This New England bread is one of my Mom’s favorites, but it can be challenging to find. I have yet to see it in any stores other than one bakery in Maine called When Pigs Fly Breads. So, the other day I was reading through a book (The Bread Baker’s Apprentice) that my mother got me for Christmas a couple of years ago and stumbled upon a recipe for Anadama Bread. I figured I would give it a whirl.
The Soaker:
- 1 Cup Corn Meal
- 1 Cup Water
Mix these two ingredients the night before and let it sit overnight covered with plastic wrap to “develop flavor”…
The Sponge:
- 2 Cups of Flour, King Arthur Bread Flour
- 2 Teaspoons of Bread Machine Yeast
- 1 Cup of Water
- The Entire Fermented Soaker
Combine all these ingredients into your mixing bowl, stir until combined, and leave on the counter to sit and ripen for an hour or so. You will see bubbles develop in the surface.
The Rest:
- 2-1/2 Cups of Flour
- 1-1/2 Teaspoons of Salt
- 4 Ounces of Molasses
- 2 Tablespoons of Softened Butter, Unsalted
- The Entire Sponge
Combine the above ingredients mix well. The dough should be tacky, but not sticky. You will learn the difference once you make a lot of bread. If your dough is too sticky add flour if too dry, add water. Whichever way you go add a small amount at a time. A little can really change the dynamics of the dough. Once mixed let the dough rest for 10 minutes, and then knead with the dough hook for another 10 minutes. Next I remove the dough into my hand, oil the mixing bowl with some spray oil, and place the dough back in the mixing bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled (1-2 hours).
Once doubled, I remove the dough to a lightly floured counter, divide the dough in two equal portions and form into two equal loaves. I take two 5×9 bread pans and lightly mist with spray oil, and dust the bottoms with cornmeal. The loaves are transferred to the pans and left for a second rise (1-2 hours).
When the top of the loaves are level with the bread pans I pre-heat my oven to 350F. Don’t worry you should get a good oven spring putting the tops of the loaves and inch or so above the pan. While preheating mist with water and dust the tops with cornmeal. The loaves are baked for 20 minutes, rotated with the oven and baked for another 20-30 minutes. The loaf in the terra-cotta pan took about 10 minutes longer than the Pyrex. Remove from the pans when done and let cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes before enjoying.
Fun times and tasty results.
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