Little Anadama Loaves Recipes

LITTLE ANADAMA LOAVES

Steps:

• Grease 6 (4 1/2x2 1/2x1 1/2-inch) mini loaf pans with shortening or generously spray with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, stir together boiling water, cornmeal, shortening, molasses and salt. Cool to lukewarm.
• In small cup, stir yeast into warm water until dissolved. Add yeast, egg and half of the flour to lukewarm cornmeal mixture. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat 2 minutes, scraping side and bottom of bowl frequently. With spoon, stir in remaining flour until thoroughly blended into batter.
• Spread batter evenly in loaf pans. Batter will be sticky. With floured hands, smooth tops by patting into shape. Let rise in warm place until batter reaches top of pan, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
• Heat oven to 375°F. Sprinkle tops of loaves with a little cornmeal and salt.
• Bake 30 to 35 minutes. To test loaf, tap top crust; it should sound hollow. Crust will be dark brown. Immediately remove bread from pans; place on cooling rack. Brush tops with melted butter. Cool completely before slicing.

OLD-FASHIONED ANADAMA BREAD

Steps:

• Mix the cornmeal with the 3/4 cups cold water in a medium saucepan.
• Whisk in the boiling water and bring to a boil over medium heat.
• When the cornmeal mixture starts to boil, add the butter, molasses and salt.
• Cook until the mixture is the consistency of pudding-- stirring constantly.
• It should take about 7 minutes.
• Transfer this mixture to a large bowl and let it cool to lukewarm.
• Don't get impatient with the cooling, because if it's too hot (over 115 degrees farenheit), it will kill the yeast.
• It will form a skin on the top, but it's no big deal.
• Sprinkle the yeast over the warm water in a small bowl and let it sit until the yeast looks foamy.
• Stir to dissolve the yeast, then add it to the cornmeal mush.
• Just an aside about the"warm" definition in case you are a beginning bread-maker without a thermometer.
• The temperature you want is when you drop water on your wrist, it feels neither cool nor hot-- test it the way you would a baby's bottle.
• I killed yeast with too-hot water when I was starting out.
• Now back to the recipe.
• Mix the all-purpose and wheat flours together and start stirring them into the cornmeal mixture, a cup at a time to make a soft, sticky dough.
• Turn out onto a lightly floured work service and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
• You can add more flour as needed, but don't get carried away.
• Because of the molasses, the dough will stay sticky.
• As long as the dough isn't sticking excessively to the board, you have enough flour.
• I knead this with my stand mixer, and there's always a little"smear" of dough around the edges of the bowl.
• Form the dough into a ball and put it in a large, lightly oiled bowl.
• Turn the dough ball to get a little oil all over it.
• Let rise until double in size, about an hour.
• Punch the dough down (Really, just pick up the sides and let it collapse on itself. No need to be violent.), cover with a towel, and let rest in the bowl for 10 minutes.
• Get two 9-x5-inch loaf pans ready by lightly oiling them.
• After the dough's little rest, divide it into two pieces and shape each piece into a loaf.
• Put them in the loaf pans, and roll them around so they get a nice little coating of oil.
• Cover with a towel and let the loaves rise until they touch the top of the pan.
• That takes about half an hour.
• While they're rising, preheat the oven to 400 degrees farenheit, and position your rack in the center of the oven.
• Slide the loaf pans in and bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 375 degrees and bake until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove the loaves from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.

MIMI'S ANADAMA BREAD (BREAD MACHINE)

Steps:

• Put the ingredients in your bread machine according to directions.
• Basic cycle; light crust; loaf size.
• Check it while it is kneading to make sure it is the right consistency; if it is dry add a few drops of water slowly till it is right and if too wet, add a tad of flour slowly.
• Cool on rack.