Anadama Bread

Like any cook, I am a recipe fanatic. I have subscriptions to way too many cooking magazines but always end up buying just one more that I don't have whenever I go grocery shopping. Not surprisingly, one of my favorite afternoon activities is taking a trip over to Barnes and Noble and spending hours looking at all the cookbooks, only wishing I had the money to purchase all of them. However, the last time I ventured to the cooking section, I decided that I had gone long enough without buying a new cookbook. I walked out of the store, fully satisfied, with an ice cream recipe book and, my new bible, The Bread Baker's Apprentice by Peter Reinhart. I have never seen a cookbook that teaches its readers quite like this one does. The first 101 pages are packed with priceless information about everything from shaping and proofing equipment to the chemistry behind different types of yeast and flours. If you are interested in learning not only how to bake great bread, but also the science behind it, I would more than recommend The Bread Baker's Apprentice.

Soaker:
1 cup (6 oz) cornmeal
1 cup (8 oz) room temperature water

Dough:
4½ (20.25 oz) unbleached bread flour
2 tsp (.22 oz) instant yeast
1 cup (8 oz) lukewarm water- 90 to 100 degrees F
1½ tsp (.38 oz) salt
6 tbsp (4 oz) molasses
2 tbsp (1 oz) shortening or unsalted butter, room temperature

The day before making the bread, make the soaker by combining the cornmeal and water in a small bowl. Let sit overnight at room temperature. This step helps to activate the enzymes in the cornmeal to release the sugars trapped in the starch. It also softens the cornmeal.
The next day, combine 2 cups (about 10 oz) of the flour, the yeast, the soaker, and water in a mixing bowl or a bowl of an stand mixer. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it ferment for about 1 hour, or until the sponge begins to bubble- whichever comes last. This is an important step in developing the flavor of the bread: the longer it ferments, the richer and deeper the flavor. Add the remaining 2½ cups of flour, salt, molasses, and shortening and stir (or mix on low speed with the paddle attachment) until the dough forms a ball. Add water or flour to make a soft and slightly sticky dough.
Sprinkle flour on the counter and transfer the dough to the counter and begin to knead the dough. Alternatively, you could mix the dough on medium speed in your standing mixer with the dough hook. Sprinkle more flour as needed to make a tacky, but not sticky, dough. The dough should be firm but supple and pliable. It will make about 10 minutes of kneading to accomplish this. You know you are done when your dough passes the windowpane test (check the next post for an explanation). When in doubt, mix a little longer. It is almost impossible to over-knead dough.
Lightly spray a bowl with oil and transfer the dough to the bowl, rolling it around to coat it with oil. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough ferment and rise for about 90 minutes, or until it at least doubles in size.
Remove the dough from the bowl and divide it into 3 equal pieces. Shape the dough into loaves (also check the next post for an explanation) and place in oiled 8.5x4.5 bread pans. Lightly mist the tops with oil and cover the tops with plastic wrap.
Proof at room temperature for 90 minutes, or until the loaves crest fully above the tops of the pans. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, with the oven rack in the middle. Remove the plastic wrap and place the pans in the oven. Bake for 20 minutes, rotate the pans, and then bake for 10-30 more minutes until the top, sides, and bottoms of the loaves are golden brown, depending on the oven temperature. They should make a hollow sound when thumped on the bottom.
Remove the loaves immediately from the pans and cool on a rack for at least one hour before slicing or serving.