Granny’s Homemade Brown Bread
Our homemade steamed brown bread recipe is a true New England classic. Serve with franks and beans for the ultimate Yankee supper.
By Yankee Magazine|Jan 14 2022|
Granny's Brown Bread
Photo Credit: Heath RobbinsBrown bread is the traditional accompaniment to baked beans, a true New England favorite, but the best homemade brown bread recipe involves steaming the loaf. To rig up a steamer, add 2 inches of water to a large pot; then place a brick or tin can in the center of the pot and set an empty 23-ounce coffee can (or 7- to 8-cup cylindrical mold) on top of it. Cover the pot tightly, and check it every 30 minutes to make sure there’s still plenty of water at the bottom.
Yield:
1 loaf
Total Time:
20 minutesIngredients
1 cup graham flour (or use whole-wheat flour)
1 cup rye flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup molasses
2 cups milk or sour cream
1 cup sultanas or other raisins (optional)
Unsalted butter
Instructions
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients and sultanas, if you like, and stir to form a smooth batter.
Butter the mold thickly and add batter (to about one-third of the way). Cover the pan with buttered foil and tie it in place with a string.
Place the mold in a steamer pot over 2 inches of rapidly boiling water (you’ll need to add more water as it cooks). Cover and cook 2-3 hours, until a toothpick inserted into the center emerges clean.
Unmold on a cooling rack and let cool slightly. Serve warm, slathered with butter.
This bread bakes up fabulously and flawlessly. I used whole wheat in place of the graham flour, everything else as listed, and since I preserve food, I had a large boiling water canning vessel all set up for the steaming. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful! Baked through in 2.5 hours. Raisins are a must. Delicious with butter or on its own. Highly recommend this recipe, and will use again and again.
I used to send Brown Bread to a friend in Kentucky and he would in turn send me a bottle of Markers Mark Kentucky Bourbon. We did this for several years until I finally let him in on the cost difference. He, his friends and family can’t get over bread in a can and that it tastes so good. We still occasionally trade care packages with products from our respective areas or travels and I still always include the bread in a can. Also this was a tradition on Saturday nights growing up…hotdogs, B+M Baked Beans and of course B+M Brown Bread!
my husband is from NH and has spoken often of eating brown bread in a can. Can someone please answer a question I have? Is the batter actually placed in a large bean can? Does the can sit directly in the boiling water or lay on the steamer insert in the steamer pan?
Thank you to anyone in advance that can help me out.
Judy Reddish
When I make it I use ordinary size cans and wash them well. I use my pressure cooker because it deep enough to cover and much faster than baking. Grease the inside of the cans and fill each one about 3/4 full (no more than that) and I cover it with a layer of wax paper and a layer of aluminum foil tied on each can with twine or string. Use a spacer in the bottom of the pot so the cans aren’t sitting on the bottom. Canning jar rings or any other metal space such as a metal trivet will work. I cook it on top of the stove, not in the oven. Using a pressure cooker, put two cups of water in the pan, adjust the cover, and steam over low heat without sealing the steam hole, then cook for 30 minutes at 15 lbs pressure (see general instructions for using an ordinary pressure cooker. The pressure is indicated by the speed of the rocking pressure release valve, and you want it pretty slow but regular for this. Then reduce the heat instantly. Remove the lid and the cans and let them cool a bit before you remove your string-tied seals. The best recipe and method I have found is in “The Joy of Cooking”–mine is a 1973 edition so I don’t know if it’s in the newer ones.
I forgot to say that first steaming without pressure is for 15 minutes.
Hi Judy! You can purchase brown bread already in the can (http://www.yankeemagazine.com/article/food/bm-brown-bread-in-a-can) but you can also make it yourself using this recipe! The bread can be steamed in any can or steam-mold (like a plum pudding mold) — just be sure to grease the inside well, and fill no more than 3/4 with batter. You should use a steamer insert to keep the bread from burning on the bottom — if you don’t have one you can set down a layer inside the pot made from the rings of canning jars, which is what I do. If you want to make mini-loaves, here’s how we do it (http://www.yankeemagazine.com/new-england-traditions/steamed-boston-brown-bread-the-small-loaf-edition). But, of course, maybe the easiest way of all is to make brown bread muffins (http://www.yankeemagazine.com/new-england-food-cooking/brown-bread-muffins). Thanks, and happy steaming…or baking!
