Steaming Breads
A bread recipe with three cups of flour uses one 9x5 loaf pan, a one quart mold, a 1 pound coffee can, 2 soup or baking powder cans or a metal shortening can. This makes about 12 slices. Be sure that the mold and the cover are well-buttered or greased. The cover of the mold should be snug, such as foil tied on with string. The cooking pot needs a tight-fitting cover, too.
Use a trivet or rack to keep the bread away from the bottom of the pot. You can use crumpled foil, but round racks in all sizes are available in cake decorating departments in hobby and kitchen stores. Always remove bread from the mold while still warm. Some folks dry the steamed loaves in the oven for 15 minutes after steaming.
On the stove top, Place on trivet in deep kettle. Add enough boiling water to the kettle to come half way up sides of mold; cover kettle. Steam 3 1/2 hr.,- test with a skewer. The middle will be moist but NOT sticky when done.
In the crockpot, place cans on trivet or metal rack in bottom of slow cooker and pour about 2 cups of hot water around cans Come 1/2`up the side of the mold). Cover pot and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours, using the longer time for a single deeper mold. Remove cans from pot and let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Turn bread out on cooling rack while it is still warm.
To use a pressure cooker, put a rack in the bottom, add the mold, pour hat water up the side, then lock. Bring to heat, cook 45 minutes. Cool cooker under running water, open. Remove immediately, dry in the oven about 15 minutes, then cool 5-10 minutes and remove.
To bake in the regular oven, use a recipe that has some eggs or fat to make up for the moisture lost by not steaming. Place the oven rack in the bottom third of the oven. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour a loaf pan, 9 1/4 by 5 1/4 by 2 3/4 inches. Bake 1 1/2 hours, covering with foil the last 20 minutes to prevent overbrowning.
|
