Portuguese Cornmeal Bread
This overnight bread falls into the category of "rustic" - a hint of sweet corn and a slightly granulated, but soft texture. It's embarrassingly simple to make, requiring only a few stirs with a spoon. The proportion of cornmeal to flour makes it lighter than most cornmeal breads and perfect for sandwiches or toast. Taken almost directly from Martha Stewart, you'll put this recipe in your regular rotation.
More bread recipes: Challah, No-Knead Artisan French Bread, No-Knead Artisan Rye or Whole Wheat, No-Knead Irish Brown Bread (with Stout), Crusty Baguettes, Soft Baguettes, New York Style Bagels, Whole Wheat Cinnamon Buns, Classic Sticky Cinnamon Buns, Foccaccia, Classic White Bread, Pillowy Buttermilk Buns, Flax and Honey Bread, Olive Bread, One-Rise Buttermilk Bread, Chocolate Babka, Pumpernickel Bread, Italian Bread (Pani di Terni)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fine yellow cornmeal, plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups boiling water
5 cups unbleached bread flour, plus more for sprinkling
5 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast (not rapid-rise) or up to 1/10 lb. cake yeast
1 1/3 cups ice-cold water
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing, proofing, and shaping
Method
In a medium bowl, stir together the cornmeal and boiling water until all the cornmeal is hydrated. Place the bowl in an ice-water bath and let stand until it's cold to the touch, about 10 minutes. (Alternately, let the bowl stand until completely cool).
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Make a well in the dry mixture and add the cooled cornmeal mixture and 1 1/3 cups cold water. Stir until a wet dough forms and no dry flour remains. You might need to use your hands to ensure all the flour is absorbed. The dough will be sticky.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles in volume and the top appears bubbly, at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours.
Brush oil on the bottom and sides of a 4-to-5-quart Dutch oven or stew pot (about 9 1/2 inches in diameter, preferably cast iron or enamelled cast iron). Sprinkle the insides generously with cornmeal and flour to ensure an even coating. With lightly oiled hands, punch down the dough, pour out onto a clean work surface, and shape into a ball.
Transfer the ball of dough to the pot. Lightly sprinkle the top with more cornmeal and flour. Cover the pot and let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 - 3 hours. Be patient with this recipe - the cornmeal may make the rising process take longer.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with the rack in the lower third of the oven. Using the tip of a sharp knife, slash the top of the dough in a few places to a depth of 1 inch.
Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with water. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer it to the oven, and reduce the temperature to 450 degrees.
Bake until the bread is puffed and brown, 45 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 15 minutes more. If the top is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to 400 degrees. If using, a thermometer inserted into centre of loaf should register 190 degrees to 200 degrees. Turn the bread out onto a rack to cool completely.
This bread can be frozen for up to 3 months.
This overnight bread falls into the category of "rustic" - a hint of sweet corn and a slightly granulated, but soft texture. It's embarrassingly simple to make, requiring only a few stirs with a spoon. The proportion of cornmeal to flour makes it lighter than most cornmeal breads and perfect for sandwiches or toast. Taken almost directly from Martha Stewart, you'll put this recipe in your regular rotation.
More bread recipes: Challah, No-Knead Artisan French Bread, No-Knead Artisan Rye or Whole Wheat, No-Knead Irish Brown Bread (with Stout), Crusty Baguettes, Soft Baguettes, New York Style Bagels, Whole Wheat Cinnamon Buns, Classic Sticky Cinnamon Buns, Foccaccia, Classic White Bread, Pillowy Buttermilk Buns, Flax and Honey Bread, Olive Bread, One-Rise Buttermilk Bread, Chocolate Babka, Pumpernickel Bread, Italian Bread (Pani di Terni)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fine yellow cornmeal, plus more for sprinkling
1 1/2 cups boiling water
5 cups unbleached bread flour, plus more for sprinkling
5 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast (not rapid-rise) or up to 1/10 lb. cake yeast
1 1/3 cups ice-cold water
Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing, proofing, and shaping
Method
In a medium bowl, stir together the cornmeal and boiling water until all the cornmeal is hydrated. Place the bowl in an ice-water bath and let stand until it's cold to the touch, about 10 minutes. (Alternately, let the bowl stand until completely cool).
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, and yeast. Make a well in the dry mixture and add the cooled cornmeal mixture and 1 1/3 cups cold water. Stir until a wet dough forms and no dry flour remains. You might need to use your hands to ensure all the flour is absorbed. The dough will be sticky.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature until it doubles in volume and the top appears bubbly, at least 12 hours and up to 18 hours.
Brush oil on the bottom and sides of a 4-to-5-quart Dutch oven or stew pot (about 9 1/2 inches in diameter, preferably cast iron or enamelled cast iron). Sprinkle the insides generously with cornmeal and flour to ensure an even coating. With lightly oiled hands, punch down the dough, pour out onto a clean work surface, and shape into a ball.
Transfer the ball of dough to the pot. Lightly sprinkle the top with more cornmeal and flour. Cover the pot and let the dough rise at room temperature until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 - 3 hours. Be patient with this recipe - the cornmeal may make the rising process take longer.
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees with the rack in the lower third of the oven. Using the tip of a sharp knife, slash the top of the dough in a few places to a depth of 1 inch.
Lightly sprinkle the top of the dough with water. Cover the pot with a lid, transfer it to the oven, and reduce the temperature to 450 degrees.
Bake until the bread is puffed and brown, 45 minutes. Uncover and continue baking for 15 minutes more. If the top is browning too quickly, reduce the heat to 400 degrees. If using, a thermometer inserted into centre of loaf should register 190 degrees to 200 degrees. Turn the bread out onto a rack to cool completely.
This bread can be frozen for up to 3 months.