Squaw Bread

Omigosh... is Lindsey actually posting on her blog?!?!?

Yes, hopefully I am back from the blogging dead. Let's just say that the month between Thanksgiving and New Year's is a blurrrrr. I'm sure you'd all agree.

So, to start off a new year, let's give you a YUMMY recipe!

What is "squaw bread," you ask? If you are any of my siblings (with the exception of Hay, maybe?) you remember squaw bread as a special treat we had when we were young. It's a brown, slightly sweet bread that you eat plain or toasted with butter. I've never found a good recipe for it, and even googling squaw bread turned up mediocre results. Leave it to Cook's Illustrated, my favorite standby, to resurrect this recipe. They call it "Anadama Bread." I made it last night for dinner with some homemade corn chowder... can you say delish???!!!

Squaw Bread

makes one 9"-pan loaf

1/2	cup water
1/4	cup cornmeal
3 1/4	cups bread flour , plus extra for work surface
2	teaspoons table salt
3/4	cup milk , warm (110 degrees)
1/3	cup water , warm (110 degrees)
2	tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
3	tablespoons molasses
1	package rapid-rise yeast (also called instant yeast)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. 1. Bring 1/2 cup water to boil in small saucepan, slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens, about 1 minute.

2. 2. Adjust oven rack to low position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Once oven temperature reaches 200 degrees, maintain heat 10 minutes, then turn off oven heat.
   

3. 3. Mix cornmeal mixture, flour, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook. Mix milk, butter, molasses, and yeast in 1-quart Pyrex liquid measuring cup. Turn machine to low and slowly add liquid. When dough comes together, increase speed to medium (setting number 4 on a KitchenAid mixer) and mix until dough is smooth and satiny, stopping machine two or three times to scrape dough from hook if necessary, about 10 minutes. Turn dough onto lightly floured work surface; knead to form smooth, round ball, about 15 seconds.

4. 4. Place dough in very lightly oiled bowl, rubbing dough around bowl to lightly coat. Cover bowl with plastic wrap; place in warm oven until dough doubles in size, 40 to 50 minutes.
   

5. 5. Form dough into loaf by gently pressing the dough into a rectangle, one inch thick and no wider than the length of the loaf pan. Next, roll the dough firmly into a cylinder, pressing with your fingers to make sure the dough sticks to itself. Turn dough seam side up and pinch it closed. Place dough in greased 9-by-5-by-3-inch loaf pan and press gently so dough touches all four sides of pan.

6. 6. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside in warm spot until dough almost doubles in size, 20 to 30 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees, placing empty loaf pan on bottom rack. Bring 2 cups water to boil.
   

7. 7. Remove plastic wrap from loaf pan. Place pan in oven, immediately pouring heated water into empty loaf pan; close oven door. Bake until instant-read thermometer inserted at angle from short end just above pan rim into center of loaf reads 195 degrees, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove bread from pan, transfer to a wire rack, and cool to room temperature. Slice and serve.