I was raised in MA., and loved brown bread. What alternate pan can I use other than a mold. I “steam” with pan of water underneath for rice pudding and bread pudding. Can I do the same with brown bread?
Hi Ruth! Absolutely! You may find this recent Yankee brown bread recipe even more helpful. Inspired by Fanny Farmer, it uses that exact method. https://newengland.com/today/food/breads/boston-brown-bread/ 🙂
Can anyone tell me where to find graham flour? I live on Vinalhaven, and I thought for sure I could get it here. After all, Bean Suppers at the Union Church have been going on here since the 50’s!
Thanks!
Hi Pam. Bob’s Red Mill makes a graham flour — if you know a shop or supermarket that carries a lot of the Bob’s line, you may be able to find it!
I grew up in a small New England town and had Boston Brown Bread
many a church supper, as well at my Grandmothers. I now make it for my kids and grandchildren. It’s one of my best childhood memories.
From where can I order this bread?
Vermont Country Store has very good Boston Brown Bread and you can order it with or without raisins. It’s much easier than baking, and you don’t have any leftover graham, rye, or other odd flours. I order it for gifts and for myself especially around Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Where can I order this brown bread?
I have good luck steaming brown bread in a kettle of water in the oven while the beans bake. No trivet needed. Easy way to cut hot bread – string. Wrap it around bread and pull the ends.
Can you bake this brown bread recipe in the oven. If so what temperature and how long do I bake it for.
I remember my Grandma steaming bread in the oven in an old coffee can, but it was much darker and it was served for dessert with vanilla ice cream on top. Could this be the same or is this a completely different thing?
Yes, my ganmama used to do the same! How sneaky, healthy desert lol
Somewhere along the way I read Market Basket does not carry B&M Brown bread in a can, but my store in Warner, NH does. so check it out.
My mother bought canned bread and canned bacon for one of my families first long camping trip about 1961. I always loved the bread but didn’t see it anywhere for many years until I received a Vermont Country Store Catalog that carried the B & M canned brown bread. I started ordering some of it for my family when we went on camping trips. My kids and grandkids just love it. I’d love to try making it!
Remember this bread from living on a farm in Maine…love the bread with home-baked beans.
The batter was so thick i could hardly mix it together, had to add a bit of milk to thin it down a bit. Also, took me forever to realize this recipe is for the stovetop, I instead baked them in a steam bath. In the oven now, fingers crossed it comes out ok! I am from NH so crockpot boston “baked” beans and boston brown bread are a comfort food when I am missing home! I’m also at a much higher elevation now, and still haven’t figured out how to acciunt for that while baking 🙂
This recipe was one of the first taught to us in Home Economics back in the 60s…thanks for the memories…can’t wait to give my hubby this surprise!
Brown bread is nice with cream cheese, too
I realize this article is from a few years ago, but it seems like this could be made in an instant pot. Any advice?
I miss this…we had this many a times growing up…best bread and from a can no less- when I talk about it people think I’m crazy – they don’t know what they missed growing up in NE
I’m going on line now to buy some B & M brow bread. The memories are rushing by it’s been sixty years ago since this was a staple At my parents home.
B&M brown bread in a can is available at at Kroger grocery stores in the baking aisle and their baked beans in the fridge vegetable aisle
The Granny’s Homemade Brown Bread comes up on my iPad without the cooking temperature setting. Could you supply that info for me, please?
Hi Robin! Since this recipe calls for steaming the bread, there is no temperature setting. Simply bring 2 inches of water to a rapid boil in the bottom of the pot and continue to add more as the bread cooks. Hope this helps!
I still make brown bread but I use a recipe my Mom used. It is made with Kellogs Bran Buds or flakes and super easy. It is real easy and super moist. Yes I do steam it for 3 hours. With baked beans, coleslaw, New England red hotdogs it is a meal to die for and a favorite by all.
the comment by Donna from august 2018 about her grandmother’s brown bread being dark, and served with vanilla ice cream: that was very likely an English steamed pudding the Brits sometimes call Christmas Pudding, but my New England grandmother called Suet Pudding. it is sweeter than brown bread and has cloves, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg as well as nuts and raisins. Nana steamed it in two OLD tin-plated coffee cans that had (and still have, in my kitchen cabinet) the original lids that fit tightly over the top of the can. One can was from Kybo coffee and the other was from Bokar coffee. she made it every thanksgiving, and brought it to my aunt’s house for thanksgiving dinner along with a thermos of sauce. the sauce was butter, sugar, eggs, and enough milk to thin it down. after a huge dinner, just what we needed was a slice of suet pudding, vanilla ice cream, and enough sauce to wash it all down. must have been 1000 calories!!
