Sorry it’s been a couple days since I’ve posted but I’ve been out of town for three days and despite having Internet access, I just didn’t feel like pulling out my computer.  You know the feeling.  Being disconnected.  It kind of feels good.  Although with my iPhone on my hip, I wasn’t truly disconnected.  Oh well.  It was an effort.  Anyway, I’ve been on a real reading kick lately (I recently devoured The Age of Miracles, Wild, Gone Girl and Where We Belong – all of which I recommend) and since I’ve decided I need dial down my book collection rather than grow it, I decided to take advantage of my library card and checked out two more books to read yesterday, The Bungalow and The Hypnotist’s Love Story.  Reading as much as I have been sometimes disrupts my pattern of cooking but it was in one of my reading fits last weekend that I spontaneously decided I wanted to bake some bread.  Next thing I knew, I was up to my elbows in flour, twisting and kneading fresh dough until it was perfectly rounded and fragrant.  This particular bread, Anadama Bread, is a bread my aunt often makes for holidays or just because.  Of course I think hers tastes better.  Just because.

Anadama Bread is a yeast bread made special with the addition of molasses and cornmeal.  This bread has the slightest hint of sweetness, but not too much, and is good toasted with jam or just butter.  It also freezes easily, just simply slice it ahead of time and seal in a freezer bag.  Making bread can be both therapeutic and satisfying.  Kneading dough is a good way to de-stress and after watching a mixture of ingredients come together and simply grow, you get a feeling of accomplishment when you pull out the warm, baked bread from the oven and your kitchen – your whole house – smells like a bakery.  There is nothing better.  When I make bread I kind of get that feeling that Tom Hanks has in Cast Away when he pounds on his chest and proudly proclaims to no one “Look what I have created!  I have made fire!”  When that bread comes out of the oven perfectly rounded and browned, it’s hard not to be proud and want to show it to someone.  Next time, I just might pound on my chest too.  Just because.

Read a good book lately?  Let me know! 🙂

The ingredients:

Dissolve the yeast and molasses in warm water in a large bowl, and let stand 5 minutes.  Stir in melted butter.

Add 3 cups flour, cornmeal, and salt to yeast mixture and stir until blended.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes), adding enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands (dough will feel tacky).

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top.  Cover and let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size.  Punch dough down; let rest 5 minutes.

Roll into a 14 x 7-inch rectangle on a floured surface. Roll up rectangle tightly, starting with a short edge, pressing firmly to eliminate air pockets; pinch seam and ends to seal.  Place roll, seam side down, in a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.  Cover and let rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Uncover dough and bake at in a 350°F oven for 45 minutes or until loaf is browned on bottom and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from pan; cool on a wire rack.

Additions:  None

Omissions:  None

Substitutions:  None

Overall Rating:  Like It

Source:  Cooking Light Magazine