I have a penchant for colonial dishes, but sometimes the origins of these culinary delights turn out to be not so colonial after all. One such example is anadama bread. While some modern cookbooks claim it to be an 18th-century bread, it is absent from any 18th or even 19th-century cookbooks. However, an Anadama brand bread was recorded by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 1850, and there are anecdotes of it being made even before then.
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The Legend of Anadama Bread
Legend has it that this delicious, slightly sweet bread is associated with a fisherman from Cape Ann, Massachusetts, and his wife Anna. According to one version, Anna was a terrible cook who subjected her husband to cornmeal mush every single day. Fed up with Anna’s culinary mishaps, the fisherman decided to take matters into his own hands. One night, he threw some yeast and flour into the mush, muttering, “Anna, damn her!” In another version, he dumped a bag of cornmeal into her bread dough. Regardless of the exact story, these tales have become part of the lore surrounding this famous bread.
Anadama Bread: A Symbol of Local Pride
In “The Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America,” Andrew F. Smith explains why Anadama bread remains significant, regardless of its exact origin:
Whether it was created by colonial settlers adding indigenous flavors to an English yeast bread or by post-Revolutionary housewives in a community rooted in seventeenth-century English cooking, Anadama bread embodies the fierce local pride and deep English roots of the North Shore of Boston.
How to Make Anadama Bread
Anadama bread can be made in loaf pans or shaped into rounds. For this recipe, we’ll follow Walter Staib’s instructions from “The City Tavern Cookbook.” This recipe is easy to follow and yields two large loaves of delicious bread. It can be enjoyed with butter, used for sandwiches, or toasted.
Anadama Bread Recipe:
- Slightly adapted from The City Tavern Cookbook. This bread was also featured on Walter Staib’s Emmy-award winning TV show “A Taste of History.”
Ingredients:
- 2 (1/4-ounce) packages active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water (110°F-115°F)
- 3/4 cup coarse yellow cornmeal, plus extra for coating the pan
- 1/2 cup dark molasses
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 1/2 cups bread flour
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In a large bowl, gently whisk the yeast into warm water and let it stand for about 10 minutes.
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Beat in the cornmeal, molasses, butter, and salt. Gradually mix in the bread flour, one cup at a time, blending well after each addition until you have a moderately stiff dough.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 6 to 8 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Add a little flour if necessary to prevent sticking.
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Transfer the dough to a large bowl lightly coated with vegetable oil, turning the dough to ensure it is coated with oil. Cover with a slightly damp towel and let it rise in a warm, draft-free location for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until it has approximately doubled in size.
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Once the dough has risen, punch it down. This is a perfect task for kids if you happen to have any around claiming to be bored. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide it in half. Cover and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
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Lightly grease a large baking sheet with butter and sprinkle it with cornmeal. Shape each half of the dough into a ball and place them, smooth sides up, on the baking sheet. Flatten each ball into a 6-inch round loaf. Cover with a towel and let it rise for 30 to 45 minutes, until nearly doubled in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
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Bake the loaves for 25 to 30 minutes, until they turn golden and produce a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom. Remove the bread from the baking pan and let it cool on a wire rack. For the best experience, serve the bread warm.
In Conclusion
Anadama bread, despite its unclear origins, stands as a testament to the fierce local pride and English heritage of the North Shore of Boston. Whether shaped into loaves or rounds, this slightly sweet delicacy is perfect with butter, as a sandwich base, or toasted. Give this historical recipe a try and indulge in the taste of centuries past.
