Tuesday, March 1, 2011

High-Rise Cornbread Loaves


Take everything you know about cornbread and erase it from your mind. We're starting over today! This cornbread recipe is a yeast bread, not a snacking cake. That means it's light and fluffy and perfect for sandwiches. Not like the Jiffy box or Marie Callender's version. Not to be eaten with a fork, though you could still serve it with chili. And you can still slather butter or drizzle honey on it. Ok, so I guess it has more in common with its traditional cornbread counterpart, afterall.


The recipe comes from breadmaster Sharon Tyler Herbst in a cookbook I was borrowing from my mom. I was so impressed with it, as were my guests (um, it was quite a low-carb-diet-breaking scene to behold!!), that I went on eBay and bought the book for myself! Very sadly, Herbst passed away much too soon in her life, but her bread leadership and legacy will be honored each time I bake another incredible recipe from her book.


High-Rise Cornbread
Adapted from a recipe by Sharon Tyler Herbst in the first edition (1987) of Breads
Makes 2 loaves

1 cup milk
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup honey
2 (1/4-oz.) active dry yeast (2 tablespoons)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup warm water (110F, 45C)
2 eggs, room temperature
4-3/4 to 5-1/4 cups all purpose or bread flour
1 tablespoon butter, melted
3 tablespoons yellow cornmeal

In a small saucepan, combine milk, 2 tablespoons butter and salt. Over medium heat, bring to a simmer. It's ok if the butter does not completely melt. Remove from heat. Slowly whisk in 3/4 cup cornmeal, stirring until smooth. Stir in honey. Set this cornmeal mixture aside to cool.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine brown sugar and yeast in water and stir to dissolve. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes. Add eggs, cooled cornmeal mixture and 1 to 1-1/2 cups flour. Beat at medium speed for about 2 minutes. Stir in enough remaining flour to make a soft dough. As soon as the dough pulls away from the pan, stop adding flour.

Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough 8 to 10 minutes or until smooth and elastic. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to coat all sides. Cover with a slightly damp towel. Let rise in a warm place, free from drafts, until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

When risen, punch down dough; knead 30 seconds. Grease 2 (9”x5”) loaf pans. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cornmeal over bottom and sides of each pan. Divide dough in half, shape each half into a loaf and place in prepared pans. Allow to rise 30 to 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Slash tops of loaves as desired. Brush with melted butter; sprinkle with remaining cornmeal. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until bread sounds hollow when tapped on bottom. Remove loaves from pans. Cool on racks.


Step-by-Step in Pictures
Heat milk, butter, and salt together...

Remove from heat. Whisk in cornmeal...

Stir in honey and set aside to cool...

In a stand mixer, stir yeast and brown sugar in water to dissolve. Let stand until foamy...

Add eggs, cooled cornmeal, and some of the flour...

Add enough flour to create a soft dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl...

Knead the dough on a floured work surface and place in a greased bowl to rise until doubled in bulk...

Prepare loaf pans and gently knead the dough...

Divide the dough into two parts to make two loaves. Fold each part like a letter...

Pinch to seal...

Roll ends up and pinch to seal...

Turn loaves over and place into prepared pans...

Cover and let rise for 30 to 45 minutes or until doubled in bulk...

Slash the top, then brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cornmeal...

Bake at 375 degrees F for 30 to 35 minutes, until hollow-sounding when tapped on the bottom. Let cool to lukewarm, then slice and serve!

Notice the flecks of yellow cornmeal in the crumb! Perfection!

4 comments:

Tzviah said...

I really want to make this. Shavuot? Or hopefully before...

Mom said...

So glad you posted this recipe because I seem to forget about this recipe except at Thanksgiving. I love the recipe and I shouldn't wait until Thanksgiving to make it again. I have liked anything I have made from her bread cookbook and really recommend her cinnamon rolls, too!

The Duo Dishes said...

Oooh, what a fun bread recipe! We both love cornbread, so why not a cornmeal bread. It'd probably be good with bits of corn in it too.

Marni said...

Tzviah, make this tomorrow! Don't wait till Shavuot. :) It's sooo yummy you'll want it often.

Mom - It's true it makes a great Thanksgiving bread, but it also goes well with most meals, so really can be made year round.

The Duo Dishes - Great idea to add bits of corn! Maybe next time I make this. :)

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