100% Whole Wheat Anadama Bread

Anadama bread is a New England classic — a yeasted loaf sweetened with molasses and textured with cornmeal that produces a flavour unlike any other bread you've made. This 100% whole wheat version is nutty, hearty, and genuinely extraordinary as toast.

Breakfast Nov 1, 2025 0 110 Add to Reading List

If you've never encountered Anadama bread, you are about to understand why New Englanders have been making it for generations. It's a yeasted loaf made with cornmeal and molasses two ingredients that sound humble but combine to create a flavour that's complex, slightly sweet, faintly earthy, and completely unlike any other bread. It tastes like it has a history, which it does.

This version uses 100% whole wheat flour, which adds a nuttiness and slightly denser crumb that suits the molasses and cornmeal beautifully. It's worth reading about whole grain flours in general if you are new to whole wheat baking understanding how they behave differently from white flour helps you get better results across many recipes.

Working with Whole Wheat Dough

Whole wheat dough absorbs liquid more slowly and feels stickier than white flour dough, which throws off a lot of first-time bakers. Resist the urge to add more flour when it feels tacky that stickiness is normal and adding too much flour leads to a dense, dry loaf. Let the dough rest for 20 minutes after the initial mix (this is called autolyse) before kneading; the flour fully hydrates and the dough becomes noticeably more workable.

Whole wheat also rises more slowly, so be patient with both rises and look for a genuine doubling in size rather than going by a specific time.

The Molasses

Use unsulphured blackstrap molasses if you want maximum flavour depth it's more solid and complex than regular molasses. It gives the loaf a dark, beautiful crust and a flavour that's distinctly Anadama. Bake until the internal temperature reaches 190–200°F for a fully set crumb that isn't gummy in the centre.

Name:	100% Whole Wheat Anadama Bread
Cuisine	American
Prep Time	2 hours
Cooking Time	40 minutes
Total Time	2 hours 40 minutes
Servings	12 slices
Yield	1 loaf

Ingredients

1/2 cup water
1/4 cup cornmeal
2 Tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup unsulphured molasses
1 (0.25 oz) package active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110°F)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp salt
canola oil cooking spray

NOTE: Bread made with whole wheat flour needs a little more love (in the form of kneading) and time (in the form of rising) than bread made with white flour.

Directions

In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, combine 1/2 cup water and cornmeal; whisk continuously until it starts to thicken, about 30-60 seconds. Reduce heat to low and whisk in canola oil and molasses. Set aside to cool.

In a small bowl, scatter yeast over 1/2 cup warm (110°F) water. Let sit until foamy; about 10 minutes.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, (or a large mixing bowl), combine the cooled cornmeal mixture with the yeast mixture; stir until well blended. Add the whole wheat flour and the salt; mix well with paddle attachment (or a wooden spoon if using a mixing bowl). Add the white whole wheat flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. Once the dough has pulled together, switch to the dough hook attachment and knead on low speed until smooth and elastic, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, you can turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it with your hands.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Lightly coat a large bowl (I use the bowl of my stand mixer) with cooking spray, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat. Cover and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours (I like to place the bread on top of the heating oven).

Place dough on a clean work surface and roll out into a rectangle (about 12 x 7 inches). Starting with a short end, fold the dough into thirds. Pinch seams closed. Place the loaf in a lightly greased 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Cover and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Bake for about 28-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the bottom of the loaf sounds hollow when tapped.

Turn loaf out onto a wire rack and let cool before slicing and serving.

Store bread in the refrigerator, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and sealed in a zip-top plastic bag.