This was my favorite childhood comfort food. It hasn't been made commercially for a long time. While there are many variants of the recipe below, this is the one I make. It is delicious. When I eat it spread with a little butter and marmalade, it transports me to a happy peaceful place.
Anadama bread was made in Rockport, MA, and sold in New England. The company went out of business in 1972. This recipe came from the owner.
The story that was printed on the commercial bread package was of a fisherman whose wife would not make bread. Instead, she made steamed corn meal mush and molasses. One day, being very tired of the cornmeal mush, he decided to mix it with flour and yeast, baking it and saying, “Anna Damn Her.” The bread was so delicious that his neighbors baked it, calling it Anadama.
• ½ c coarse cornmeal • 2 c boiling water • 2 T butter, melted • ½ c unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap) • 1 t 1 tsp. salt • 2¼ t instant yeast • 5 c unbleached bread flour
Stir the cornmeal slowly into the boiling water and let steam over a double boiler for a minimum of one hour. You can make it up and let it sit overnight. Add the butter, molasses, and salt. Cool a bit. When lukewarm, add the yeast. Add enough flour to make a stiff bread dough. Knead for 10 minutes. Turn into a greased bowl covered with a damp cloth and let rise until double in bulk, about 1-1½ hours. Shape 2 loaves and place in 2 greased medium bread pans; let rise until double in bulk. Bake in hot 400 degree oven for about 45 minutes, until the loaves test done.