From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This really is a lovely bread and I'm pleased to be adding the recipe for it to my collection. This Portuguese treasure is quite different from the sweet bread that is so popular with vacationers on the East coast. It's made with an all-purpose flour that's given a boost with white cornmeal and very little else. The result is a bread with great flavor and a tender crumb. While I show it here as a boule, it would also make wonderful breakfast or dinner rolls. There are many who consider white breads to be déclassé. I obviously don't include myself in their ranks. Don't get me wrong, I love the artisan loaves that are so popular today, but I do believe there's a place for white bread on our tables. Especially this white bread. Once I tried this, I knew I'd be serving it on a regular basis. While it is great eaten out of hand, it makes absolutely wonderful toast and sandwiches. I think those of you who regularly bake bread will really like the flavor of these loaves. No special equipment is needed to make them and while some vigorous kneading is required, you can have the bread on the table in about 4-1/2 hours. The recipe first appeared in Gourmet magazine. Here's how the bread is made.
Portuguese White Cornmeal Bread - Pão a Moda de Sao Miguel...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of the Gourmet Cookbook
Ingredients:
1 envelope active dry yeast (2-1/2 teaspoons)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 cups warm water, divided use
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2-1/2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup white cornmeal + additional for sprinkling
5-1/2 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons milk
Directions:
1) Stir together yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
2) Add remaining 1-3/4 cups water, 2 tablespoons butter, salt, cornmeal, and about 5-1/2 cups flour, then stir until mixture forms a dough.
3) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.
4) Transfer dough to a large buttered bowl and brush top with some of melted butter. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1-1/2 hours.
5) Brush 2 (9-inch) metal pie plates with remaining butter and sprinkle with cornmeal.
6) Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead briefly, 3 or 4 times, to remove air. Halve dough and form each half into a 5-inch ball, then put in pie plates (do not flatten). Cover with kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
7) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Brush loaves with milk and cut a 1/4-inch-deep X in top of each with a sharp knife. Bake in middle of oven until loaves are golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when tapped, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer loaves to a rack and cool. Yield: 2 loaves.
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This post is being linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting
71 comments :
Your bread looks delicious Mary and really enjoy white bread as an occasional treat. I'm just wondering though, what is white cornmeal? I only know about yellow cornmeal or polenta.
The bread looks just perfect! Thanks for another lovely bread recipe. Hope you're enoying your day.
Best regards, Kristy
I love this, will definitely going to give it a try! The boys in my house prefer bread to cakes so I should bake more bread instead huh.
Looks perfect! I, too, love a good white bread--and who can say no to a warm, homemade loaf??
Prefectly bake cornmeal bread, i prepared the same long back with yellow cornmeal..
your bread looks so classic! simple ingredients and i will foresee many breadd lovers will be making this bread!
I am really into bread at the moment. This one looks fantastic. I think I'll have to try it.
This has a perfect look and feel to it, I love it!
I occasionally cook white bread as well and it's delicious! Who would refuse such a fresh, homemade bread either made with white flour or not? However, I don't know what is white cornmeal? I know the yellow one that is called either "Polenta or corn flour = Farine de maïs", is it the same? Have a lovely day Mary!
Lovelly bread Mary!It is perfectly shaped....
Kisses,
Rita
Beautifully baked Bread Mary..Looks so nice:)
The bread looks more-ish and very inviting. Perfectly baked, I have to add!
Just beautiful; and I do like to make my own bread, but it seems it has to be whole grain healthwise, but this would make my guy so so happy. I am keeping it and will try it in my bread machine. Now i have to find white cornmeal.
Rita
Its just perfect to start the day with perfect looking bread..
Wow! that looks like a perfect loaf of bread, SO pretty. What a lovely recipe, when I look at the picture I can just smell that lovely aroma of fresh baked bread!
Mary x
That's a beautiful looking bread..baked to perfection..thanks for sharing the recipe..Have a nice day!
It's beautiful! I'd have to try it with yellow corn meal though, that's what's on hand:@)
What a beautiful loaf!
I am always looking for that perfect bread recipe, even though the perfect bread changes with the circumstances.
I can't wait to try this one!
It looks gorgeous! It's so fluffy!
Bread looks so soft and fluffy.
That looks and sounds wonderful. Thanks, Mary!
That looks lovely, Mary! And I agree with you, white bread does have it's place :)
If I couldn't find white cornmeal, could I use yellow?
Perfectly baked and looks superb...
looks delicious!
Thanks for stopping by my blogging an introducing me to yours! All these recipes look amazing and this bread has me wishing I wasn't totally bread inept. Yum!
Laura
very delicious n yummy...perfect version..:)
Tasty Appetite
This is one perfect, and beautiful bread. I would love to try to make this.
Thanks for sharing:D
Mary this looks very yummy with coffee. I am happy to tell you that I feature your blog on my site. Check it out.
