Buttermilk Corn Muffins with Honey Butter

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Time was, my friends, when corn bread was a simple thing. There was a Southern corn bread and a less sweet Northern, or "Yankee", version. Somewhere along the way, folks started playing with this simple staple. To improve its appearance, the batter was moved to muffin cups and its humble ingredients were enhanced with more glamorous bits and bobs from the pantry or fridge. I'd like to blame food editors for the adulteration, but I can't bring myself to do that. Can you imagine the effort involved in trying to show old foods, the ones that everyone knows, in a new light? I'll wager it's exhausting when you get to the 103rd version of chocolate chip cookies and still have to find a new take on Thanksgiving turkey in the middle of a summer heatwave. So, I'll give them a pass on the proliferation of theme and variation recipes that appear in food magazines month after month, especially those for corn bread. Having said that, I'm going to take a stand here. I love the original Yankee corn bread and entertain other versions only because the Silver Fox likes things sweeter than I do. We've been having a lot of soup lately, and in order to avoid making yeast bread or rolls, I've made corn bread or corn muffins to accompany it. The Silver Fox really enjoys the taste of the double corn muffins I'm sharing with you tonight. I enjoy them because they are fast and simple to make. Does that make them a win win? I'll let you be the judge. At any rate, if you are looking for a new version of corn muffins to serve for breakfast or with your winter soups or stews you might want to give these a try. Here is how they are made.

Cheese and Cornmeal Batter Buns

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...These buns are a nice accompaniment to the heavier soups of fall and winter. They are easy to make and they freeze well, so there's no reason to be put off by the quantity of buns the recipe produces. The recipe comes from the test kitchen of Better Homes and Gardens magazine and I've used it for years. I like the buns well enough to share the recipe with you. While they are made with yeast, the buns qualify as a batter bread because the dough used to form them is beaten rather than kneaded. I think those of you try this recipe will be pleased with the results. The buns are moist and delicious and perfect to serve with a bowl of steaming tomato soup. I hope you'll give the recipe a try. Here's how the buns are made.

Cheese and Cornmeal Batter Buns...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens magazine

Ingredients:
3-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast
1-3/4 cups milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons shortening
1-1/4 teaspoons salt
1 beaten egg
4 ounces sliced sharp American cheese, chopped
1/2 cup cornmeal

Directions:
1) Combine 2 cups of flour and yeast in a large mixing bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, shortening, and salt just until warm (120 degree F to 130 degree F) and shortening is almost melted. Add milk mixture to flour mixture; add egg.
2) Beat with an electric mixer on low to medium speed for 30 seconds, scraping sides of bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in cheese, cornmeal, and remaining flour. Spoon batter into a lightly greased bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until double in size (50 to 60 minutes).
3) Generously grease twenty-four 2-1/2-inch nonstick muffin cups. Stir dough down. Spoon into prepared muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly double in size (30 to 40 minutes).
4) Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes. Remove from muffin cups. Serve warm or cool rolls on wire racks. Makes 24 rolls.

One Year Ago Today: Julia Child's Curried Turkey Soup

Two Years Ago Today: Alu Ki Tikki (Potato Patties)

Three Years Ago Today: Anadama Rolls

Portuguese White Cornmeal Bread - Pão a Moda de Sao Miguel

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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Beginner's Whole Wheat Batter Bread - One Perfect Bite
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This post is being linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting

Anadama Rolls

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I don't know how or when it happened. After years of going "over the river and through the woods" there came a day when I, ready or not, like it or not, was the grandmother to whose home the revelers cometh. I know it's terribly unsophisticated to celebrate this meal, but I'll tell you up front that I love it, if for no other reason than the wonderful aromas that emanate from the kitchen as this dinner comes together. Christmas builds to a olfactory crescendo with aromas that are released over a period of days. Not so Thanksgiving. This is an all or nothing affair. The assault begins with breakfast bacon and continues through the day as the aroma of bread and pie and turkey and cider meld into a harmonious union that could put the orchestration of a symphony to shame. Thanksgiving is not a difficult meal to prepare; it's as easy to make for twenty as it is for two, but it does require a game plan and a bit or organization to pull it off. I do a great deal of the work ahead of time. Today I made our rolls, both Anadama and potato, and enough pie crust to last us through the Christmas holiday. Everything is in the freezer waiting to debut on the big day. The pie crusts will be rolled and filled on Thanksgiving morning. I pre-bake the rolls. We talked about Refrigerator Potato Rolls last year. Since then I've resurrected this wonderful recipe for Anadama Rolls. The recipe appeared in Bon Appetit over a decade ago. I really like these rolls. There is something especially fitting about rolls made with corn meal and molasses for Thanksgiving day. Symbolism aside, the rolls are really wonderful and they are not hard to make. I know you'll like them. Here's the recipe.

Anadama Rolls...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1 cup whole milk
1 cup water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/3 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup warm water
1 envelope (2-1/4 teaspoons)dry yeast
4 to 4-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 egg, beaten to blend
2 teaspoons sesame or poppy seeds

Directions:
1) Bring milk, 1 cup water and salt to boil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Slowly whisk in cornmeal. Cook until mixture thickens and boils, whisking constantly, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk in molasses and 2 tablespoons butter. Transfer mixture to large bowl. Cool until thermometer inserted into center of mixture registers 115°F, whisking often, about 15 minutes.
2) Pour 1/2 cup warm water into small bowl; sprinkle yeast over. Let stand until yeast dissolves and top looks spongy, about 10 minutes. Stir yeast mixture into cornmeal mixture. Gradually mix in 4 cups flour, about 1 cup at a time, to form soft dough that pulls away from sides of bowl. Sprinkle 1/4 cup flour onto work surface. Turn dough out onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, sprinkling with more flour by tablespoonfuls if needed, about 10 minutes (dough will remain slightly sticky). Form dough into ball. Coat a large bowl with butter or shortening. Add dough to bowl and turn to coat dough with butter or shortening. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour 15 minutes.
3) Punch down dough. Cover with plastic wrap; let stand 10 minutes. Coat each of two 9-inch-diameter cake pans with butter or shortening. Roll dough into 18-inch-long log. Cut into 18 equal pieces. Using floured hands, form each dough piece into ball. Place 9 dough balls in each pan, spacing apart. Cover each pan loosely with towel. Let rolls stand in warm draft-free area until almost doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Brush rolls with egg glaze. Sprinkle with seeds. Place rolls in oven and immediately reduce temperature to 350°F. Bake rolls until golden brown, about 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely. Store airtight at room temperature. Wrap rolls in foil and rewarm in 350°F oven 10 minutes.) Serve warm. Yield: 18 rolls.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
The Way the Cookie Crumbles - Cinnamon Rolls
Pinch My Salt - Sweet Potato Buttermilk Rolls
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This recipe is linked to:
Wild Yeast - Yeast Spotting