Old Fashioned Anadama Bread Recipes

Steps:

• Mix the cornmeal with the 3/4 cups cold water in a medium saucepan.
• Whisk in the boiling water and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• When the cornmeal mixture starts to boil, add the butter, molasses and salt.
• Cook until the mixture is the consistency of pudding-- stirring constantly.
• It should take about 7 minutes.
• Transfer this mixture to a large bowl and let it cool to lukewarm.
• Don't get impatient with the cooling, because if it's too hot (over 115 degrees farenheit), it will kill the yeast.
• It will form a skin on the top, but it's no big deal.
• Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a small bowl and let it sit until the yeast looks foamy.
• Stir to dissolve the yeast, then add it to the cornmeal mush.
• Just an aside about the"warm" definition in case you are a beginning bread-maker without a thermometer.
• The temperature you want is when you drop water on your wrist, it feels neither cool nor hot-- test it the way you would a baby's bottle.
• I killed yeast with too-hot water when I was starting out.
• Now back to the recipe.
• Mix the all-purpose and wheat flours together and start stirring them into the cornmeal mixture, a cup at a time to make a soft, sticky dough.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured work service and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• You can add more flour as needed, but don't get carried away.
• Because of the molasses, the dough will stay sticky.
• As long as the dough isn't sticking excessively to the board, you have enough flour.
• I knead this with my stand mixer, and there's always a little"smear" of dough around the edges of the bowl.
• Form the dough into a ball and put it in a large, lightly oiled bowl.
• Turn the dough ball to get a little oil all over it.
• Let rise until double in size, about an hour.
• Punch the dough down (Really, just pick up the sides and let it collapse on itself. No need to be violent.), cover with a towel, and let rest in the bowl for 10 minutes.
• Get two 9-x5-inch loaf pans ready by lightly oiling them.
• After the dough's little rest, divide it into two pieces and shape each piece into a loaf.
• Put them in the loaf pans, and roll them around so they get a nice little coating of oil.
• Cover with a towel and let the loaves rise until they touch the top of the pan.
• That takes about half an hour.
• While they're rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees farenheit, and position your rack in the center of the oven.
• Slide the loaf pans in and bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375 degrees and bake until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove the loaves from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in warm water and let sit to proof while you are preparing the rest.
• Bring the water and salt to a boil in a saucepan.
• Add the cornmeal slowly stirring all the while so it will not get lumpy.
• Pour into a large bowl.
• Add the molasses and butter; cool to lukewarm.
• Add the yeast mixture and stir well.
• Add the flour gradually to make a good dough that you can knead.
• Knead 100 times.
• Place in greased bowl and let rise till doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Punch down and divide in half and place in two greased pans.
• Let rise till almost double (about 1 hour).
• Bake in 375 degree oven for 40-45 minutes placing foil on top if it starts getting too brown.

Steps:

• Combine 1 cup water, the cornmeal, molasses and 4 tablespoons butter in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens and starts to bubble, about 3 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and let cool until lukewarm (105 degrees F to 110 degrees F), stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes.
• Sprinkle the yeast over 1/2 cup lukewarm water (105 degrees F to 110 degrees F) in a small bowl and let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add to the cornmeal mixture along with 1 cup flour and the dry milk; mix with a wooden spoon. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place until the dough increases slightly in volume and is bubbly, about 30 minutes.
• Mix the dough with the dough hook attachment on medium-low speed, then mix in the salt and the remaining 3 to 4 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition, until the dough comes together into a firm, tacky ball. Increase the speed to medium high; knead the dough until it pulls away from the bowl, about 2 minutes. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead by hand until smooth and pliable, adding more flour as needed, about 5 minutes. Brush a large bowl with vegetable oil; add the dough, cover with a kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, 1 hour to 1 hour, 30 minutes.
• Brush a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with vegetable oil. Punch down the dough and turn out onto a clean surface. Shape into a smooth 4-by-8-inch loaf, then transfer to the pan. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until the loaf rises above the pan by 1/2 inch, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Uncover the pan and transfer to the oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F and bake until the bread is golden and sounds hollow when tapped, 35 to 45 minutes. (Cover loosely with foil if it is browning too quickly.) Brush with melted butter and let rest in the pan, 10 minutes. Turn out onto a rack and let cool before slicing or freezing.
• MAKE IT AHEAD Let the bread cool completely, wrap in plastic wrap and foil, and freeze for up to 2 weeks. To serve, unwrap and thaw at room temperature for 2 hours. Reheat, wrapped in foil, at 300 degrees F until warmed through, 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Line 2 baking sheets with parchment. Sprinkle with cornmeal and set aside.
• Pour 2 cups milk in small saucepan and gradually stir in cornmeal. Place over medium- low heat and stir constantly until mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside to cool.
• In another small saucepan, combine remaining 2 cups milk, salt, molasses, and butter. Place over medium heat and whisk until butter is melted.
• Transfer milk-and-molasses mixture to an electric mixer and let stand until milk is lukewarm (110 degrees). Sprinkle yeast over it, stir, and let stand until yeast dissolves and is foamy on top, about 5 minutes.
• Add cooled cornmeal mixture and 4 cups flour to yeast-and-molasses mixture. Using the dough hook, mix on medium speed to combine ingredients. Slowly add remaining 6 to 6 1/2 cups flour in 3 or 4 additions, until dough is smooth and elastic but not sticky, about 5 minutes (or knead by hand for about 15 minutes). If necessary, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead in remaining 1/2 cup flour to keep it from being too sticky.
• Spray inside of large bowl with nonstick vegetable-oil spray. Place dough in bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour and 40 minutes.
• Punch down dough, turn it onto a work surface, and cut into 3 pieces. Shape each into an oblong loaf. Place 2 loaves on a prepared baking sheet and 1 loaf on another. Cover and let rise, about 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water. Brush loaves with egg mixture and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons cornmeal.
• Place loaves in oven and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, until loaves are hollow sounding when tapped on bottom. Let cool on a wire rack before slicing.

