DURING THE COLONIAL ERA, a lot more corn and rye than wheat was available for baking, and the Native Americans taught the Europeans how to tap maple trees to create syrup. It was back in the middle 1600s that Boston brown bread first made its appearance. Back then there were no bread ovens, so the breads were cooked by steaming them in the fireplace in a closed container. This dense and delicious loaf is baked, but it has all of the characteristics of the colonial original. It’s sweet and rich, and there’s a wonderful yeasty flavor both from the yeast itself and the beer added to the dough.
MAKES 2 LOAVES
2 tablespoons/30 g ground chia seeds
2¼ teaspoons/7 g active dry yeast
2 teaspoons/8 g granulated sugar
½ cup/118 ml water, heated to 110° to 115°F/43° to 46°C
1 cup/158 g brown rice flour
1 cup/127 g sorghum flour
1 cup/125 g tapioca flour
½ cup/64 g cornstarch
½ cup/64 g finely ground yellow cornmeal
1½ teaspoons/13.5 g xanthan gum
½ teaspoon/3 g fine salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup/237 ml gluten-free beer, such as Redbridge or Bard’s, at room temperature
8 tablespoons (1 stick)/110 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
½ cup/118 ml pure maple syrup
½ cup/24 g gluten-free old-fashioned rolled oats
Spray the inside of two 8½ × 4½-inch/21.25 × 9.25 cm loaf pans with vegetable oil spray.
Combine the chia seeds, yeast, sugar, and water in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix well. Set aside for about 10 minutes while the yeast proofs. Combine the rice flour, sorghum flour, tapioca flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, xanthan gum, and salt in a deep mixing bowl and whisk well.
When the yeast looks frothy add the eggs, beer, melted butter, and maple syrup and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and beat at medium speed until combined. Increase the speed to high and beat the dough for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it has the consistency of a thick but still pourable cake batter.
Scrape the dough into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a rubber spatula dipped in water, and cover the pan with a sheet of oiled plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Allow the bread to rise in a warm place for 40 to 50 minutes, or until it reaches ½ inch/1.25 cm from the top of the pan. Sprinkle the loaf with the oats.
Preheat the oven to 350°F/175°C toward the end of the rising time.
Covering the loaf loosely with aluminum foil after 30 minutes, bake the bread for 50 to 55 minutes, or until the bread is golden brown, the top is firm, and it has reached an internal temperature of 195°F/91°C on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the bread from the oven and allow it to cool for 30 minutes. Remove it from the loaf pan by running a spatula around the rim and invert it onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
NOTE:
The bread is best the day it is baked, but it can be stored refrigerated, tightly covered with plastic wrap, for up to 2 days.
VARIATION:
• Add ½ cup/89 g to ¾ cup/133 g of chopped dates or raisins to the dough.