At a glance

Steam a buttermilk batter made with rye flour, whole wheat, cornmeal and molasses in a covered pudding mold. Keep the pot at a steady simmer and check the center with a skewer. Finish one warm slice with optional measured cannabutter.

Steamed Boston Brown Bread with Maple Butter

Ingredients & directions

Steamed molasses bread and maple butter

Ingredients

Molasses bread

Maple butter

Use a 1-quart heat-safe metal pudding mold with a fitted steaming lid or tightly crimped foil, a rack and a tall lidded stockpot. Set a kettle of water on to boil.

Directions

  1. A metal pudding mold sitting on a raised rack in the stockpot with water around it

    Prepare the steamer

    Grease the mold. Set the rack in the stockpot and add enough water to come about a third of the way up the mold once it’s in place. Bring the water to a simmer. Keep extra hot water in the kettle for topping up.

  2. Molasses and three-grain batter poured into the greased pudding mold

    Mix the three grains

    Whisk rye flour, whole-wheat flour, cornmeal, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk and molasses. Stir wet into dry just until the streaks disappear. Pour the batter into the mold, filling it no more than two-thirds full, and cover the mold.

  3. Testing the steamed brown bread in the opened mold with a wooden skewer

    Steam over a steady simmer

    Set the mold on the rack and cover the pot. Maintain a gentle simmer for about 1¾ to 2 hours. Check the water level occasionally and add hot water as needed. Lift the lid away from you to let steam escape. The loaf is done when a skewer comes out with moist crumbs and the top springs back gently.

  4. Maple butter being spread onto a single slice of steamed Boston brown bread

    Slice and spread

    Lift out the mold with oven mitts, uncover and cool 15 minutes. Turn out onto a rack. Stir the plain softened butter, maple syrup and salt. Slice the loaf into 8 rounds. For an optional infused slice, stir individually measured cannabutter into only its spoonful of maple butter before spreading.

Storage Cool the plain loaf before wrapping. Keep it airtight for up to 2 days or freeze slices for up to a month. Refrigerate the maple butter separately.

Kitchen notes

Steam the loaf without soggy edges

Why steam Boston brown bread?

Steaming gives the rye, wheat and cornmeal loaf a moist, even crumb. The lid keeps dripping condensation out of the batter.

Can I use a loaf pan?

Use a small metal loaf pan that fits your stockpot with its lid closed. Seal it with crimped foil and check the center early. A shallow pan can cook faster than a tall mold.

What goes with Boston brown bread?

Serve it warm alongside molasses baked beans, or toast a slice and spread it with maple butter.

Use the product label

Estimate THC in a portion

Measure just the cannabutter spread on the identified adult slice. Use the same unit for the label amount and the amount used.

Enter the label values and the amount you used.

The result estimates the THC added to that portion from the product label. Keep infused portions labeled and secured.

THC in one portion = label THC (mg) × amount used ÷ label amount.

If the label lists 8 mg THC per 4 g, 1 g adds an estimated 2 mg THC to that slice.

Use a labeled edible product for a consenting legal-age adult where permitted. If you are new to edibles, Health Canada suggests choosing 2.5 mg THC or less. Full effects can take up to 4 hours. Keep infused servings separate, labeled and locked away from children and pets.

Recipe and safety references