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!

White, Red, and Green Italian Braid Featuring a Pesto, Cheese, Antipasto-Like Filling

This bread got so many ooohs and ahhhs when I served it that I wanted to collect them in a jar and use them as currency somewhere! Hmm, now what country accepts VISA, Mastercard, and Ooohs and Ahhhs???


The most amazing thing about this bread is how fun and easy it is to make. In fact, I made one with poppy seeds on top, and then immediately started working on a second loaf that I'd top with sesame seeds. Believe it or not, you prepare the dough in a food processor! Everything from mixing to kneading happens there, so it comes together really fast. This is the kind of bread you could personalize, customize, redesign with ingredients you have in your pantry. If you don't regularly stock olives and sun-dried tomatoes, try artichoke hearts or skip those ingredients completely. I was even thinking it would be fun to use this dough with a pizza filling, so instead of pesto, spread pizza sauce on the bottom, then layer with cheese and pizza toppings.


And once you learn the braid technique, you'll want to use it on all sorts of other bread recipes. It's more like a mock braid because you don't lift up strands and actually braid them; you simply slice the edges of the dough lengthwise on each side of the filling and fold the flaps over to cover the filling. The result is gorgeous. I'm going to have to say it is one of my favorite things I've ever made in my entire life. Trust me; that is a VERY strong statement. Enjoy!


White, Red, and Green Italian Braid
Adapted from a recipe by Marlene Sorosky (one of my heroes) in Entertaining on the Run
Makes 1 loaf.

Dough:
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 package quick-rising yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 egg, at room temperature
2/3 cup very warm water (125 to 130 degrees F)

Filling:
1/4 cup basil pesto sauce, store-bought or homemade
1/4 cup sliced pitted Mediterranean olives, such as nicoise
1 cup shredded regular or low-fat mozzarella cheese (about 4 ounces)
1/4 cup crumbled goat or blue cheese (about 1 1/2 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped roasted red peppers, blotted dry
1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes dehydrated and chopped

1 egg, mixed with 1 tablespoon water, for glaze
1 teaspoon sesame or poppy seeds (optional)

Fill a large shallow pan or roaster half full of water and bring to a boil (or pour boiling water in the pan). This will be used for rising. Set aside.

To make dough:
In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, combine flour, yeast, sugar, and salt. Pulse for a few seconds to combine. Add the oil and egg and process until well combined. Turn the motor on again and use the pouring spout on the lid of the food processor while you slowly drizzle the water into the dry ingredients. Don't add too much water. It's possible you won't need the full amount called for, so to be on the safe side, check the dough before you add the last 2 tablespoons of water. You'll know the dough has enough water when it pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a ball. If it doesn’t form a ball yet, add a very tiny bit of the reserved water until a ball is formed. To knead the dough, simply process for 60 seconds. So easy! Let the dough rest in the bowl, covered with a towel, for at least 10 minutes. Meanwhile, use this time to prepare the filling ingredients. I like to have all of the toppings chopped and measured out and placed in little ramekins so I'm ready to go for assembly.

To assemble:
Measure a piece of parchment paper that will fight onto your baking sheet. Place this parchment paper on your dough board and lightly flour it. Roll the dough into a 14x10-inch rectangle. Use a ruler to mark where the center third of the rectangle is. Lightly press the ruler or a dough scraper down into the dough to mark the area. Spread pesto lengthwise down this center third of dough. Sprinkle with olives, cheeses, red peppers, and tomatoes. You can add these ingredients in any order. I put the cheese on last.

Using a ruler, make cuts at 1-inch intervals from filling to edges of dough. Since it's a 14-inch long rectangle, that means 14 strips of dough on each side. At this point, transfer the parchment paper with the dough on it very carefully to the baking sheet. Alternating the sides, fold strips at an angle across the filling. I used a bit of the oil from the pesto to wet the end of each strip so it would stick to the other side. That's really not necessary; I was just paranoid. Cover the braid with a towel. Prepare the oven for baking by placing the rack in upper third of oven. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

To rise: Remember the pan of boiling water you prepared at the beginning? Place baking sheet with bread over pan. Let rise 15 minutes in this warm position. It will begin to swell like a pizza crust.

To bake: Brush the egg glaze over loaf and sprinkle with seeds, if desired. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Tap the bottom of the loaf with your finger to listen for a hollow sound; it's done when it sounds hollow. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature. You can make this the day before and keep the loaf in the fridge overnight. Just reheat at 350 degrees F for about 10 minutes before serving and it will be as good as new!


