Anadama Bread Mix

Anadama Bread Mix turns a few pantry basics into two hearty loaves with the deep flavor of molasses and the gentle texture cornmeal brings to bread. Mix the dry ingredients once, stash them in an airtight jar or bag, and you’re halfway to fresh bread on a soup night.

Anadama bread is commonly found in the Northeast region of the United States in New England, rumor has it a Gloucester Fisherman's Wife couldn't cook and this delicious bread was the result of his fury!

The distinguishing flavors of this bread are due to the inclusion of molasses and cornmeal. Amusingly, the name is credited to a Gloucester fisherman whose wife Anna was less than blessed with cooking abilities.

This is an old-school yeast bread with a practical streak. You get a sturdy sandwich loaf, great toast, and a crust that bakes up richly brown without any fuss. If you like homemade bread that actually tastes like something, this one earns its counter space.

What You’ll Need

The dry mix is simple: flour, yellow cornmeal, nonfat dry milk, and salt. When you’re ready to bake, you’ll add active dry yeast, warm water, molasses, and softened margarine. That combination gives Anadama bread its signature slightly sweet, sturdy crumb and dark crust.

If you want to keep your pantry baking budget under control, making your own staple blends helps more than most people realize. If you grind through bread flour regularly, you may also like Make Your Own Bread Flour for another practical pantry shortcut.

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How to Make the Mix

Stir the flour, cornmeal, powdered milk, and salt together until the color looks even and you don’t see streaks of cornmeal or milk powder. Store the blend in an airtight container, vacuum-seal bag, or mason jar until you’re ready to bake.

One full batch of mix makes enough for 2 loaves. The dry mix yields about 10 3/4 cups, which makes it a good candidate for a gallon-size storage bag or a large jar with a little breathing room.

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How to Bake the Loaves

Once the mix is ready, the rest is standard yeast-bread work. You build the dough, let it rise twice, shape the loaves, and bake until the crust turns a deep brown.

1. Add the yeast to half of the dry mix and stir well so it distributes evenly.
2. Add the warm water, molasses, and softened margarine. Blend until combined, then let the mixture sit for 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the remaining dry mix gradually until a stiff dough forms. Add extra flour only if needed.
4. Knead the dough well, then place it in a greased bowl. Cover and let it rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 2 hours.
5. Divide the dough in half. Roll each piece into a 9 x 14-inch rectangle, then roll up from the short end to form a loaf. Tuck the ends under and place each loaf in a greased loaf pan.
6. Let the shaped loaves rise again until doubled.
7. Bake at 375°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the crust is deep brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped.
8. Cool before slicing so the crumb can set properly. Fresh bread is impatient work, but it slices better when you give it a few minutes.

This method makes two standard sandwich loaves, or about 24 slices total if you cut 12 slices per loaf. That makes the estimated cost about $0.31 per slice, depending on your local prices.

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Helpful Tips

Warm water matters here. Active dry yeast wakes up best in warm liquid, not hot liquid, so aim for comfortably warm rather than scalding. Too hot and you’ll kill the yeast, which is a rude way to begin bread.

Don’t dump in all the mix at once. Adding the remaining dry mix gradually gives you better control over the dough texture, especially if your kitchen is dry or humid that day.

If the dough feels sticky after kneading, dust with a little extra flour, one tablespoon at a time. You want a dough that feels soft and workable, not one that glues itself to your hands like it pays rent there.

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Easy Variations

You can use butter in place of margarine if that’s what you keep on hand. The loaf will still bake up rich and tender.

For a slightly heartier flavor, pair this mix with recipes from the Yeast Bread Mix Recipes collection and compare textures side by side. If you enjoy cornmeal in baked goods, Copycat Jiffy Cornbread Mix is another pantry-friendly option worth keeping around.

You can also shape the dough into smaller sandwich loaves if your pans run small, though baking time may need to drop slightly. Watch the crust color and check early rather than hoping for the best.

