place the can in a baking dish and fill it with boiling water until the water comes halfway up the can.  My baking dish wasn’t that deep so the water only came about 1/3 of the way up, but it worked fine.

Place the dish in a preheated 325 degree oven and steam for 2 hours.  After the first hour, check the water level and add more boiling water if necessary.

To see if the bread’s done, stick a toothpick into it.  If it comes out clean, it’s ready.  Remove the foil and string, and let the bread sit uncovered for an hour.

Then comes the moment of truth: the unmolding.  I had visions of the bread breaking apart into a crumbly mess, but it slid right out like a can of cranberry sauce.  I captured the moment for posterity.

My sister and I both agree that the bread in Cape Cod had been pan fried in butter, which gave it a luxurious texture and taste.  No butter for this home cook, but I did throw a few slices on the griddle until lightly crisp.

Then they were ready to eat.  The steaming keeps the bread moist, and the molasses gives it a distinctive malty flavor. Traditionally the bread was eaten with baked beans, but it does just fine on its own.

This fall, I plan on cheering on the Sox, Pats and Celts while munching on my Boston brown bread.  If you’re a New Yorker, don’t hesitate to give this recipe a try too. Doesn’t make you a traitor… I promise.