Anadama Bread - Pan-1

This is the bread machine version of Anadama bread, New England’s classic cornmeal-and-molasses yeast loaf. The original requires a stovetop pre-cook of the cornmeal and a long hand-knead, while this version hands the entire process off to the machine. The result isn’t quite as rich as the traditional pre-cooked-cornmeal method, but it’s faster and the flavor is unmistakably anadama.

Adding ingredients in the right order is the only technical step. Liquids go in first (water, molasses, oil), then the dry ingredients pile on top (flour, cornmeal, milk powder, salt) in a way that keeps them separated until the machine starts mixing. Yeast goes last in the yeast holder so it doesn’t touch the salt or wet ingredients prematurely.

The cornmeal here is uncooked, which gives the loaf a slight nutty graininess rather than the smooth tenderness of pre-cooked cornmeal. The molasses still does its job, giving the bread its characteristic dark color and a subtle bittersweet edge.

Pro Tips

• Use medium-grind cornmeal, not coarse, for a finer crumb texture. Coarse cornmeal leaves visible graininess
• Bread flour is the right call here, the higher protein content gives the loaf better rise and structure than all-purpose
• Run the basic white bread cycle, not whole wheat. The added cornmeal isn’t enough to require the longer whole-wheat cycle
• A delayed-bake timer works well for fresh bread in the morning, just don’t add fresh yeast more than 12 hours ahead of the bake start time
• Cool the loaf on a wire rack before slicing, hot anadama bread tears under a knife

Variations

• Substitute brown sugar for half the molasses for a milder, sweeter bread
• Add ½ cup of raisins or dried cranberries through the fruit/nut dispenser for a fruited version
• Use whole wheat flour for half the bread flour for a heartier loaf