Anadama Bread
Anadama Bread
Anadama bread is a hearty lightly sweet bread that originated and is still very popular in the north eastern United States. We love it with soup, for sandwiches but best of all as toast for breakfast. It has a slightly crispy quality from the cornmeal when toasted that's really wonderful!
I found this recipe in a bread baking book my husband got me for Christmas a few years ago. It's called " The Bread Baker's Apprentice" by Peter Reinhart.
I'd never heard of Anadama bread before. Although I love to make sourdough bread I was intrigued by this recipe because of the cornmeal soaker. I have trouble digesting wheat that hasn't been fermented well and the corn content plus the overnight ferment of the cornmeal seemed like a great alternative option to sourdough. Plus we're big fans of cornbread so it just looked yummy!
The night before baking, mix 1 cup of polenta grind cornmeal and 1 cup of water to make the soaker and let it stand at room temperature overnight.
In the morning, mix together 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, the soaker and the lukewarm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel to ferment for one hour or until the sponge begins to bubble.
Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour, the salt, molasses and butter. Mix on low with a dough hook until the dough begins to come together into a ball. You may need to add water or flour one tablespoon at a time to bring the dough together into a supple and not too sticky dough.
Continue to mix on medium speed with the dough hook for 6-8 minutes in the stand mixer to knead the dough then remove the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap.
Place in a warm location for 90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size. Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 2 equal portions and shape into loaves.
This slide show illustrates forming the loaves.
Place them in a warm place to proof once again for 60-90 minutes or until the loaves have completely crested the tops of the bread pans.
With the rack in the middle of the oven, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the loaves on a sheet pan then remove the plastic wrap and mist the tops of the loaves with water and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place the sheet pan into the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the sheet pan for even baking after 20 minutes.
The loaves are done when they are golden brown, including the sides and the bottom, and register at least 185-190 degrees in the center. They should make a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.
This is my favorite bread to use for avocado toast! Have you tried Anadama bread yet?
Cheers!
~Melisa
Anadama Bread
Ingredients
1 cup cornmeal (polenta grind)
1 cup water (room temperature)
4 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup water ( lukewarm 90-100 degrees )
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons molasses ( I use Brer Rabbit Brand )
2 tablespoons butter
Method
Make the soaker:
The night before baking, mix together 1 cup room temperature water with 1 cup cornmeal. Cover with plastic wrap and allow it to sit at room temperature overnight.
Make the dough:
Mix together 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, the soaker and the lukewarm water in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cover with plastic wrap or a towel to ferment for one hour or until the sponge begins to bubble.
Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour, the salt, molasses and butter. Mix on low with a dough hook until the dough begins to come together into a ball. You may need to add water or flour one tablespoon at a time to bring the dough together into a soft sticky dough.
Continue to mix on medium speed with the dough hook for 6-8 minutes in the stand mixer to knead the dough then remove the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm location for 90 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.
Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 2 equal portions and shape into loaves.
Place the loaves into 9 x 5 bread pans that have been sprayed with spray oil. Mist the tops of the loaves with spray oil and loosely cover them with plastic wrap.
Place them in a warm place to proof once again for 60-90 minutes or until the loaves have completely crested the tops of the bread pans.
Begin preheating the oven 30 minutes before the loaves will be ready for the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle of the oven.
Place the loaves on a sheet pan then remove the plastic wrap and mist the tops of the loaves with water and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place the sheet pan into the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the sheet pan for even baking after 20 minutes.
The loaves are done when they are golden brown, including the sides and the bottom, and register at least 185-190 degrees in the center. They should make a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.
When the loaves are done, remove them immediately from the pans and cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing and serving.
