Anadama

For this first day of vacation, I am going to jump head first into baking bread. Anadama bread was a favorite of both of my grandmothers and smelling it bake and biting into the delicious richness of this heavenly bread takes me back to my childhood.

In the Cooking Down East cookbook written by Marjorie Standish (copyright 1969), there is a cute little history of how this bread got its interesting name. A fisherman who had a lazy wife and had to do all of his own cooking named his special bread after her. He called it "Anna, Damn Her" but polite society was against such harsh language and renamed it Anadama.

Whatever the name, it is a delightful bread. Very rich and filling. It goes well with a thick chowder or warmed with butter and a cup of tea. Enjoy!


                                                          Anadama Bread


2 cups hot water
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup molasses
2 tbs. shortening
2 tsp. salt
1 envelope dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
About 6 cups flour

Bring water to a boil. Add cornmeal SLOWLY. Cook water and cornmeal together for just a couple of minutes (I use a whisk so it the cornmeal doesn't clump). Add molasses, shortening and salt. Cook together until ingredients are well mixed. Turn this mixture into a bowl and allow to cool to lukewarm.

Measure 1/4 cup lukewarm water, dissolve yeast into this. When first mixture is lukewarm, add dissolved yeast.

Start adding flour. When mixture makes a stiff dough, turn it out onto a floured surface. Start kneading, add more flour as needed, continue kneading until dough is smooth and glossy.

Place dough into a greased bowl. Cover. Place in a warm spot, allow dough to rise until doubled in bulk. Poke dough down in bowl and allow to rise once more.

Turn dough onto floured surface and add a bit more flour if needed. Let dough relax for about 10 minutes. Make into 2 loaves and place in greased loaf pans. Cover with a towel. Let rise until loaves are about double in pans. (Do not allow the dough to rise too high in pans).

Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees, reduce heat and bake 20 minutes at 325 degrees.

Turn loaves from pans and cool on rack. While loaves are still hot, butter the tops of loaves.