Anadama Bread

There are several versions of this old New England bread around. Some use fruit for more flavor and sweetness.  One version I have includes a story of how the bread got it's name.  A disgruntled New England fisherman on one of the countless evenings when his unimaginative wife, Anna, presented him with his usual dinner of cornmeal mush and molasses.  Disgusted he mixed the ingredients together to form a bread dough and while it baked, he's said to have muttered, "Anna, damn her."

I've seen the recipe several times but never made it before.   It's a hearty bread, more reminiscent of corn bread than bread bread.  It was fine, but not so wonderful as to be on my regular rotation. 

Annadama Bread

3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
3 Tbls. shortening
1/4 cup light molasses
2 teas. salt
1 pkg active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1 egg
2 3/4 cups all pupose flour

Grease 9 in. pie pan.  Mix boiling water, cornmeal, shortening, molasses and salt in large bowl.  Cool to lukewarm. 

Dissolve yeast in warm water.  Add yeast mixture, egg and 1 1/2 cups of the flour to the cornmeal mixture. 

Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl.  Stir in remaining flour until smooth.

Spread batter in pan, mounding center higher.  pat into shape with floured hands (batter will be sticky).  Let rise in warm place about 11/2 hours. 

Heat oven to 375 deg.  Bake 50 - 55 min. or until loaf is brown and sounds hollow when tapped.  You can cover with foil for the last 15 min. of baking if it is getting too brown.  Remove from oven and cool.  Brush top with butter.

I am going to try this again but substitute some oats for the cornmeal as suggested and corn syrup for the molasses.