The Depression-Era Bread I Can’t Stop Making

My mom was a really good cook, and we looked forward to everything she made. She went to college back when women took home economics classes—they weren’t kidding about the economics part. Budgeting and menu planning were a big part of learning to cook for a family.

The Great Depression was over by then, but the recipes from that era, like this peanut butter bread, lived on. We never suspected that the food budget was running on fumes when she dug into the pantry to make it—we just danced for joy when peanut butter bread came out of the oven.

Peanut butter bread is moist and tender with a lightly sweet, nutty flavor. I love to top it with jam, more peanut butter, or both! It’s also great toasted.

A Depression-Era Classic

When you look at this recipe or others of the same time period, like chocolate Depression cake or war cake, you might think there are typos since there’s no butter, eggs, or vanilla listed.

Depression Era cooks were clever and had to be resourceful to eat well without access to these premium ingredients. Trust me, this bread will work without them. In fact, when I started baking for vegans, I went back to the Depression Era breads and cakes that worked so well and simply subbed in non-dairy milk. It works like a charm.

I’m a peanut butter freak, and, like my mom, always keep a few jars in the pantry. In the spirit of this old-timey recipe, I use natural peanut butter, since that’s what was available during the 1930s. I’ve also used smooth or crunchy, and you can sub in other nut butters, like almond or sunflower, for people with allergies.

How To Make My Depression-Era Peanut Butter Bread

To make one loaf (about 8 servings), you’ll need:

• Oil or shortening for the pan

• 2 cups (240g) all-purpose flour

• 1/4 cup sugar

• 4 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter

• 1 1/2 cups milk

Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Stir to mix well. Add the peanut butter to a medium bowl. Use a fork or whisk and mix in about half cup of the milk until the mixture is smooth, then gradually mix in the rest. Stir the peanut butter mixture into the flour mixture until it’s well combined. (It will be thick!) Spread the mixture evenly into the greased loaf pan.

Bake until the top of the loaf is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out with only moist crumbs attached, 45 to 50 minutes. Cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack to cool further before slicing and serving.

Store cooled leftovers tightly wrapped on the counter for up to 3 days.

Easy Recipe Variations

The simplicity of the bread is part of its charm, but you can always embellish it:

• Spice it up with a teaspoon of ground cinnamon or vanilla extract.

• Spread half of the batter in the pan and dollop about 3 tablespoons of thick jam over the batter, then spread the rest of the batter over it for a PB&J loaf.

• Fold in blueberries or raspberries for a fruity loaf.

• Stir in 1/2 cup of mini chocolate chips to give it a chocolate kick.
  

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