I grew up eating BB, hot dogs and BB beans as a little girl until we moved south. When o would go north it was my first request on visits as well as whole belly clams. Several years ago I discovered Publix carries the B&M brand of BB bread as well as the beans. However, I do have my mom’s recipe for Northern Baked Beans and now, thanks to y’all I have what looks to be a great Brown Bread recipe. Thank y’all Yankees. My heart is smiling.
Hi,
I started making steamed Brown Bread when I was a young bride, in the mid- 1980’s. Yankee Magazine had a recipe listed for it, along with a recipe for Baked Beans. Both recipes were ascribed to Doris Prock. I’ve used Doris’ recipes for 40 years and they are great. Lately, I have changed the Baked Beans recipe only in that I now make them in the Instant Pot and they are wonderful. If you find Doris Prock’s recipes, you might consider reprinting them. They are the best I’ve ever had!
Where can I find Doris’ recipes, please?
Please please post the bean recipe for the instapot. I make my brown bread in it (using the recipe above). I would love to have Doris Prock’s recipe.
Oh, yes, I also wanted to say that I use a pudding steamer to make my brown bread and it’s great!
You can get brown bread at Market Bastket/ Plasitow NH With the bake beans.
I wonder if you can make this with buttermilk instead of sour cream? I want to make this when we go camping and I don’t usually bring sour cream. I can pack powdered buttermilk though. Hum. Thoughts?
Yes, I often use buttermilk instead of sour cream. As lon as the powder i
…as long as the powder is acidic.
I have been steaming this bread since I left home 50 years ago. A little tip, steam in wide mouth pint canning jars. The ring eliminates the need for tying.. I still use tin foil for a lid tho. The jar is wider slightly at the top and makes for easy removal.
I grew up in Aroostook County, Maine. I just discovered my mother’s hand-written recipe for brown bread. From early 1950’s. It’s much like this one, less of this, more of that, but the big difference is 2 cups of sour milk instead of cream. Nowadays, I love my B&M canned that I find at a Hawaiian grocery store. Slice it in 1/2″ rounds, butter, and fry until slightly burnt! Oh so good. (I wish store-bought canned beans were as good as my mothers’ home-made.)
I was in Price Chopper yesterday, and saw B&M brown bread on the shelf next to B&M baked beans.
I’ve been using that same recipe I received from an 80 yr old friend in the first church my husband pastored in Dixfield, ME. She used buttermilk though. Steaming it in a wide mouth jar sounds interesting, I’ve always used a crockpot insert. Through 51 yr of marriage my husband always welcomes b beans, b bread, cole slaw, hot dogs & dill pickles on Saturday night. Ayah, he’s a Mainer.
Since August 21, 2022 B&M Brown bread in the 12 pack is not available anywhere and with this much time and dwindling supply of overpriced B&M brown bread (as high as $25 per can) I would like to make my own. Does anyone know which recipe and type of molasses/other ingredients will make a brown bread with the intensity of flavor and texture of B&M Brown bread? Thanks in advance!
B&M BB is no longer made in Maine, it is made in New Jersey and they changed the recipe, it was so dissappointing the last time I had it. I am so looking forward to making this recipe. I also found one from Mrs Standish who was a food writer for the Portland paper back in the day. Looking forward to that one as well. I found graham flour and pumpernickel flour on the king arthur site
Growing up in New York, we had “franks & beans” every Saturday night. It was a great tradition. Wondering if this recipe can be baked in the oven instead of steamed?
You made a fatal substitution when copying this recipe. I found the original in the 1969 edition of Marjorie Standish’s Cooking Down East.
The original recipe calls for sour “milk” which is basically homemade buttermilk
I tried this recipe as written above and it came out like a brick.
Sour cream is not sour milk.
Hi Ellie. We first ran this recipe in a July 1992 food feature on “The Dean of Beans” George Flanders of Pittsfield, NH. His grandmother’s recipe called for 2 cups of milk or sour cream. I am not sure why the milk option was missing from the online version, but I have corrected it. Thanks so much for your comment – I am sorry the sour cream version did not work for you! It’s possible the original “Granny” used a sour cream that was a lot thinner than what we find in stores today.