Coffee Can Brown Bread
- Category: Bread
Description
Brown bread was once a New England dinner staple, served with baked beans and frankfurters. Most of us grew up with the store bought version, without any thought about the possibility of making our own. So I tracked down this recipe, and found that it is not only simple to make, yet far superior in flavor, not to mention far healthier since it uses all natural ingredients.
The only hitch you may have is that most coffee is sold in bags these days, yet I found imported espresso coffee was sold in a can, as well as canned tomatoes and large containers of soups. Once you’ve found just the right can. Wash it out and use it again, and again.
Ingredients
1 Tablespoon butter, (plus more for serving) room temperature
2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup unsulphured molasses
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon coarse ( kosher or sea) salt
1 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup rye flour
1/3 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup golden raisins
1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
Preheat Oven 350 degrees.
Prepare the can for the batter:
Coat inside of coffee cans and one side of foil square with 1 Tablespoon butter.
In a small saucepan over low heat, add milk and stir in molasses, sugar and salt, and cook until sugar dissolves and the mixture is warm, yet does not boil.
In a large bowl, whisk together until blended, the whole wheat flour, all-purpose flour, rye flour and cornmeal, baking soda, and powder. Gently pour in the milk, continuing to stir until blended and batter is smooth. Fold in the raisins.
Fill a large 8-quart pasta pot, halfway with water and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat. Pour the batter evenly into both coffee cans, and place the coffee cans, standing upright in the pasts pot with the hot water, making sure the water comes up the sides, yet does not cover the top. (Remove water if it is too much).Cover the top of the can with foil, butter side down, and secure tightly with kitchen twine.
Place in the oven and bake for 1½ hours. Test for doneness by inserting a skewer through the foil into the center of each loaf, and it should come out clean. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Remove the foil, and run a thin knife around the edges of the cans. Cut the bottom of the can and push the bread out from the bottom. Slice and serve with soft butter.
Notes
Additional Equipment:
Two empty, clean 11-13 oz. coffee cans. Remove the labels from the can, and keep one end attached to the can!
Two 6 “ squares of aluminum foil
Kitchen Twine.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Makes Two Cans |10 servings
