The Erie Cook Book Revisited: Mrs. Lambing's Boston Brown Bread

Contributed

Mrs. Lambing, a contributor to the 1881 Erie Cook Book, shares her legacy recipe for a steamed, nourishing loaf of deeply American Boston Brown Bread, the perfect rustic staple for an Erie winter.

Mrs. Lambing's Boston Brown Bread lurks in the pages of every turn-of-the-century cookbook. With a legacy that highlights the ingenuity and adaptability of early American cooks, steaming the bread creates a uniquely delicious texture from simple, available ingredients that are also nourishing to the body.

Boston brown bread is deeply rooted in practicality and resourcefulness.

As Erie has weathered industry booms and busts, harsh winters, and political turmoil, this bread has endured, passed down through generations. It reminds us that resilience isn't just about survival—it's about finding warmth, nourishment, and tradition in the simplest of things.

Ingredients:

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup of rye flour

1 cup of whole wheat flour

1 cup of molasses

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, whisk one cup each rye, corn, and whole wheat flour with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon baking soda. Stir in 2 cups of buttermilk and 1 cup of molasses until smooth. Pour into a greased and floured loaf pan, and steam for 3 hours. To steam: boil a kettle of water. Place the loaf pan inside of a 13x9 pan and cover it with another 13x9 pan or tent it with tin foil and seal. Pour the boiling water into the 13x9 and cover it. Steam the bread in this manner, in the oven for 3 hours. Remove the lid and cook for an additional 15 minutes. Toast a slice of bread on a hot skillet and serve warm with butter.