According to Cooks Illustrated senior editor and ATK bread guru Andrew Janjigian, brown bread is a New England breakfast staple: a cross between a cake and a quick bread that gets its unique flavor from molasses (any style except blackstrap), raisins and whole grains.
Most brown bread recipes are traditionally steamed in tin cans in a water bath on the stovetop, but Janjigian’s “fuss-free” version is done in an oval 4-to-7-quart slow cooker. Line it with parchment to prevent the BPA-free metal cans from staining the bottom of the slow cooker insert.
For this recipe, Janjigian prefers Quaker white cornmeal, though other types will work, he says. Just don’t use coarse grits.
Boston Brown Bread
Makes 4 small loaves
Ingredients
¾ cup (4 1/8 ounces) rye flour
¾ cup (4 1/8 ounces) whole-wheat flour
¾ cup (3¾ ounces) fine white cornmeal
1¾ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1⅔ cups buttermilk
½ cup molasses
3 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
¾ cup raisins
2 cups boiling water
Directions
Fold four 12-inch by 8-inch pieces of aluminum foil in half twice to yield rectangles that measure 6 by 4 inches. Grease 1 side of each with vegetable oil spray. Coat the inside of four clean, empty 15-ounce cans with oil spray.
Whisk the rye flour, whole-wheat flour, cornmeal, baking soda, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk buttermilk, molasses and melted butter together in second bowl. Stir the raisins into the buttermilk mixture. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until combined and no dry flour remains.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cans and smooth the tops with the back of a greased spoon. Wrap tops of cans tightly with prepared foil, greased side facing batter.
Line bottom of slow cooker with parchment paper. Fill slow cooker with ½ inch boiling water (about 2 cups water) and set cans in slow cooker. Cover and cook until a skewer inserted in the center of loaves comes out clean, 3 to 4 hours on high.
Using tongs and a sturdy spatula, transfer cans to a wire rack and let cool, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Invert cans and slide the loaves onto the rack; let cool completely, about 1 hour. Slice and serve. Brown bread is great as is or toasted and buttered. (Bread can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and stored at room temperature for up to 3 days.)
— Recipe courtesy of America’s Test Kitchen
