Discussion
This is a recipe from The Cook's Guide to Bread by Julie Ingram and Jennie Shapter.
The Portuguese make quite a few breads from corn. This particular bread has a crisp, even hard, crust and a very soft, fine-textured interior. It goes well with soups and stews or when served with butter or olive oil or with cheese.
I start this recipe in a large bowl, then move it to the mixer. You may use a mixer for the whole recipe if you want.
Recipe
| Ingred |
Ounces |
Grams |
| Bread Flour |
16 |
450 |
| Corn meal |
8 |
225 |
| Water |
8 |
250 |
| Dry Yeast |
2 1/4 tsp |
7 |
One packet |
| Warm milk |
2/3 cup |
150 |
| Olive oil |
2 T |
30ml |
| Salt |
1/2 Tbsp |
7.5ml |
Note -- I had to add an extra 1 Tablespoon / 15 ml of water during kneading to make the dough work properly. This was probably because I store my corn meal in the refrigerator, which can dry it out quite a bit.
Method
- Put the yeast in a large mixing bowl and add the warm water.
- Stir in half the corn meal and 2 ounces / 50 grams of white flour.
- Mix this until it is a thick batter.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit for 30 minutes. The battere will swell and shown signs of yeast activity.
- Remove the cover, then stir in the milk and the olive oil.
- Gradually mix in the rest of the corn meal, the white flour and the salt to make a dough.
- Either knead on the counter for 10 minutes or place the dough in a large mixer and mix for 6 mintues. You may have to add a bit of water to make the dough perform properly.
- Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with the plastic wrap and leave to ferment in a warm place fore 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until doubled.
- Turn the dough out onto a very lightly flourer surface and deflate the dough. Let it rest 10 mintues.
- Shape the dough into a round ball, flatten the ball slightly and place it on parchment paper or on a baking sheet lightly sprinkled with corn meal.
- Dust with corn meal, cover with a large bowl and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
- Heat the oven to 450F / 230C with a pan in the bottom of the oven for water..
- Boil a half cup of water.
- Place the dough in the oven and pour the water into the pan.
- Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the oven to 35F / 190C and bake for at least another 20 mintues, until the loaves are done and register 190F / 87C internal temperature. This can take as much as 30 minutes after the initial 10 minutes at 450F / 230C.
- Remove the loaf from the oven and let it cool before eating.
Here We Go!
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