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New England Brown Bread is a pumpernickel, corn meal, molasses, buttermilk raisin bread that is cooked in a can!
What is New England Brown Bread?
It’s a uniquely New England recipe for brown bread that’s round in shape because the bread is baked in a can, in a covered pot on the stove!
The flavors of this bread are rich and delicious with a hearty texture – all thanks to a combination of pumpernickel or rye flour, coarse corn meal, unsulfured molasses, and buttermilk. Adding raisins is optional – but highly recommended as the sweetness of raisins goes so perfectly with the other flavors.
What type of can should I use to make New England Brown Bread?
You can use two clean, empty one-quart coffee cans for this recipe if you have them on hand. Or you can buy coffee cans here.
Cooking Process
This recipe makes two loaves of bread.
The batter-filled cans are covered with foil and tied with butcher’s twine, then steamed partially submerged in a water bath in a deep pot with a lid.
The water bath process creates an even and indirect heat around the cans, so the bread cooks through slowly and evenly. The moisture in the pot helps the bread stay super moist.
Do I have to use a round can to make this Brown Bread?
This recipe can be made in two small loaf pans or one large loaf pan, steamed the same way in a covered pot.
Just be sure to cover the pans with foil and tie with twine to protect the top from getting wet and to contain the heat. Your cooking time time will vary based on the size of the loaf pan you use.
Serving Suggestions
New England Brown Bread is traditionally served with Boston Baked Beans or Beans and Franks. We also like to serve either of these dishes with coleslaw for a complete meal.
We love this bread sliced and buttered, or fried in butter in a skillet to caramelize it a bit.
New England Brown Bread Recipe
New England Brown Bread is a pumpernickel, corn meal, molasses, buttermilk raisin bread that is cooked in a can!
Prep: 15 minutesCook: 2 hoursTotal: 2 hours 15 minutes
Ingredients
Instructions
- Place a round rack in a pot bottom and set two empty cans into the pot which is tall enough to cover the can tops. If your pot is large, like ours was, place four empty cans in, hold them down and fill pot (not cans) with water until it comes halfway up the side of the cans. The two extra empty cans are just to stop the filled cans from tipping over during cooking if you are using a wide pot. Turn on the heat and bring the pot to just a bubble with the lid on to create steam. Steam will cook the bread.
- Grease two one-quart cans with vegetable shortening.
- In a large bowl, add pumpernickel flour, coarse wheat flour, coarse corn meal, baking soda and salt. Whisk to combine.
- Whisk in molasses and buttermilk. Once whisked and smooth, add in raisins if using and stir to combine.
- Divide the batter between two greased cans. The batter should fill two-thirds of the can, leaving room to expand while it cooks.
- Cover each with a piece of aluminum foil, shiny side towards the batter. Cut a piece of twine and tightly tie it around the foil to seal the top of each can.
- Place the cans in the pot standing up. If your pot is big, place two empty cans beside the full cans to stop the bread from tipping.
- Cover and steam for two hours.
- After two hours, poke through the foil of one can and if it is at least 200 degrees F., remove the can, remove the foil and twine, and push slightly on the top. It should bounce back.
- Place on a cooling rack and cool for one hour. Or if serving warm, slice immediately.
- Run a slim, thin knife around the inside edge to loosen then invert each out of the cans. Cut each loaf into 8 half-inch thick slices and serve two slices per person with butter.
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Brown Bread Recipe Origins
The original Fanny Farmers Cookbook first published a New England Brown Bread recipe back in 1896. Later versions of the cookbook modernized the recipe a bit using current baking and ingredient terms.
Having said that, the Fannie Farmer version is made with rye meal, graham flour, and sour milk. For our recipe today, we adapted the recipe further – with ingredients that are readily available online or in supermarkets but still yield a delicious brown bread with a similar flavor.
Here in New England, you can buy brown bread at the supermarket, often sold right next to the cans of baked beans. Outside of New England, you might not find it at your local market – but you can buy it online here.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I make New England Brown Bread ahead of time? Yes, make this bread ahead of time and refrigerate if you aren’t serving until the next day or two. When ready to serve, wrap the bread in foil and warm through in an oven, or slice cold and warm up on a griddle.
- How do I store leftovers? Store refrigerated for 3-5 days, less if not refrigerated. This bread is moist and subject to mold, so keeping it refrigerated is best.
- Can I freeze Brown Bread? Yes, this freezes very well. Just be sure to wrap it tightly to prevent freezer burn.
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