This Boston brown bread recipe is a little more refined than traditional. I replaced rye flour with all-purpose flour, which traditionally would have been reserved for special days. That's why this brown bread is called "company's coming," when folks would bring out their best ingredients.Packed with raisins, you can serve this traditionally: fried in butter, or toasted and smeared with butter or cream cheese.
1teaspoonkosher saltor 3/4 teaspoon table salt or fine salt
¾teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspooncinnamon
1cupraisins plumped in boiling water for 5 minutesdrained and cooled
½cupmolasses
1 ½cupsbuttermilk
Instructions
Set a pot large enough to fit an 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" loaf pan inside. Place a steamer basket or a trivet inside to keep the pan off the bottom of the pot. Fill with 2" of water and start bringing it to a boil.
Line your loaf pan with parchment and generously butter it.
In a large bowl, combine all purpose flour, cornmeal, whole wheat flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. Whisk well to combine evenly.
Add the cooled raisins.
Whisk together the molasses and the buttermilk.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir/fold to combine.
Pour into the prepared pan and carefully lower into the pot. Moderate the heat to maintain a low boil and put the lid on.
Let the bread steam for two hours.
At the end of 2 hours. carefully remove to a cooling rack. Loosen the sides of the bread from the pan and allow to cool for 2 hours in the pan.
Remove the bread from the pan, peel off the parchment, and allow to cool completely.