Anadama Bread

I timed this bread perfectly.  I made the dough last night and then woke up (after sleeping in thanks to my 2-hour delay) to a mix of snow, rain, and sleet.  Anadama corn bread is a traditional Native American cornmeal based bread.  So, to go along with my "cornbread" I was planning on making chili ... the perfect cold/miserable weather meal.

This recipe is another one from my much loved cookbook - Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 T granulated yeast (or 2 packets)
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
3 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1/2 cup molasses

Mixing and Storing
Whisk together the cornmeal, wheat germ, flours, yeast, salt, and vital wheat gluten in a  5-quart bowl.


Combine the water and molasses (stir to dissolve the molasses in the water) and mix them with the dry ingredients using a wooden spoon.

Cover with a cloth and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and collapses (or flattens on top) for approximately 2 hours.

The dough can be used immediately, but it is easier to handle when cold.  Refrigerate the dough in the bowl covered (but not airtight).

Baking Day
Cut off a grapefruit size piece.

Prepare a silicone mat with cornmeal.

Dust the piece with flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter turn as you go.

Allow the loaf to rest, covered loosely with plastic wrap, for 90 minutes (40 min. if you are using dough before refrigeration).

30 minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 450 with a baking stone placed in the middle rack and an empty metal broiler tray on the rack below.

Just before baking, brush the surface of the dough with water and then cut the loaf with 1/4-inch deep parallel cuts using a serrated knife.

Slide the loaf onto the hot stone and pour 1 cup of water into the broiler tray.  Quickly close the oven door.

Bake the bread for about 30 minutes, or until the bread is richly browned and firm.

The bread tastes like a mix between corn bread and wheat bread with a strong "hint" of molasses.  It is excellent, but I think I was expecting it to taste like a more traditional corn bread.  It was not a bad surprise, just different from what I thought it would be.