Step-by-Step in Pictures
In a food processor, mix flour, yeast, sugar, and salt...

Add the oil and egg and process...

Add the water until the dough forms a ball, then knead for 60 seconds by processing. Cover with a towel and let rest for 10 minutes...

Roll out the dough into a 14x10-inch rectangle...

Spread the pesto on the center third of the dough lengthwise...

In any order, add the filling ingredients...

I top with the cheese but feel free to put the cheese on first, then the veggies...

Cut strips at 1-inch intervals on each side of the rectangle (but don't cut through the center third with the filling!)...

Alternating sides, criss-cross the dough strips until you've completed the mock braid...

If you want, you can seal the end of each dough strip to the inside of the other side with a little water or oil...

Here's what the braided loaf will look like! Cover with a towel and place the baking sheet over a pot that's filled with boiling water for 15 minutes to allow to rise...

Once risen, brush the egg glaze on top and sprinkle with poppy seeds...

Or sesame seeds...

Bake at 400 degrees F for 15 to 20 minutes until golden and sounds hollow on the bottom when tapped...
Yum! It's done! Let cool 10 minutes...

Slice and serve! I prefer it warm, but you can also serve it at room temperature...

Challah from Amazing Baker Beatrice Ojakangas

I keep trying new challah recipes. It's such a common bread type that most of my cookbooks seem to have a version of the recipe. So slowly but surely I'm making my way through the recipes. This one by Beatrice Ojakangas is a great one! The dough feels awesome as you knead it. That's the moment I can tell the bread is going to be good. There's just something special about working with a dough that's soft and supple and shiny and perfect! For this Shabbat meal, I decided to braid it in the four-strand round method because I love that look. But feel free to braid it however you prefer.


The making of this bread marks an important milestone for me. It is the first bread I've made in my new kitchen! And I really do mean IN my new kitchen. You see, I moved in October. My last kitchen, which I had occupied for the last 5 years, was so small I was forced to knead dough on the dining room table in the next room. There simply wasn't a surface large enough for me to stay in the kitchen.

Now, in my new kitchen, I have so much space I can spread out, leave the flour bin beside my work station, not immediately wash my mixing bowl to get it out of the way, keep the prepared baking sheet ready to go right next to where I'm working so I don't have to lift and transfer the braided loaf very far in my hands, and other thrilling usually-taken-for-granted aspects of spacious living. It's all too good to be true! Somebody pinch me!


Challah
Adapted from a recipe by Beatrice Ojakangas in the Great Holiday Baking Book
Makes 1 loaf

3 1/2 to 4 cups unbleached all-purpose or bread flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package (2 3/4 teaspoons) instant active dry yeast
1 cup very warm water (about 130 degrees F)
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 teaspoon water, for glaze
2 teaspoons poppy seeds, for sprinkling

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of the flour, the sugar, salt, and yeast. Stir to blend. Then make a well in the center and pour in the water, oil, and 2 eggs. Beat until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest for 15 minutes. Beat in the remaining flour (1/2 to 1 more cup flour). The dough will be stiff. If the dough is still really sticky to work with, add a little flour, only a tablespoon at a time. Always err on the side of less flour because you may be able to knead the dough and you don't want to add too much flour or your bread will be more like a brick! Turn the dough out onto a floured board and knead until smooth and satiny, about 10 minutes. If you're using an electric mixer with a dough hook, only knead for about 5 minutes (the dough hook is much more efficient than by hand so it requires less time for kneading and you don't want to overknead).

Shape the dough into a ball and place in a large bowl that you sprayed with Pam, then turn the dough ball over so both sides are greased. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rise for about a 1/2 hour or until doubled in size.

Prepare your baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Divide the dough into 3 chunks. Shape each chunk into a long rope about 1 inch in diameter. Braid the three strands together and pinch the ends to seal them. You can transfer the loaf to the baking sheet as a long braid or you can place it on the sheet in a ring shape. You can also use any of several other braiding techniques. Cover the baking sheet with a towel and place in a warm place for 20 to 30 minutes or until puffy.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Create an egg wash out of the egg yolk combined with one teaspoon of water. Brush the egg was over the loaf and immediately sprinkle with the poppy seeds (the egg wash dries pretty quickly so hurry and add your poppy seeds or they won't stick!).

