Anadama Bread

When I was a wee boy, my great aunt Mildred would come to the lake house for a week each summer (with my grandparents Beryl and Lawrence and Mildred's husband Atwood). We'd stay up very late every night playing penny ante poker on the screened-in porch, it was awesome. And, Aunt Mildred would bake Anadama Bread. I loved it and I wanted to have it more than once a year but she insisted that there was no recipe and she couldn't teach me to make it. I must have conned her out of a little info as I have two sheets of ruled paper with my 12 year old chicken scratchings on them. I discovered that yellowed paper the other day and decided to give it a go. I think I understand now - there really isn't a recipe, I know Mildred never measured anything and, it really doesn't matter. You add flour until the dough has the “right” consistency - the other ingredients… well, sometimes it's a little more salty, sometimes a bit sweeter - anyway, here's a starting point. IMO, Mildred had a heavier hand with the molasses than this, but this makes good bread.

• 7 to 8 cups all purpose flour
• 1.25 cups yellow corn meal
• 2.5 teaspoons salt
• 2 pkgs active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup softened butter
• 2.25 cups very warm (130?) tap water
• 2/3 cup molasses at room temperature

1. combine 2.5 cups flour with the cornmeal, salt, and undissolved yeast. Add the butter
2. Gradually add water and molasses to the dry stuff (exact quote!) and beat 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping the bowl occasionally. Add 1/2 cup flour (I dunno, in a few seconds the rest of the flour is going in…)
3. Beat at high speed 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally (again?) Stir in additional flour to make a stiff dough. Work remaining flour into dough with your hands.
4. Turn out onto a lightly floured board, knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 to 10 minutes. Place into a greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
5. Punch dough down, divide in half, roll each half into a rectangle, shape into loaves (I mean, shape it like a bread pan…) Place into 2 greased 9x5x3 load pans. Cover and let rise in a warm place free from draft until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.
6. Just before rising time is finished, preheat oven to 375. Bake about 45 minutes or until done. Remove immediately from pans and cool on wire racks.

originally submitted by mike on Dec 23, 2022