1 cup (120 g) Graham flour (coarse whole-wheat flour)
0.5 tablespoon (7 g) baking soda
1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
0.5 cup (170 g / 120 ml) molasses
2 cups (480 ml) buttermilk — OR 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) whole milk or water
Instructions
1. Prepare the steaming vessel: choose a well-buttered pudding mould, melon mould, one-pound baking-powder tin, or a five-pound lard pail (approximately a 2-quart / 2-litre container, roughly 6 inches / 15 cm tall and 4 inches / 10 cm in diameter). Butter the interior of the mould thoroughly, then butter the underside of the lid as well. Fill the mould no more than two-thirds full to allow room for the bread to rise.
2. Set up the steamer: place a trivet or folded kitchen towel in the bottom of a large, lidded kettle or stockpot (at least 8-quart / 8-litre). Add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the mould — approximately 1 to 2 inches (2.5 to 5 cm) depending on mould size. Keep the water at a steady simmer throughout steaming, and have additional boiling water ready to replenish as needed.
3. Mix dry ingredients: in a large bowl, combine the rye meal, granulated cornmeal, Graham flour, baking soda, and salt. Whisk well to distribute the leavening (this is the sifting step Farmer describes; because these coarse meals do not pass through a fine sieve, stirring vigorously accomplishes the same even distribution).
4. Add wet ingredients: pour in the molasses and the buttermilk (or whole milk or water). Stir until all the dry ingredients are fully incorporated and the batter is uniform — approximately 1 to 2 minutes of vigorous stirring. The batter will be thick and pourable.
5. Fill the mould: pour or spoon the batter into the prepared mould, stopping at the two-thirds mark. Tie the buttered lid firmly down with kitchen twine so that the expanding bread cannot force it off.
6. Steam the bread: lower the filled mould onto the trivet in the simmering kettle. Cover the kettle closely. Steam for 3 hours 30 minutes, maintaining a steady simmer (not a rolling boil) throughout. Replenish with boiling — not cold — water whenever the level drops below the halfway mark on the mould. The bread is done when a skewer inserted through the vent hole or through the seam of the lid comes out clean and the top of the loaf feels firm and set, not wet or springy.
7. Unmould and finish: carefully lift the mould from the kettle using tongs or oven mitts. Remove the lid. Run a thin knife around the interior edge and turn the loaf out onto a wire rack. The exterior should be deep mahogany brown, firm, and slightly shiny. Allow to rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing with a sharp serrated knife or — traditionally — a length of string.
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