Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 21, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 January 1911 — BEST BROWN BREAD [ARTICLE]

BEST BROWN BREAD

RECIPE FOR THE EXCELLENT BOSTON PRODUCT. - - ; Article of Food Is More Delicious, and There Is Much Truth In ■ - ■ Statement. Every housekeeper longs to excel In the art—for It Is an art—of bread making. There Is no article that appears more often on our tables than bread, yet good home-made bread 4s seldom found. Boston brown bread Is not in the same class as white or even graham bread, for It is lightened with sour milk and soda and steamed until ah most done, then baked a few minutes In a very hot oven. It is not like “the bread mother made," but far better, especially if you put raisins or .currants or finely-chopped dates in It. This eaten hot with fresh, unsalted butter and an accompaniment of hot Boston baked beans and a cup of steaming Java, enriched with real cream, should make you thankful that you art numbered among the* advocates ol “plain living and high thinking.” Such a meal needs no prelude nor entree, and dessert seems superfluous.' '

Boston brown bread requires two mixing bowls; in one, sift one cup of rye, or whole wheat flour, one cup of corn meal, two cups of graham flour and one teaspoon of salt. In the other bowl place a cup of New Orleans molasses, a tablespoon of sugar and one tablespoon of soda. "• With the molasses, sugar and soda, mix two cups of sour milk, or buttermilk, and while it is foaming stir It Into the bowl of flour and saltv Mix to a smooth batter, beating well for several minutes. It should be of a consistency to stir easily, and break when poured from the spoon, but not to run. . ■ ■ . • ' .- With some molasses you may need to add from a spoonful to a cupful of warm water to make it right. Butter the molds well and fill two-thirds full, as it will rise. Cook in a steamer, or lacking this, tie the cover on tightly and place in a kettle of boiling water. Cover the kettle, also, and keep boiling for three hours, looking from time to time to see that the water in the kettle is not boiled away. When necessary to replenish, use boiling water. At the end of three hours, take the cans, or molds, from the boiler; remove the lids and set in a hot oven until a crust is formed on the top of the loaf. The quantities given should make three loaves; it may be baked instead of steamed, but is not so tender, nor so moist. When it is not con-, venlent to use sour milk and soda, substitute sweet milk and baking powder, but use a teaspoon of soda to neutralise Ihe acid in molasses- It water is used —and some bakers think it gives a more tender loaf—add a tablespoon of butter to give richness.