Written by Stephen Ondich
Today’s article is a mash-up of two of my favorite things. Downeast or Down East refers to a large region of eastern Maine. If you are from away, Downeast is a curious term. In this article, I first tell you about the origin of term. Then I give you tips to make delicious Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread.
Downeast, Maine
Location
The mid-point of Downeast Maine (Machias) is 68 miles from Acadia National Park.
Down East Maine Pumpkin Bread
Where is Down East Maine?
Downeast Maine generally refers to the eastern most regions of Maine.
The coastal border begins in Bar Harbor and continues Northeast up along the Canadian border. Down East runs through both Washington county and Hancock county.
The scenic areas of the Bold Coast are located in Maine’s Downeast region. However, the term also refers to inland areas of Maine bordering the eastern coastal areas.
What does “Down East” mean?
To many people from away, East makes sense, as this area is located on the eastern border of Maine. However the two word combination of Downeast is confusing.
Downeast is a maritime term referring to a ship’s sailing direction. Sailors referred to the area as Down East because ship traveled downwind in an easterly direction to arrive from the port of Boston.
Down East Ambiguity
Linguist Michael Erard identifies two reasons why the term is confusing.
- There is no corresponding term of Upwest representing a return trip from the East Coast of Maine toward Boston.
- Reference materials sometimes include portions of Canada in Downeast. The term’s origin refers to a sailing direction. Thus, it makes sense that the region would not abruptly cut off in Maine. However, most modern interpretations are specific to Maine, geographically.
Down East References in Print
Generally speaking, most online sources date the origins of the phrase “Downeast” back to the early 1800’s. However, one of the first dictionary references to the phrase is in the 1825 edition of The Oxford English Dictionary.
An extensive list of DownEast-themed books is available online at Down East Books. According to their website, they first published in 1967 and focus on Maine literature with an emphasis on Down East locations.
Despite a change in ownership in 2013, Down East Books maintains its regionally-themed catalog.
Down East Maine Pumpkin Bread is the Best!
If you love pumpkin bread and Maine, you’ll want to taste the Down East variety of this oven treat. Although traditionally a Fall staple, pumpkin bread is OK year round, as far as I’m concerned.
These are not my own pumpkin bread recipes. Below, are links to four sites with awesome Down East Pumpkin bread recipes.
Genius Kitchen
This pumpkin bread recipe nails the spices and comes out moist every time. Many people think it tastes better the day after. Try for yourself and let us know!
All Recipes
This recipe is reminiscent of Starbucks Pumpkin Bread. With just under 10,000 reviews, many people found this Down East Pumpkin Bread recipe by Laurie Bennett on point.
Bake At Midnite
If you like Down East Maine Pumpkin Bread a little less sweet and a little more pumpkin- flavored, Bake At Midnite has your recipe.
Ski Boots in the Kitchen
This simple and nontraditional recipe uses chocolate chips. This chocolate pumpkin bread is a must-try.
How Do You Know When Pumpkin Bread is Done?
Waiting for your delicious pumpkin bread to finish in the oven is difficult. Seemingly, all the hard work is done. However, if you fail to remove the pumpkin bread at the correct time, your efforts will not be rewarded.
The goal is moist and tender bread that is cooked all the way through. Here are 3 tips for taking your Downeast Pumpkin Bread out of the oven at just the right time.
- Watch the entire pumpkin bread for signs, not just the outer edges. You’re looking for a cracked pumpkin bread top to let you know the middle is baked through.
- Observe the sides of the bread pan. When the bread starts to pull away from the pan edges, the bread is almost ready to come out.
- As a final test, push a toothpick into the middle of your Down East Pumpkin Bread. If it pulls out clean you are finished. If the cake interior clings to the toothpick, give it a few more minutes to finish.
How Do You Keep Down East Pumpkin Bread Moist?
Most of cannot (or should not, at least) eat a full loaf of pumpkin bread in one sitting. Thus, this creates the dilemma of keeping your pumpkin bread moist for future meals.
Realistically, under optimal conditions you have maybe two to three days before your bread becomes dried out. To maximize its moisture seal any leftover bread inside of a Zip-lock seal-able plastic bag. Also, make sure to squeeze out any extra air, without squeezing the pumpkin bread, of course!
Some people use aluminum foil but I prefer seal-able bags. The reason is that aluminum foil lets in some air. Not a lot, but some. If you’re going to save the leftover bread, you might as well make it last as long as possible. To that end, use seal-able plastic bags.
Why Did My Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread not rise?
Hopefully, you will not need this information. However, in the event that your bread comes out of the oven flat, you’ll want to know why.
There are two common reasons why pumpkin bread does not rise.
- Batter was filled too high in the pan. This comes down to gravity, my friend. Downeast Maine Pumpkin Bread wants to rise but cannot generate a lot of force to do so. Thus, if you over fill the pan the batter has to work to hard to rise. It will give its best effort, it’s from Maine, after all. However, the batter will soon retreat back to the pan floor in defeat.
- Check the date on your ingredients before starting. If your baking powder passed its prime a while back, you may want to head over to the local Hannaford’s and pick up a new one. It’s a dollar a box. Plus, this is your pumpkin bread not a science experiment! Use fresh baking powder or risk the disappointing consequences. Now that I think about it, the this was likely the culprit in our failed Jordan Pond House Popover disaster a few months back.
