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Thanks Anna!!

Here is a great Thanksgiving bread that originated in New England. Anadama. Mmmm. Nice and moist and since Thanksgiving began in New England what other bread could be more appropriate?  The story behind the bread is quite interesting. It seems that a fisherman’s wife named Anna, kept serving her husband nothing but cornmeal and molasses day in and day out. (She probably had good reason for this, but on with the story.) He got a little miffed with her which can be construed from his words, “Anna, damn her!” and added flour and yeast to the porridge, resulting in a bread. I don’t know if I buy the story but there you have it! Anna, damn her gave us a traditional bread, anadama, great for any time of the year but perfect for Thanksgiving! It takes about 5 hours from start to finish. I use a Kitchenaid mixer with the bread hook to eliminate the hand kneading.

Anadama Bread

3 3/4-4 cups unbleached flour
1 pkg yeast
1 1/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup molasses
2 tbsp. butter
2/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1.In a small saucepan, heat water and molasses to 125*F. Add butter.Set aside.
2.Combine 2 cups flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl.
3.Stir in water mix and add 1 cup of flour and the cornmeal. Beat for 2 minutes.
4.Stir in as much of the remaining flour to make a soft dough.
5.Turn out on a floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes. (This is where my Kitchenaid mixer with the bread hook comes in handy so I can eliminate this step.)
6.Shape the dough into a ball and place in a buttered bowl. Place in a warm place, cover with a cloth, and let rise until doubled.(about 2 hours)
7.Punch down dough, knead on a floured surface for about a minute. Place in a buttered bowl.
8.Let rise in a warm place til doubled. (about 1 hour)
9.Bake in a 375* oven for about 35-40 minutes until the bread is delightfully browned.
10.Remove to a cooling rack.