From the February 8th, 1935 edition of the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, via Steve Rogers’ New York
Boston Brown Bread
1 cup granulated Indian meal.
1 cup rye flour.
1 cup graham flour.
1 teaspoon salt.
2 cups sour milk.
2 teaspoons soda.
¾ cup molasses.
Mix dry ingredients (except soda) together; dissolve soda in sour milk, add molasses. Pour into buttered tins and steam three or four hours.
This one took some research. “Indian meal” is apparently corn meal and has absolutely nothing to do with India. Graham flour is whole wheat flour, though a little more coarsely ground than modern whole wheat. The thing that took the most work though, was the tins. Boston Brown bread is traditionally steamed in empty coffee tins. I spent way too long looking at old coffee cans on Etsy and Worthpoint trying to figure out what size. Some wonderful friends who drink coffee were able to post me a coffee can I could use.
Unfortunately, the recipe seems to be for two cans’ worth of bread, and it overflowed in the pot.
I’m not sure I like the bread plain. It’s sticky and dense, and has the earthiness of rye and molasses. It is however absolutely delicious pan-fried in butter, and spread with blackberry jam.
