Brown Bread Recipe
This page collects four old-fashioned brown bread recipes—three baked and one steamed—built around molasses, graham flour, and simple pantry ingredients.
Use the jump links to choose the style you want: a buttermilk loaf, two-pan variations with add-ins, a quick mix-and-bake option, or a classic steamed version.
Recipes on this page
Simple Brown Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 4 tablespoons shortening
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup white flour
- 2 cups graham flour
- 2 cups buttermilk
- Optional: raisins and/or nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cream sugar and shortening; add molasses and eggs.
- Combine dry ingredients. Add to creamed mixture alternating with buttermilk.
- Beat 2 minutes.
- Grease and flour loaf pans generously; pour batter into pans.
- Bake 45–55 minutes. Optional: add raisins or nuts.
Total Cook Time: 45–55 minutes
Equipment: loaf pans
Servings: about 8–10
Brown Bread - 1
Ingredients
- 2 cups graham flour
- 1 cup white flour
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 tablespoon soda
- 1 teaspoon salt (scant)
- 1 cup sour milk
- 1 cup sweet milk
- 2 tablespoons butter, melted
- 3/4 cup nut meats, dates, or raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix dry ingredients in a bowl.
- Add molasses, sour milk, sweet milk, melted butter, and nut meats/dates/raisins. Stir just enough to mix well.
- Bake in 2 regular bread pans about 45 minutes, or until bread comes away from the edge of the pan.
Total Cook Time: about 45 minutes
Equipment: 2 bread pans
Servings: about 8–10
Brown Bread - 2
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1 1/2 cups white flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons soda
- 2 cups sour milk
- Optional: raisins
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325°F.
- Put all ingredients in a mixing bowl and blend or mix. Optional: add raisins.
- Bake about 45 minutes in 2 bread pans.
Total Cook Time: about 45 minutes
Equipment: 2 bread pans
Servings: about 8–10
Steamed Brown Bread
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups sweet milk
- About 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups graham flour
- 1 1/2 cups wheat flour
- Scant tablespoon soda
Instructions
- Mix all ingredients together.
- Put in a steamer or greased large double boiler.
- Steam until done, about 1 hour.
Total Cook Time: about 1 hour
Equipment: steamer or greased large double boiler
Servings: about 8–10