To Knead or Not to Knead? Anadama Bread, Part 1

Anadama bread requires a few ingredients that I don’t normally stock in my kitchen.  I’ve been wanting to make it for ages, but I never seem to have everything on the list.  Namely, corn meal, molasses, and unbleached bread flour.

OK, so I actually found some molasses way in the back of my spice cabinet but the “best by” date was January 2009.  I frequently stretch the limits of the expiration date, but this seemed a little extreme.  I went out and bought a brand new bottle (best by 9/23/2013 – that gives you some insight into just how long that old bottle had been around) for making gingerbread scones.  Then I decided it was time to jump in and try Anadama bread.

This bread originated in New England and its interesting story has been told and retold.  The recipe has many adaptations, but I planned to use the one from Peter Reinhart’s Bread Baker’s Apprentice.  Then, I received the new issue of Mother Earth News and found a recipe for a no knead version of Anadama bread.  I decided to give both versions a try and compare them.

First up: Peter Reinhart’s version, which takes 2 days and involves kneading.  I know, that sounds like a long time and lots of work.  But it’s only a few small sections of work between hours and hours of rising time.  Besides, when it comes to bread, the more you let the dough sit around, the more flavorful it becomes (think sourdough).

Let’s begin the experiment.  Below, “kneady” Anadama bread.  Tomorrow, the no knead version.

Anadama Bread
From  Bread Baker’s Apprentice
Yield: Two 1 1/2 pound loaves, or three 1 pound loaves

Soaker:
1 cup cornmeal (also packaged as “polenta”)
1 cup water, room temperature

Dough:
4 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 cup water, lukewarm (90° to 100°F)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
cornmeal for dusting, optional

The night before you want to bake the bread, mix the soaker: stir the cornmeal and water together in a small bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight at room temperature.

The next day, mix the dough in a large mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer.  Add 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, water, and soaker.  Stir until combined, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let it sit at room temperature for 1 hour, or until it begins to bubble.

Stir in the last 2 1/2 cups of flour, the salt, molasses, and butter.  Mix on low speed with a mixer or stir until the ingredients are combined and a ball of dough forms.  If the dough won’t come together, add a small amount of water.  The dough should be soft and slightly sticky.

Knead the dough using a mixer, or by hand, for about 10 minutes.  The dough should be tacky, but not too sticky.  If it’s too sticky, add in a little more flour.  It should pass the windowpane test before continuing.  Break off a small piece of dough (golf ball size) and stretch it between your fingers.  If it becomes translucent (like a windowpane) before it tears, it’s ready.  If it fails the test, knead for a couple more minutes and test again.

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, and turn it to coat the entire surface.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for approximately 90 minutes, or until it doubles in size.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces if you’re going to bake it in 9 x 5 inch pans, or 3 equal pieces if you’ve got 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch pans.  I only have two 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch pans, and one 9 x 5 inch pans, so neither of these options suited me.  I decided to use one 9 x 5 inch pan, and one 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch pan.  I just eyeballed the dough proportionally to the pan size.  Lightly oil or spray each pan with cooking spray.

Lightly flour a counter or other work surface to shape each piece of dough into a loaf.  Form a rough rectangle shape approximately 5 x 8 inches, then start rolling from the short side.  Use your palm to gently seal the end of the dough, and place the loaf seam side down into the pan.  The loaf should be just long enough to touch each end of the pan.

Proof the loaves in the pans at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the top of the loaves rises above the tops of the pans.  This actually took about 2 hours for my loaves.  [This is a stopping point if you would like to continue the recipe another day.  You may place the loaf, unproofed, into the refrigerator for up to 2 days.  Remove it from the refrigerator about 4 hours before baking, and proof until ready, as described above.  I didn't try this, as I wanted my bread right away!]

Preheat the oven to 350° during this final proofing.  Make sure the oven rack is on the middle shelf.  Place both loaf pans onto a sheet pan, spray the tops with water, and dust on cornmeal.  Place the whole thing into the oven and bake for 20 minutes.  Rotate the pan at this point to ensure even baking.  Bake for an additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown.  They should register 185° to 190° in the center, and make a hollow sound when tapped on the bottom.

Remove the loaves from the pans immediately, and let cool on a cooling rack for at least one hour before slicing.

This bread has been submitted to YeastSpotting, a weekly bread roundup.  Be sure to look for it next Friday!