Anadama Bread: BBA Challenge

The Bread Baker's Challenge has begun!

The first bread we'll be making in the challenge is Anadama Bread. Anadama bread is a yeast bread composed of wheat flour, cornmeal, and molasses. It originated in Boston.  --- Source: http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodbreads.html#anadama

"Anadama bread. A bread made from cornmeal and molasses. The term dates in print to 1915, but is probably somewhat older. If it were not for the frequency of their citation, it would be difficult to believe the story most often cited is of a Gloucester, Massachusetts, fisherman's wife named Anna, who gave her husband nothing but cornmeal and molasses to eat every day. One night the fisherman got so angry, he tossed the ingredients in with some yeast and flour and made a bread in the oven while muttering to himself, "Anna, damn her!" A more affectionate story has a New England sea captain referring to his wife with the same name expletive as a phrase of endearment. This Anna was apparently adept at bread-baking, and she became well known for her cornmeal-and-molasses loaf among the fishing crews who appreciated this long-lasting, hearty bread. There was, supposedly, a gravestone to this legendary woman that read, Anna was a lovely bride, but Anna, Damn'er, up and died. One source contends that a commercial bakery called its product Annadammer or Annadama bread." ---Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 6)

Ready, set, go!

If you're following along with us, turn to page 108 in the Bread Baker's Apprentice to locate the recipe and the list of ingredients.

This version of Annadama bread takes 2 days to make from start to finish. However, don't let that intimidate you. The process is really rather simple. The only thing you do on day one is prepare the soaker. It takes about 5 minutes to mix the ingredients together and then you're done. How easy is that!

"A soaker, is a type of pre-ferment that does not include yeast. It is usually a coarsely milled whole grain such as cornmeal, rye meal, or cracked wheat, that has been soaked overnight in water or milk. It's purpose is to activate the enzymes in the grains in order to break out some of the trapped sugars from the starches. It also softens the coarse grains. " ---Source: The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart.

Day 1: Preparing the Soaker

I started the soaker yesterday so it would be ready for baking today.

Make the soaker by mixing the cornmeal and water in a small bowl. Cover the soaker with plastic wrap and let it sit overnight at room temperature.

Day 2: Making a sponge

Make a sponge using the soaker and let the sponge ferment for awhile before mixing the dough.

To make the sponge, stir together 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, soaker, and water in a mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer).

Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and ferment for 1 hour, or until the sponge begins to bubble.



The sponge has been sitting for about an hour and a half while I did other things. Now it's really bubbly.





Day 2: Making the Dough

To make the dough, we'll add the remaining ingredients: 2 1/2 cups flour, the salt, molasses, and shortening.

Note: I'm using a fairly strong molasses and according to the book, the type of molasses you use could make a difference in the final flavor. Peter Reinhart suggests using the lightest, most refined brand you can find. I'm not a big fan of molasses as it is, but this is what I had. If the flavor is too strong, I'll try a lighter version next time.



I mixed the dough using the paddle attachment, then I switched to the dough hook. This is a very tacky dough.  Mix until the ingredients form a ball. You can add water if necessary to make a soft, slightly sticky mass. I didn't need to add water. I added extra flour a little bit at a time.




The instructions said that depending on the type of molasses used, you might need to add more flour. I definitely agree with that assessment. It seems like I keep adding and adding and it's still sticky not tacky. It's a rather shaggy mess right now. I transferred the dough to the counter sprinkled with flour and sprinkled flour on top and on my hands as well. I knew this would be a sticky process but it was fun.




Since the dough is so sticky, I switched to the hand method to knead the dough rather than using the mixer. I kneaded the dough for awhile. The book says about 10 minutes by hand, but I probably did it a little longer.  I kneaded the dough a few times, then let it rest on the counter so it could absorb some of the moisture. Using this method, called the autolyse, helps to keep you from adding too much flour.




After the dough rested for a little while (about 10 minutes), I continued kneading it.  Okay, we finally have the ball of supple and pliable dough.





The next step is to lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl. Then roll the dough around to coat it with oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment the dough at room temperature for about 90 minutes, or until it doubles in size.  It fermented for about 2 hours while I was running errands.




Remove the dough from the bowl and place it on the work counter.  Divide it into 2 equal pieces of 24 ounces, or 3 pieces of about 16 ounces. I divided my dough into 2 pieces because I like to use my 9 x 5-inch pans.





Now, shape the dough into loaves. I used the process outlined on page 81 of the book. First, you spread the dough into a rectangle.




Then you start rolling the dough up and pinch it closed as you go along.





Make sure you pinch the seams closed.




Then place the loaf seam side down in a pan that has been lightly oiled or misted with spray oil.  Repeat the process with the other loaf.



Mist the tops of the loaves with spray oil.  And loosely cover with plastic wrap.  Proof the loaves for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the loaves crest fully above the tops of the pans. It took 90 minutes for these loaves to rise above the pans.




Day 2: Baking the Bread

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pans on a sheet pan and remove the plastic wrap.  Mist the tops with a spray of water.  Then dust the tops with cornmeal.




Place the sheet pan in the oven on the middle shelf and bake for 20 minutes.  Rotate the sheet pan for even baking and continue to bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown, including along the sides and bottom. They should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.




Now, we're supposed to take them out of the pans immediately and cool the loaves on a wire rack for at least an hour before slicing or serving.

Oh boy! This is good. You've got to try it.





Thanks for joining us this week in the Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge.

Stay tuned for Week 2 of the Bread Baking Challenge:

Next week, we'll be making a Greek Celebration Bread from page 111 of the book. You have your choice as to which bread you want to make. Keep in mind that this bread uses a barm or poolish so you'll need to allow enough time for the process. If you don't already have a sourdough starter, you can make the barm (on page 230) or the poolish (on page 106). I have some sourdough starters, but I might just try the poolish method since the barm method takes a little while to start.


Happy Baking!
Cathy