Grandma's Hobo Bread

This is an interesting recipe that I got from my grandma. She is one of the most wonderful cooks in the world. At almost 93 years old, she is still going in the kitchen; just a little slower than she used to. (that's a joke, haha)

(update: Sept 19, 2008: my grandma died last week 9-11-08 after a bout with cancer that took her life, I just wanted to remember her through her cooking, she was a wonderful woman and a very good cook. Please remember Audrey Rose Stewart if you make this recipe; she was 93 yrs old; RIP 9-3-1915 - 9-11-2008. Thank you)

One recipe that has stuck in my mind as one of her best is so simple, yet so yummy. I remember when we lived almost right next door to her growing up that when we would get home from school, she would give us a slice of this bread with some butter or peanut butter on it for a snack. If you like raisins, you will love this.

But, you do need at least 2-3 one pound empty coffee cans to make this bread. Coffee cans are used to bake this bread instead of the usual bread pans. It has to be a metal coffee can; since plastic will melt in the oven anyway.

Why does she call this Hobo Bread? I have no idea, I just know it is good.

Hobo Bread

2 cups raisins
4 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 cups boiling water

Soak 6-8 hours or overnight. In this photo, you can see when we put the water into the raisin/baking soda mixture, that it started to fizz or bubble. This is perfectly normal and it is supposed to do that.

After the soaking period add:
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulatd sugar
4 cups flour
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt

Mix well and divide between one pound coffee cans; filling about 2/3 of the way full.(Any fuller and the batter will overflow and you will have a huge mess in the oven.Grease inside of can with shortning, liberally. Bake one hour at 350 degrees on a cookie sheet. Let stand in can 1/2 hour before inverting to remove the bread. Cool on wire racks.


I know this would be good with butter or peanut butter. And, I wonder how it would be with cream cheese... hmmmm if anyone wants to try this, please comment me back on how it is with cream cheese.

One thing I do not suggest however is to use coffee cans bigger than one pound size, it does not work! Grandma tried it years ago to make more for us to eat and it just came out mush, so just stick with the smaller cans.