Anadama Bread

Anadama bread is one of those classic New England yeast loaves with a folk origin story you’ll see retold on every box mix and bakery card in Massachusetts. Legend has it a fisherman whose wife Anna only ever served him cornmeal mush threw in flour and molasses one day, growling ‘Anna, damn her.' Whether the story is true or not, the name stuck and so did the bread.

The technique is what makes anadama work. Pouring boiling water over cornmeal, shortening, molasses, and salt cooks the cornmeal slightly and creates a thick, almost porridge-like base. This pre-cook step is what gives anadama its characteristic moist, tender crumb instead of the gritty texture you’d get from raw cornmeal in a yeast loaf.

A quarter cup of dark molasses delivers both color and a subtle bittersweet edge that goes brilliantly with toasted butter and a warm bowl of soup.

Pro Tips

• The cornmeal-molasses-water mixture must be lukewarm, not hot, before adding yeast. Hot water kills yeast and you’ll have flat bread
• Use blackstrap or dark molasses for the deepest color and flavor, light molasses produces a paler, milder loaf
• Beat the dough vigorously after adding the first half of the flour, this develops gluten and gives the bread its structure
• The dough should rise to 1 inch above the pan, not overflowing. A draft-free warm spot like a turned-off oven with the light on works well
• Slice only after the loaf has cooled completely, hot anadama bread tears under a knife

Variations

• Swap white flour for whole wheat for a heartier, nuttier anadama bread
• Add ¼ cup of pumpkin puree to the cornmeal mixture for a fall-spiced version
• Brush the warm baked loaf with melted butter for a softer crust