Saying Grace: Anadama Bread

There's something about the feel of dough under the hand. The process of transforming flour, water, salt and yeast to something of substance. The rhythm of push-fold-turn, push-fold-turn. Bread feels alive when you knead it. You can feel it resist and stretch. It takes strength and energy, up close and personal. Floured hands shaping and turning and pushing. Spending myself to make something beautiful. The satisfaction of a properly kneaded dough, heavy in the hand and soft to the touch, as smooth as a little baby's bum. I love to knead bread.

As a nod to my New England roots, I decided to try my hand at Anadama bread. This bread has an interesting history, but the inclusion of corn meal and molasses is what makes it truly a New England bread.

Anadama bread is quite soft and moist. It is hearty, yet tender, with a sweet hint of molasses. It's a simple bread, best slathered with creamy butter and devoured bite by bite.

Anadama Bread

Makes 2 loaves

2 cups warm water

1/2 cup molasses

5 T. butter, melted

5 1/2 cups flour

1 cup cornmeal, plus extra for dusting pans

1 T. yeast

2 1/2 tsp. salt

Whisk warm water, molasses and butter together in a large measuring cup.

In your stand mixer, mix together flour, cornmeal, yeast and salt.

With your mixer set on low, slowly pour the molasses mixture into the flour mixture.

(Use the dough hook, as pictured.)

Mix for a minute or two until just combined.

Increase speed to medium-low (speed 4 on my KitchenAid) and knead until dough is smooth, 6 to 8 minutes. The dough will clear the sides of the bowl, but still stick to the bottom.

(Of course, if you don't have a standing mixer, you can always knead by hand entirely -- it will probably take a few minutes longer.)

Remove dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand for a minute or two until dough is smooth.

(If you are new to kneading by hand, this video explains it pretty well!)

Form into a round ball.

Place in a lightly greased, large bowl. Cover with greased plastic wrap or a wet tea towel.

Set in a warm place to rise for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until doubled.

If you don't have a warm place, you can heat your oven to 200 degrees, then turn it off and proof your dough in the oven. However, I would cover the bread with greased plastic wrap or it might form an unpleasant skin.

Do you know how to tell if your dough is doubled?

Properly risen dough will keep the impression of your fingertip when you poke it.

Press dough down gently, place on a lightly floured surface and divide in half.

Working with one half of the dough, press into a long rectangle, approximately 17 x 8 inches.

Starting from a short side, roll dough into a cylinder.

Pinch seams together. Repeat with other half of dough.

Grease two loaf pans and dust with cornmeal. Place loaves, seam side down, into loaf pans.

Cover again and let rise in a warm place til doubled, another 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Tops of loaves should rise about an inch above the pan. About 10 minutes before loaves are fully risen, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Place pans in oven, reduce temperature to 375 degrees, and bake until crust is brown and bread registers 200 degrees, about 40 - 45 minutes.