Anadama Bread

 

This is a classic New England bread and has been around kitchens for generations. It is a very simple bread but the taste is amazing, rich from the molasses and a nice texture from the cornmeal. You will love it.

Ingredients

2-3/4 cups of all-purpose flour ( used unbleached white)

1/2 cup of cornmeal

1-1/2 teaspoons of yeast

1-1/4 teaspoons of salt

1 cup room temp water

1/4 cup molasses

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Instructions

Whisk the dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, salt, yeast) in the bowl of a stand mixer

In a large measuring cup or bowl, mix the water, molasses, and melted butter until molasses is dissolved

Using the dough hook, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, on low speed, until everything is hydrate and a rough dough forms, about 2 minutes

Increase the speed to medium-low and knead for about 8 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic

Transfer to a lightly floured surface, knead by hand for about 30 secs and form a ball. Place the ball of dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap to rise until double in size, about 90 minutes to 2 hours. 

Grease a 8-1/2 by 4-1/2 in loaf pan and sprinkle with cornmeal

When ready, turn out on a lightly floured surface and form your loaf (google if you aren't familiar with forming a standard loaf). Place the loaf in the pan to rise, 30-60 minutes, it should be covered with lightly greased plastic wrap while rising. It is ready when a poke by your knuckle leaves a lasting mark that doesn't pop right back. 

Mist the top with water just before you put it in the oven, bake for about 40 minutes until the internal temperature of the bread is 205 degrees. 

Turn out on a rack to cool. 

Note: I'm sure this could be done by hand as well, you will likely need to keep wet hands handling the dough, but no reason it should not work, after all I'm sure the early days of New England were a bit short on stand mixers :-)