ANADAMA BREAD

Steps:

• The day before making the bread, make the soaker by mixing the cornmeal and water in a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit overnight at room temperature.
• The next day, to make the dough, stir together 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, soaker, and water in a mixing bowl (or in the bowl of an electric mixer). Cover the bowl with a towel or plastic wrap and ferment for 1 hour, or until the sponge begins to bubble.
• Add the remaining 2 1/2 cups of flour, the salt, molasses, and shortening and stir (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until the ingredients form a ball. Add water if necessary to make a soft, slightly sticky mass.
• Sprinkle flour on the counter, transfer the dough to the counter, and begin kneading (or mix on medium speed with the dough hook), sprinkling in more flour as needed to make a tacky, but not sticky, dough. The dough should be firm but supple and pliable and definitely not sticky. It will take about 10 minutes of kneading to accomplish this (or 6 to 8 minutes in the electric mixer). The dough should pass the windowpane test (page 58) and register 77° to 81°F.
• Lightly oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with the oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and ferment the dough at room temperature for about 90 minutes, or until it doubles in size.
• Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 2 equal pieces of 24 ounces, or 3 pieces of about 16 ounces. Shape the dough into loaves, as shown on page 81, and place them into bread pans that have been lightly oiled or misted with spray oil (the larger loaves should go into 9 by 5-inch pans and the smaller loaves into 8 1/2 by 4 1/2-inch pans). Mist the tops of the loaves with spray oil and loosely cover the tops with plastic wrap.
• Proof at room temperature for 60 to 90 minutes, or until the loaves crest fully above the tops of the pans. (If you want to hold back any of the loaves, place them in the refrigerator without proofing, where they will hold, or retard, for up to 2 days. Remove them from the refrigerator about 4 hours before baking and proof them at room temperature, or until ready.)
• Preheat the oven to 350°F with the oven rack on the middle shelf. Place the pans on a sheet pan and remove the plastic wrap. Mist the tops with a spray of water and dust with cornmeal.
• Place the sheet pan in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the sheet pan for even baking and continue to bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the loaves are golden brown, including along the sides and bottom, and register at least 185° to 190°F in the center. They should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.
• When the loaves are done, remove them immediately from the pans and cool on a rack for at least 1 hour before slicing or serving.
• BREAD PROFILE
• Enriched, standard dough; indirect method; commercial yeast
• DAYS TO MAKE: 2
• Day 1: 5 minutes soaker
• Day 2: 1 1/4 hours sponge; 15 minutes mixing; 2 3/4 to 3 1/4 hours fermentation, shaping, and proofing; 40 to 50 minutes baking
• Commentary
• The brand or type of molasses will make a difference in the final flavor. People who tested this formula preferred Brer Rabbit Golden Molasses for its lightness. Molasses is high in iron and other minerals, but some brands are harsher and darker. I suggest using the lightest, most refined brand you can find, unless you like the stronger flavor tones of darker brands.
• The amount of flour may vary depending on the type of molasses you use, so do not be concerned if you have to add more to firm up the dough. Let the dough dictate how much flour it needs; you want a dough that is slightly tacky but not sticky, and supple enough for easy shaping.
• BAKER'S PERCENTAGE FORMULA
• Anadama Bread %
• (SOAKER)
• Cornmeal: 100%
• Water: 133%
• Total: 233%
• (DOUGH)
• Bread flour: 100%
• Instant yeast: 1.1%
• Soaker:69.1%
• Water: 39.5%
• Salt: 1.9%
• Molasses: 19.8%
• Shortening: 4.9%
• Total: 236.3%