Chef Joeys Cornmeal Bread Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S RUSTIC ITALIAN CORN BREAD

Steps:

• Stir warm water, 1/2 cup bread flour, yeast, and sugar together in a bowl. Let stand until the yeast softens and forms a creamy mixture, about 40 minutes.
• Mix 1/2 cup cornmeal, olive oil, and salt into yeast mixture. Gradually add bread flour to yeast mixture until a dough pulls together.
• Knead dough on a lightly floured work surface until smooth and elastic, 10 to 12 minutes. Place dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 14-inch wide rectangle. Roll dough, starting from the long-end, into a loaf, finishing seam-side down.
• Dust a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon cornmeal. Place loaf on baking sheet, cover with a dry towel, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place a shallow pan of water on the lower rack of the oven.
• Cut a 1/2-inch deep slash down the center of the loaf.
• Bake in preheated oven until the top is golden brown and the bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

CAST IRON CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Melt butter in a cast iron skillet. Turn off heat and set butter aside until needed.
• Combine cornmeal, salt, cayenne, honey, eggs, and buttermilk. Whisk to combine. Add flour and 1/2 the butter from the pan; whisk again. Pour batter over the remaining butter in the skillet
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool briefly before slicing.

CHEF JOEY'S VEGAN CORNMEAL-THYME COOKIES

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350'F.
• Put the oven racks in upper and lower thirds.
• Line two baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper; set aside.
• Whisk together flour, baking soda, cornmeal, and salt in a medium bowl.
• Put margarine and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle and cream on medium speed until pale and fluffy for about 3 minutes.
• Mix in the egg replacer. Add the flour mixture into this on low speed until just combined.do not over mix. Hand mix in the currants and thyme.
• Using a tablespoon or a 1 1/2 inch ice-cream scoop drop rounded balls of dough onto the parchment lined cookie sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.
• Bake rotating and switching positions of sheets about 1/2 way through the cooking process.
• The cookies should be a pale golden shade. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to a wire rack and cool completely.
• Bon Apetit!

HOMESTYLE CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Dab a paper towel in bacon grease and grease an 8x8" baking pan (or spray with cooking spray), and set pan aside.
• To a mixing bowl, add dry ingredients (flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt), and whisk until combined.
• In another large mixing bowl, add melted butter, melted bacon grease, honey and eggs. Whisk to combine.
• Whisk in the buttermilk.
• Pour the dry ingredients into the bowl with the wet mixture, and use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to stir until just combined.
• Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

CHEF JOEY'S CORNMEAL BREAD

Steps:

• Dissolve the yeast in warm water (115'F). Add a little agave to this and stir gently to combine. Let this mixture sit and bubble up.
• In a large bowl mix the cornmeal and salt.
• Heat the milk in a sauce pan to around 110-115'F. Add the shortening and agave nectar. Whisk to melt the shortening and mix the agave nectar.
• Add slowly to the cornmeal and stir as you pour making sure it's all combined.
• Add 3 cups of the flour to the cornmeal mixture and mix well. Add the yeast mixture into the cornmeal/flour mix and stir well.
• Add the rest of the flour and make a stiff dough. It will be somewhat sticky.
• Knead 100 times or use a stand mixer with a dough hook until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
• Using olive oil, grease a large non-reactive bowl and place the dough in it. Oil a piece of plastic wrap and place loosely over the bowl and let it rise until double in bulk. About 1 hour.
• After 1 hour punch down and rise again for 1/2-3/4 hour.
• Turn out onto a floured surface and divide in two equal pieces and place in 2 9x5" well oiled loaf pans.
• At this point brush the tops of the bread with soy milk and sprinkle with your seeds.
• Let rise again until doubled in size.
• Bake in a 375'F oven for 40-45 minutes.
• If these brown too fast cover each with an aluminum tent.
• Allow to cool for 10 minutes on a metal rack then remove from pans and cool further.
• This bread is fluffy inside and crunchy outside. Enjoy with some vegan margarine or other spread.
• Bon Appetit!