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Storage and Shelf Life

Store the dry bread mix in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 6 months for best quality. That estimate is based on the shortest-lived dry ingredients in the mix, especially cornmeal and flour, which both hold best when sealed tightly and kept away from heat and moisture.

After baking, cool the loaves completely and store them wrapped at room temperature for about 3 to 5 days for best quality. Freeze extra bread, tightly wrapped, for up to 3 months. For food safety, once the bread is sliced and served, leftovers should be handled promptly, and anything perishable served alongside it should be refrigerated within 2 hours according to USDA leftover food safety guidance.

If you’re storing the dry mix longer than a few weeks, label the container with the name and date. Future you will appreciate the courtesy.

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Serving Ideas

This bread is especially good with soups, stews, and chowders because the molasses and cornmeal stand up well to rich, savory meals. It also makes excellent toast with cinnamon butter.

For sandwiches, use it with ham, turkey, sharp cheddar, or roast beef. The slight sweetness works nicely against salty fillings, which is one of the reasons this loaf never tastes boring.

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💸 Budget101® Price Breakdown: Anadama Bread Mix

🛒 Walmart Grocery List

• All-Purpose Flour, 5 lb
• Yellow Cornmeal, 5 lb
• Instant Nonfat Dry Milk, 25.6 oz
• Plain Salt, 26 oz
• Active Dry Yeast, 3 count 1/4 oz packets
• Unsulphured Molasses, 12 fl oz
• Salted Butter Sticks, 16 oz

Not sure exactly what this batch costs you per serving? Here’s how to break down the real cost of any recipe so you know before you shop.

Frequently Asked Questions about Anadama Bread Mix

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Anadama Bread Mix

Article or recipe authorAuthor: Melissa 'Liss' Burnell

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preparation timePrep 25 minutes mins

cook timeCook 50 minutes mins

total timeTotal 1 hour hr 15 minutes mins

This pantry-friendly Anadama Bread Mix makes two hearty loaves with the rich flavor of molasses and the subtle texture of yellow cornmeal. Estimated total batch cost is $7.37, or about $0.31 per slice based on 24 slices total.

ServingsServings 24 slices

CourseCourse bread, Dinner, lunch, Soup

CuisineCuisine American

Budget101 Price BreakdownApprox Cost: $7.37

Ingredients

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• ▢ 9 cups all-purpose flour
• ▢ 1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
• ▢ ⅔ cup nonfat dry powdered milk
• ▢ 2 ¾ teaspoons salt
• ▢ 2 packets active dry yeast
• ▢ 2 ½ cups warm water
• ▢ ¾ cup molasses
• ▢ 1 stick softened margarine
• ▢ Additional flour if needed

Equipment

Large Mixing Bowl

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

Airtight container or mason jar

Greased bowl

2 loaf pans

Instructions

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1. Combine the flour, cornmeal, powdered milk, and salt in a large bowl until evenly mixed.
2. Transfer the dry mix to an airtight container, vacuum seal bag, or mason jar for storage.
3. When ready to bake, add the yeast to half of the dry mix and stir well.
4. Add the warm water, molasses, and softened margarine and blend completely. Let the mixture sit for 5 to 7 minutes.
5. Add the remaining dry mix gradually until a stiff dough forms, using additional flour only if needed.
6. Knead well, then place the dough in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 2 hours.
7. Divide the dough in half. Roll each portion into a 9 x 14-inch rectangle, roll up from the short end, tuck the ends under, and place in greased loaf pans.
8. Let the loaves rise again until doubled.
9. Bake at 375°F for 45 to 50 minutes, until the crust is deep brown.
10. Cool before slicing.

Recipe Size Alteration

💡 If you altered the ingredients above by doubling or tripling the recipe, you may also need to change the pan/dish size and adjust the cook time.

Notes

Estimated yield is 2 standard loaves, about 12 slices per loaf.
Prep time is an estimate based on mixing, kneading, and shaping time and does not include rise time.
Dry mix storage estimate: up to 6 months in an airtight container in a cool, dry place.
Baked bread storage estimate: 3 to 5 days at room temperature, or freeze up to 3 months.

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