Steps:

• The day before making the bread, make the soaker by mixing the cornmeal and water in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight at room temperature.
• The next day, to make the dough, stir together 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, soaker, and water in a mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and ferment for 1 hour, or until the sponge begins to bubble.
• Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour, the salt, molasses, and shortening and stir (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until the ingredients form a ball. Add water if necessary to make a soft, slightly sticky mass.
• Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook), sprinkling in more flour as needed to make a tacky, but not sticky, dough. The dough should be firm but supple and pliable and definitely not sticky. It will take about 10 minutes of kneading to accomplish this (or 6 to 8 minutes in the electric mixer). The dough should pass the windowpane test (page 58) and register 77° to 81°F.
• Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment the dough at room temperature for about 90 minutes, or until it doubles in size.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 2 equal pieces of 24 ounces, or 3 pieces of about 16 ounces. Shape the dough into loaves, as shown on page 81, and place them into bread pans that have been lightly oiled or misted with spray oil (the larger loaves should go into 9 by 5-inch pans and the smaller loaves into 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch pans). Mist the tops of the loaves with spray oil and loosely cover the tops with plastic wrap.
• Proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the loaves crest fully above the tops of the pans. (If you want to hold back any of the loaves, place them in the refrigerator without proofing, where they will hold, or retard, for up to 2 days. Remove them from the refrigerator about 4 hours before baking and proof them at room temperature, or until ready.)
• Preheat the oven to 350°F with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Place the pans on a sheet pan and remove the plastic wrap. Mist the tops with a spray of water and dust with cornmeal.
• Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the sheet pan for even baking and continue to bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown, including along the sides and bottom, and register at least 185° to 190°F in the center. They should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.
• When the loaves are done, remove them immediately from the pans and cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing or serving.
• BREAD PROFILE
• Enriched, standard dough; indirect method; commercial yeast
• DAYS TO MAKE: 2
• Day 1: 5 minutes soaker
• Day 2: 1 1/4 hours sponge; 15 minutes mixing; 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 hours fermentation, shaping, and proofing; 40 to 50 minutes baking
• Commentary
• The brand or type of molasses will make a difference in the final flavor. People who tested this formula preferred Brer Rabbit Golden Molasses for its lightness. Molasses is high in iron and other minerals, but some brands are harsher and darker. I suggest using the lightest, most refined brand you can find, unless you like the stronger flavor tones of darker brands.
• The amount of flour may vary depending on the type of molasses you use, so do not be concerned if you have to add more to firm up the dough. Let the dough dictate how much flour it needs; you want a dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky, and supple enough for easy shaping.
• BAKER'S PERCENTAGE FORMULA
• Anadama Bread %
• (SOAKER)
• Cornmeal: 100%
• Water: 133%
• Total: 233%
• (DOUGH)
• Bread flour: 100%
• Instant yeast: 1.1%
• Soaker:69.1%
• Water: 39.5%
• Salt: 1.9%
• Molasses: 19.8%
• Shortening: 4.9%
• Total: 236.3%

Steps:

• In a small saucepan, bring water and cornmeal to a boil. Reduce heat; cook for 2 minutes or until mixture thickens, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat; stir in molasses and butter. Cool to 110°-115°., In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the cornmeal mixture, salt and 2 cups flour; beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough., Turn onto a floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour., Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; shape into a loaf. Place in a greased 9x5-in. loaf pan. Cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour., Bake at 375° for 25-30 minutes or until browned (cover loosely with foil if top browns too quickly). Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool.