Pioneer
Wartime Brown Bread
Government flour, molasses, and patience
During the Second World War, the Canadian government encouraged — and at times mandated — the use of whole wheat flour to stretch the wheat supply. The 1941 IODE Fort Monckton cookbook responded with this honest, molasses-sweetened brown bread: dense enough to sustain, flavourful enough to want. It was practical patriotism, one loaf at a time.
Source: IODE Fort Monckton Cook Book, Moncton NB, 1941
Ingredients
- 2 tsp active dry yeast
- ½ cup warm water
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 1 cup all-purpose white flour
- 1½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 1 tbsp lard or butter, softened
- ¾ cup warm milk
Instructions
- Dissolve yeast and sugar in warm water. Let stand 10 minutes until foamy.
- Combine whole wheat flour, white flour, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well.
- Add the yeast mixture, molasses, lard, and warm milk. Mix to a shaggy dough.
- Turn out and knead 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. The dough will be slightly tacky — resist adding excess flour.
- Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1½ hours.
- Punch down, shape into a loaf, and place in a greased 9×5 inch pan. Cover and rise until the dough crowns above the rim, about 45 minutes.
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) for 35–40 minutes. The loaf is done when it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
- Cool completely on a rack before slicing.
✦ Kitchen Notes
- From the IODE Fort Monckton Cook Book, Moncton NB, 1941.
- The molasses gives this bread its dark colour and gentle sweetness — it is not a sweet bread, but there is something satisfying in the depth of flavour it provides.