Anadama Cornbread

Ever had Indian pudding, you know, that old New England specialty made with molasses and cornmeal?  It takes forever to cook in the oven?  If you like homemade bread and you're not in a hurry, this is a delicious, hearty bread with similar flavors.

I laugh at myself.  I might not have undertaken this breadmaking feat it if I read through the recipe with any kind of comprehension and saw that there were two 2-hour rises.  Fortunately I was making this on a day when I had other chores that easily fit in between the rise times so it wasn't a horrible inconvenience but just be aware that there are two longish rise times involved.


ANADAMA CORNBREAD

1/2 cup water, plus 1/3 cup water for proofing yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup fine yellow cornmeal
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup molasses
2 teaspoons dried yeast
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting
1 teaspoon salt
vegetable oil for greasing
1 egg, beaten, for glazing

Heat and milk and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil; add the cornmeal. Cook for a minute or two until it thickens and then remove from the heat.  Add the butter and stir until it is well mixed.  Beat in the molasses; set aside to cool.

Dissolve the yeast in 1/3 cup warm (not hot) water and stir well.  Pour the flour and salt into a large bowl and make a well.  Gradually stir in the cornmeal mixture and then add the yeast mixture to make a soft, sticky dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.  Knead for about ten minutes until soft and pliable. Knead in additional flour as necessary to be able to work the dough, keeping in mind the dough will remain fairly sticky but should not stick to your hands.  Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover loosely with plastic wrap or a clean towel and leave to rise in a warm place, up to 2 hours.  The dough will not double in size but should be very soft and pliable when well risen.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and gently punch it down.  Knead briefly and shape it into a flattened oval, tucking the sides underneath the center of the dough to get a tight, even shape.  Place on a large baking sheet and cover loosely with plastic wrap and a clean kitchen towel.  Leave it to rise in a warm place for about 2 hours.  The dough is ready to bake when it's tight and well risen, and a finger gently poked into the dough leaves a dent, which springs back quickly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Place one oven rack in the middle of the oven and one below it, close to the bottom.  Bring a small pan of water to a boil.  Brush the loaf all over with a little of the beaten egg and gently slash the top of the dough diagonally 2 or 3 times with a sharp knife.    Slashing the dough will allow the dough to continue to rise in the oven.  Dust the top of the dough with a little flour (if desired, gives a nice artisan look).  Place the bread dough on the middle shelf.  The pan with the boiling water should be placed on the bottom shelf.  Shut the oven door.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until the crust is nicely browned and the bottom sounds hollow when gently thumped with the back of a knuckle.  Remove from oven and leave to cool on a wire rack.

COOK'S NOTES:  I found this dough to be very wet and sticky, and as a result I added quite a bit of additional flour in order to be able to knead it without the dough sticking to everything.  I worried it would make the bread heavy, but all in all, I think it worked out just fine.  I think this is a recipe that may not be suitable for those who are yeast-phobic or who do not have a lot of experience in breadmaking.

This bread is an excellent keeper.  Well wrapped, it stayed fresh for us for the entire week.  I took thick slices of it to work as a little break snack.  So good!