Here is how to bake bread over boiling water: Get wide mouth pint
mason jars, or empty cans all the same height, and grease them with shortening.
(
Oil will
make
a more
gummy
texture
but is
fine
to use
also.) Many cans have little ridges in the center and make it much harder to
get the final breads out.
Set the jars in a pan and fill with water to 2/3 of the jar height. Jam in
enough empty jars if necessary so they don't tip. Or stones, anything. They
must fit snugly and not fall over. Bring water to a boil.
Make batter. Typical yeast dough bread recipe needs 10-12 pint jars 1/3 full
of dough. (For bread, you need the jars out of the water, fill them 1/3 full
and let rise. Or use the quick recipe which may use twice as much yeast. Then
put them back in the dry pot and add hot water. )
For cake mix, cornbread, muffins, etc, with about 2 cups of dry ingredients,
use 4-5 jars half full.
Cover loosely with clear plastic wrap or a Baggie, rubber band around the top.
You need air to escape as it cooks but steam to stay out. For long term prepping,
maybe aluminum foil would be better, or lids greased underneath placed loosely
on the top.
Cover the pot. Bread and cake will take maybe 45 minutes, heavier corn bread
will take an hour. Overcooking is not a problem for the most part. Try and
keep the water level up, if you can boil water in another pot and add it, if
necessary.
This
recipe is very "forgiving." You can make the batter and put
it in cold jars in cold water and then put the whole thing over a fire, and
start
timing it when the water gets hot.
Slide out for pint size loaves of bread.
You can make smaller cakes or muffins, just fill jars 1/4 full of batter for
one cup sized results.
Try some butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar in the bottom of the jar, and mix
raisins in the bread dough. Fill 1/4 of the jar or a little less. This makes
nice survival cinnamon rolls.
The bread will not have a crust, but you can slice it and toast it in a pan
or over a fire.
Remind your children that many early settlers cooked this way. Boston Brown
Bread was a popular dish made by early New Englanders to eat with Boston Baked
beans.
Here is one recipe for Boston Brown Bread:
2 c. whole wheat flour( or 1 c whole wheat and 1 c rye)
1 c. yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 c. raisins (optional.)
2 c. buttermilk, room temp.( or just use milk from that powered milk in the preps pile)
3/4 c. molasses ( or honey)
Generously grease 2 (1 pound) coffee cans or 3 (1 lb.) vegetable or fruit cans; set aside. In a large bowl, combine whole wheat flour, rye flour, cornmeal, baking soda and salt. Add raisins, if desired. Toss to separate and coat with flour mixture.
In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk and molasses. Stir into flour mixture only until dry ingredients are moistened. Turn into prepared cans, filling evenly. Cover cans tightly with 2 layers of foil; tie with string. Place a rack in a large kettle. Place cans on rack. Place kettle over low heat. Add boiling water until halfway up cans. Cover; bring water to a gentle boil. Steam bread 2 1/2 to 3 hours or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Add more boiling water during steaming, if necessary. Carefully remove bread from cans. Cool on racks at least 30 minutes before slicing. Makes 2 or 3 small loaves.