A wifey blog
What a delicious bread, lovely!
Oh this pleases me no end, Mary! :-) I lived in Portugal for several months as a nanny, and we lived right across the street from a bakery. Every morning the Dad and little boys would trundle down the steps and bring back delicious warm Portuguese bread. I will love trying this!! :-)
PS - I got the ingredients for your Mac and Cheese and can't wait to make it this weekend. :-)
was there a Portuguese food movement that i missed? seems like there should be. lots of good stuff there, and interesting how it influenced south american and hawaiian fare over the last couple of hundred years. was reading that Austrian food was the rage last year, but Portuguese deserves its own day.
This looks so good! I am a sucker for fresh baked bread at any time and can't wait to serve this one up. Thanks!
Gorgeous loaf of bread!
Love make bread Mary and this portuguese cornmeal bread look amazing, gloria
I'm a "purist" as far as bread choices go, so can't wait to try this recipe. The Big Guy's making his famous BBQ meatloaf on the weekend, and this will be on the menu with it. Thanks Mary - again! You're such a fabulous source.
Mary liked a lot of your recipe, since I moved to my notebook to try in my house, you know that despite his being Portuguese unfortunately not yet know one of the greatest wonders of my country who are the Azores.
Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Kisses
It looks absolutely perfect! Bookmarked.
the bread look so lovely and yummy! (: something new to me too :D
Mary,
This bread looks amazing. I am going to see I can adapt it to my bread machine. I can't knead bread anymore - hurts the hands but we do love homemade bread.
Carol
Your breads always look so perfect! I wonder if this recipe will work with yellow cornmeal?
The bread looks beautiful in the picture. It came out so nicely!
Your boule is just beautiful.
lovely bread Mary,looks delicious!have a good day, a hug...
Hmmm I wonder where I can find white cornmeal around here? I'm up for corn products in my bread wherever possible. This looks delicious!
Wow, that's like the perfect loaf! Looks amazing!
This I swear is a perfect round loaf of bread. I wouldnt want to cut into it.
It sounds wonderful...you said it is a light sweet bread, I am wondering could you use this type of dough to make sweet roll? (Orange, cinnamon?)
A perfect shape! I should try bread with cornmeal, it looks delicious!
Mary...that is one beautiful loaf! I consider any loaf of yeast bread a true work of art!!! i agree with you...white bread DOES have its place! I am going to have to give this bread a try...I go in spurts where I love making yeast breads and then don't seem to do it for awhile.
Eine leckere Brot. Grüsse...
your bread looks just perfect...but I was wondering what is white cornmeal ?
what could possibly be wrong about a bread with cornmeal and butter in it... must make awesome toast... a perfect loaf, MAry!!!
Hi Mary,
Thanks for stopping by the other day.You have great recipes and pretty pictures on yours.
Use of cornmeal is quite intriguing for me in this bread.Looks perfectly baked with a gorgeous crust.
What a beautiful loaf of bread! I need to pick up some white cornmeal STAT :)
Sues
There is nothing like frest baked bread on the table (or in the air, via scent!). blessings ~ tanna
This sounds delicious! I've book marked it to try later. I love baking breads and I think that white bread has a place at the table... if it's homemade.
you have such a talent of making food so beautiful! this looks just wonderful!
Oh Mary, this bread is beautiful. It looks absolutely perfect!
My goal for this year is to bake more homemade bread, but so far I've been not doing so well on accomplishing this. Your bread looks lovely and might be just the motivation I need to get baking :o)
This is such a beautiful loaf, and it is perfect looking, too!!!
Mary, this is lovely. Your bread recipes are phenomenal and I can't help but stare at all your gorgeous photos. And thank you for your beautiful comments on my blog, I really do appreciate them. You are so kind.
That is a gorgeous boule. I, too, am a fervent believer in white bread, but I like the little extra touch of grit and mystery courtesy of the white cornmeal.
I am printing this one now Mary. I want to try it as dinner rolls! : )
I'm imagining that bread toasted with bacon, egg, cheese and more bacon. It looks absolutely naughty. Well done!
Boy, this brings back memories! I remember getting carcacas delivered in the a.m. and p.m. everyday, nice and warm!!
What a beautiful loaf of bread!
So pretty! I like the idea of adding cornmeal, a must try!
Mary, your bread looks just perfect. You have convinced me to try it. Thanks for sharing! :)
That looks wonderful!
Must be very yummy bread Mary, but if is a Portuguese recipe can only be good of course
kisses Mary and sorry my bad english!!
I love making bread, including your Irish Soda Breads, and I will try this. I wanted to include a link to a site that has created a wonderful daily bread. We love it, and I have started to use it most of the time. It is so easy if you have room in your fridge. There is also a second book about healthy breads. http://www.artisanbreadinfive.com/
I have a fondness for white cornmeal, this one is going straight to my favorites...
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