Why it works: Rye and molasses work together. They rank in the top 16% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 804 recipes. Both carry ethanol, which smells alcoholic, ethereal. The science ↓
Brown Bread
Ingredients
Directions
The book gives no oven temperature. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps was added when the recipe was transcribed, as a starting point.
Prepare the batter
In a large bowl, mix the Indian meal, rye meal, salt, and baking soda until well combined.
In a separate bowl, combine the molasses with the hot water and stir until mixed.
Pour the molasses mixture into the dry ingredients, stirring to form a smooth batter.
If the batter is too thick, add 1 to ½ cup more warm water as needed.
Transfer the batter to a well-buttered tin bread or pudding boiler.
Steam and finish
Cover the boiler tightly and place it in a pot of boiling water.
Boil steadily for 3 hours, replenishing the boiling water as needed.
After 3 hours, remove the boiler and place it in a preheated oven at 400°F (200°C) for about 10 minutes to dry the crust.
Serve hot, cutting the bread while warm.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Rye + molassestop 16% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together804 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
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Rye + buttertop 23% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together348 recipes
Shared aroma: ethyl octanoate (fruity, wine).
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Molasses + buttertop 30% of all pairsSmell alikelowCooked together8,123 recipes
Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Indian meal
- Forms the bulk of the batter and gives the bread its coarse, sturdy crumb.
- Rye meal
- Adds structure and a dense, hearty texture to the bread.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the molasses acidity to lighten the batter and help it rise.
- Molasses
- Provides sweetness, dark colour, moisture and a deep flavour.
The step that matters
Keeping the boiler sealed and the water boiling during the 3-hour steam. Steaming cooks the batter gently with moist heat. If the lid is loose or the water boils dry, steam escapes and the bread can turn out dense or underbaked.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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