Mellow Bakers: Corn Bread

I love Jeffrey Hamelman's yeast Corn Bread, the second of 3 recipes I have baked for the MellowBakers May 2010 breads. The bread is slightly sweet and has a crunchy crust which is so good for elaborate sandwiches, or simply buttered, or spread with jam. I made a loaf with half a recipe using limed cornmeal and another half recipe with regular yellow cornmeal and the dough is formed into rolls. They are both yummy and I can't tell the difference in flavor.

This recipe is a 2-day bread requiring a 16-hour poolish. The next day the cornmeal is softened in water for 15 minutes before mixing with bread flour, water, olive oil, yeast, and salt. After fermenting, the dough is formed into whatever shape is desired, let rise, then baked in a steamy 460°F oven. In other words, it's a very simple recipe to do.

very nice with lemon curd


Come bake with us!^__^

Corn Bread

they look like corn on the cob

The Bread Baker's Apprentice Challenge is almost 2 months old and I am finished baking the 10th recipe, Corn Bread. I made it the other Saturday for our 4th of July barbecue dinner and we all loved it, and we don't normally like corn bread! PR's recipe is not the typical corn bread from the south because it has wheat flour, fresh corn, and loads of sweet stuff: white and brown sugar and honey. I halved the sugar and honey because I don't like overly sweet corn bread. They came out just sweet enough with the addition of the extra sweet yellow/white corn that I used. I prefer it saltier and I will add a pinch more of salt next time I make these. I really enjoyed the crunch of the polenta and the fresh corn; this corn bread is superior to the ones I have previously tasted. Better yet, I am declaring this is the bestest corn bread, ever! Thank you Peter for including this baking powder and baking soda bread in the book.

fresh corn is best

I baked some of the corn bread in a cast iron mold that has 7 slots shaped like corn. I sprinkled the bottom with chopped bacon to make them visible after unmolding. The corn molds are small, shallow, and can hold only 2 tablespoons of batter but they are so cute and fun to serve and eat. I baked the rest of the batter in unlined regular-size muffin pans. If you are baking these in muffin pans, use cupcake liners or line the bottoms with parchment because they stick to the bottom and it is difficult removing them from the pan. I also increased the heat to 400°F because the bread would not brown enough, specially the ones baked in the cast iron pan.

chewy crunchy polenta corn grits, crunchy sweet fresh corn, and salty bacon, yum!

the corn bread looks so cute beside the real thing

Rating:
flavor 5
texture 5
visual appeal 5
ease of preparation 5
performance 5
worth 5
Total: 30
Average: 5