Show #413

Recipe By: ©2000 eric villegas
Serving Size: 3 loaves

Ingredients:

1 cup rye flour, preferably from Michigan
1 cup whole-wheat flour, preferably from Michigan
1 cup cornmeal , coarse grind, yellow or white
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup maple syrup, preferably from Michigan
2 cups cultured buttermilk
1 cup dried tart cherries
3/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees …

In a large bowl mix together dry ingredients. Stir in remaining wet ingredients, cherries and nuts until just combined.

Steamed jar/can Method (makes a moist bread)

Prepare 3/21 oz french styled jelly jars (oven proof) or comprable sized cans with butter or pan spray followed by a light dusting of flour.

Pour the batter evenly into the three jars about 2/3 full covered tightly with foil (leaving a 1 inch gap of head room on top for bread expansion) tied with string and place in a suitable high-sided stock pot. Pour in boiling water about halfway up the sides of the jars and cover with a lid. Bake in the middle of the oven until a tester comes out clean, about one hour (keep your eyes on the water level and replenish if needed.

Remove the jars from the water and cool bread in the jars for 10-15 minutes. Carefully turn loaves out onto a rack and cool completely before slicing.

Baked Loaf Pan Method (makes a drier classic bread loaf)

Prepare a standard loaf pan (9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 3/4 inches) with butter or pan spray followed by a light dusting of flour. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, about 1 hour.

Cool bread in pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Turn loaf out onto rack and cool completely before slicing.

Notes:

This bread is a variation of the classic steamed brown bread of Boston. By regionalizing the ingredients with maple syrup, tart dried cherries ect. i felt it was a fitting tribute to the original. I decided against steaming because of the trouble one can find trying to put together a rig to be able to steam. Instead i felt baking the bread would be easier thus allowing more gastronauts to try out the recipe. Try this flavorfull bread like the Boston classic with my baked beans.