Boston Brown Bread

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon baking soda 
• 1.5 cups brown-bread flour 
• 0.3 cup blackstrap molasses dark
• 0.5 cup currants dried
• 1 cup milk 
• 0.5 teaspoon salt 
• 1 tablespoon butter unsalted for greasing

Equipment

• oven
• mixing bowl
• baking pan
• aluminum foil
• skewers

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Generously grease a 1-quart pudding mold or 1-pound coffee can.
3. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir in the molasses and milk. Fold in the currants.
4. Fill the mold or coffee can with batter. It should come up about two-thirds of the way. Cover the top with foil and tie securely with a string to make it airtight.
5. Place in a deep baking pan and fill the pan with boiling water, to come halfway up the side of the mold.
6. Place in the preheated oven and allow to steam for 2 hours, checking the water level after 1 hour.
7. Add more boiling water if needed. Check by sticking a skewer into the bread; it will come out clean when done.
8. Remove string and foil and allow to cool for 1 hour before unmolding.
9. Jasper White's Cooking from New England by Jasper White
10. Biscuit Books