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Anadama bread

Cornmeal and molasses yeast loaf from the North Shore of Massachusetts

Anadama is a cornmeal and molasses sandwich loaf from the fishing towns of Rockport and Gloucester on Cape Ann, where it was sold from bakery vans for generations. The cornmeal is cooked into a mush first, which keeps the crumb soft and gives it a gentle sweetness and a golden colour. It makes excellent toast with butter and jam. Chef's tip: let the cornmeal mush cool to lukewarm before adding the yeast, or the heat will kill it.
Total time
70 min
Difficulty
medium
Serves
12
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Ingredients

Serves12

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What you'll need

Fresh ingredients (1)

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Method

0/6 done
  1. Step 1: Bring the 1 cup water to the boil in a saucepan, whisk in the 2 ⅛ oz cornmeal and cook over a low heat for 3 minutes, stirring, until thick. Take off the heat and stir in the ¼ cup molasses, 1 oz butter and 1 ½ tsp salt.

    5 min
  2. Step 2: Leave the mush until it feels just warm on your finger, about 20 minutes.

    20 min
  3. Step 3: Stir the ¼ oz instant dried yeast into the ½ cup lukewarm water, then mix it into the mush with the 16 oz strong white bread flour to make a soft, slightly sticky dough.

    3 min
  4. Step 4: Knead for 8–10 minutes on a lightly floured worktop until smooth and springy. Put it in a bowl rubbed with 1 tsp neutral oil, cover and leave somewhere warm for about 1 hour, until doubled.

    70 min
  5. Step 5: Press out the air, roll into a log and drop into a greased 900 g loaf tin. Cover and leave to rise for 40 minutes, until it domes 2 cm over the rim. Heat the oven to 375°F (350°F fan).

    40 min
  6. Step 6: Bake for 35–40 minutes until deep brown; the loaf sounds hollow when tapped underneath. A common mistake is slicing it hot, which squashes the crumb, so cool it on a rack for an hour.

    40 min

Nutrition per serving

Calories
200 kcal
Protein
5 g
Carbs
38 g
Fat
3 g
Fibre
2 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does anadama bread take?
About 70 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
Is it vegetarian?
Yes. It has no meat or fish.
What can I use instead of butter?
The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
What can I use instead of strong white bread flour?
Plain flour, same amount (the dough will be softer and rise a little less).

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