Pioneer
Molasses Brown Bread
The daily bread of hard times
New Brunswick historical recordWhite flour was expensive during the Depression. New Brunswick families stretched their baking with oats and Graham flour, sweetened with molasses — cheaper than sugar and full of iron. This dark, dense loaf kept for days and was served with everything.
Source: New Brunswick historical record
Ingredients
- 2 cups Graham or whole wheat flour
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1½ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ cup molasses
- 2 cups buttermilk or sour milk
- 2 tbsp lard, melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9×5 loaf pan.
- Stir together Graham flour, oats, all-purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.
- Mix molasses, buttermilk, and melted lard together.
- Pour wet ingredients into dry and stir just until combined — do not overmix.
- Pour into prepared pan and bake 55–65 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.
- Cool 10 minutes before turning out. Slice thickly.
✦ Kitchen Notes
- Sour milk was made by leaving fresh milk out overnight — nothing was wasted.
- This loaf is best sliced next day when it firms up. Serve with butter if you had it, or just molasses spread straight on.