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. If the loaf looks like it's getting dark but it's not cooked through in the middle, place a foil tent over the loaf in the oven for the remaining baking time. Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

Step-by-Step in Pictures
Combine 3 cups of the flour, the sugar, the salt, and the yeast...

Make a well in the center and add the water, oil, and 2 eggs. Beat, and then cover and let rest for 15 minutes...

Add the remaining flour until it forms a stiff dough...

Allow to rise in a greased bowl until doubled in size, then shape the loaf, cover and let rise again until puffy. Brush with the egg wash, then bake at 350 degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes...

Slice and serve!

Chocolate Babka Bread Pudding with Brown Sugar Streusel and Caramel Brandy Sauce

Let the title of this post sink in, then pick up your jaw so you can get on with your day.

Everything about this recipe is perfect. It is a combination of several delicious ingredients. And applying that saying about the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, if you put a bunch of good ingredients together, you are going to get one GREAT thing out of it.

It all started when my friend told me she had a chocolate babka loaf and thought it could be turned into a baked good. She suggested bread pudding. I knew she was onto something. Chocolate babka is great on its own; baked into something, it could be head-turning. I agreed to take her up on the challenge to create a chocolate babka bread pudding, so the only question was, what recipe. I browsed various recipe websites for inspiration and ultimately landed on Paula Deen's "Best Bread Pudding" recipe from the Food Network. I read several stellar reviews by others who tried the recipe, including several comments that the recipe was so sweet it could actually use cutting back on the sugar. So I cut the white sugar quantity of the bread pudding mixture in half. Perfection.


The Brown Sugar Streusel Topping is an amazing addition to an already amazing bread pudding because the pecans become candied and give every bite a bit of crunch and grainy texture on your tongue. The boozy sauce is, well, boozy, and I loved it. Not everyone is into alcoholic-tasting desserts, so I recommend leaving the sauce in a bowl on the table and letting people serve themselves.

Not only did my friend and her husband love this bread pudding (which was such a relief since they donated their babka to this experiment!), but I also shared a piece with another friend who has extremely discerning taste, comes from a dessert loving, food loving background, and is generally very picky and reserved when it comes to expressing positive superlatives about what he eats. But after finishing his serving of the bread pudding, he did not hold back on the superlatives. He said this bread pudding was one of the best desserts he had ever had in his life. Maybe you don't know this guy and can't grasp the meaning of his words (I guess you'll have to bake this and find out for yourself!), but to me, those were golden words. Coming from him, they formed the kind of compliment any baker would dream of hearing. Dessert perfection: Achieved!


Chocolate Babka Bread Pudding with Brown Sugar Streusel Topping and Caramel Brandy Sauce
Adapted from a recipe by Paula Deen on FoodNetwork.com

Bread Pudding
1 cup granulated sugar
5 large beaten eggs
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 9x5-inch loaf chocolate babka, cubed, and allow to get stale in an uncovered bowl overnight

Streusel Topping
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
1 cup chopped pecans

Caramel Brandy Sauce
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup brandy (warning: this is a LOT of brandy and creates a very boozy, strong alcoholic flavor; feel free to use less or omit completely)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x13-inch pan.

For the bread pudding: In a medium bowl, mix together granulated sugar, eggs, and milk. Add vanilla. Place the cubed babka in a large bowl and pour the milk mixture over the babka so that all cubes are wet. Stir gently to coat all pieces. Let sit for 10 minutes.

For the Streusel Topping: In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, softened butter, and pecans. Then with a fork or your fingers, crumble the ingredients together.

To bake: Pour the milky babka mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the babka and bake for 35 to 45 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven.

For the Sauce: In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla over medium heat. Continue stirring until the sugar is melted. Add the brandy, if using, and stir until slightly thickened. Drizzle over the bread pudding. Can be served warm or cold.


Step-by-Step in Pictures
Combine the sugar, eggs, milk, and vanilla...

Pour the mixture over the cubed babka and let stand about 10 minutes...

Pour the milky babka mixture into the prepared baking dish...

To make the streusel topping, combine the butter, brown sugar, and pecans...

Crumble the ingredients together...
Sprinkle the streusel topping over the babka pieces in the baking dish...

Bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes...

To make the caramel brandy sauce, stir together the sugar, butter, egg, and vanilla...
Add the brandy and continue stirring until heated through and slightly thickened...
Drizzle over individual servings of the bread pudding and enjoy!