There is a fair amount of lore about the creation of this bread. One story tells of a New England woman named Anna who was lazy and didn’t finish baking the bread she had started. Her husband tried, unsuccessfully, to finish it, throwing cornmeal into the dough in frustration and cursing his wife, “Anna, damn her.”
Others think the bread originated in 1850 in Rockport, Massachusetts, where it was popular among the local fisherman. A local bakery began to sell the bread, and it became very popular, eventually spreading throughout Massachusetts and greater New England. The traditional bread recipe adds cornmeal and molasses, making a sweeter, fragrant loaf.
Recipe Servings: 6
+ 3 hours 5 minutes resting
Ingredients
Directions
- Whisk together the cornmeal and the salt. Add butter and molasses to the bowl.
- Pour in the boiling water, stirring until the butter has melted and the mixture is smooth. Let the mixture cool about 15 minutes.
- When the dough is lukewarm, mix in the dry milk, flours, and yeast. Let dough rest 20 minutes.
- In a stand mixer, knead the dough at a medium speed for 7 minutes or until smooth. The dough will be fairly stiff and sticky at the surface.
- Leaving the dough in the bowl, cover the bowl with a dish towel, and let it sit about 1 hour, until dough has doubled in size.
- Gently deflate the dough and shape into an 8-inch log. Place dough in a 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pan. Again, cover pan and let dough rise until the center has crested 1 inch above the loaf pan, about 90 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Bake bread for 35–40 minutes. A thermometer inserted into the center should register at least 190°F.
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