Crusty Portuguese American Yeasted Cornbread No Knead Recipes

CRUSTY PORTUGUESE-AMERICAN YEASTED CORNBREAD (NO KNEAD)

Steps:

• First Rise: In a medium bowl, gradually stir the boiling water into the cornmeal until smoothly incorporated. Let cool thoroughly. In a large bowl, thoroughly stir together the flour, salt, and yeast. Gradually but vigorously stir the ice water into the cooled cornmeal until very smoothly blended. Then vigorously stir the cornmeal mixture into the bowl with the flour, scraping down the sides until the ingredients are thoroughly blended. If too dry to mix completely, a bit at a time, stir in just enough more ice water to blend the ingredients; don't over-moisten, as the dough should be stiff. If the dough is soft, vigorously stir in enough more flour to stiffen it. Brush or spray the top with vegetable oil. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. If desired, for best flavor or for convenience, you can refrigerate the dough for 3 to 10 hours. Then let rise at cool room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.
• Second Rise: Vigorously stir the dough, adding more flour if needed to yield a hard-to-stir dough. Using an oiled rubber spatula, fold the dough in towards the center all the way around. Brush or spray the top with oil. Re-cover with nonstick spray-coated plastic wrap.
• Let Rise Using Any of These Methods: For a 1-1/2- to 2-1/2-hour regular rise, let stand at warm room temperature; for a 1- to 2-hour accelerated rise, let stand in a turned-off microwave along with 1 cup of boiling-hot water; or for an extended rise, refrigerate, covered, for 4 to 12 hours, then set out at room temperature. Continue the rise until the dough doubles from the deflated size, removing the plastic if the dough nears it.
• Baking Preliminaries: 20 minutes before baking time, put a rack in the lower third of the oven; preheat to 450°F Heat a 3-1/2- to 4-quart (or larger) heavy metal pot in the oven until sizzling hot (check with a few drops of water), then remove it, using heavy mitts. Taking care not to deflate the dough, loosen it from the bowl sides with an oiled rubber spatula and gently invert it into the pot. Don't worry if it's lopsided and raggedlooking; it will even out during baking. Generously spray or brush the top with water, then sprinkle over a tablespoon of cornmeal. Immediately top with the lid. Shake the pot back and forth to center the dough.
• Baking: Reduce the heat to 425°F Bake on the lower rack for 50 minutes. Remove the lid. Reduce the heat to 400°F Bake for 15 to 25 minutes longer, until the top is well browned and a skewer inserted in the thickest part comes out with just a few crumbs on the tip (or until the center registers 210°F to 212°F on an instant-read thermometer). Then bake for 5 minutes longer to ensure the center is baked through. Cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the loaf to the rack. Cool thoroughly.
• Serving and Storing: This tastes good warm but will cut better when cool. Cool completely before storing. To maintain the crisp crust, store in a large bowl draped with a clean tea towel or in a heavy paper bag. Or store airtight in a plastic bag or foil: The crust will soften, but can be crisped by heating the loaf, uncovered, in a 400°F oven for a few minutes. The bread will keep at room temperature for 3 days, and may be frozen, airtight, for up to 2 months.

PAO DE MILHO ( PORTUGUESE CORNBREAD )

Steps:

• Please note that the corn flour in this recipe is NOT cornstarch; you should be able to find corn flour at your grocery store in either the aisle where flour is sold, or in the aisle where ethnic foods are sold.
• In a large mixing bowl, mix the cornmeal and salt together, then add the boiling water and stir until smooth.
• Let this cool until mixture is lukewarm (should take about 10 minutes).
• Meanwhile, in a measuring cup, dissolve the sugar in 1/2 cup of the lukewarm water and sprinkle in the yeast; let stand for 10 minutes.
• Now rapidly whisk the yeast mixture with a fork and then stir into the cornmeal mixture.
• A bit at a time, mix in the all-purpose flour, stopping a few times to slowly add in the remaining 1/2 cup lukewarm water; blend this mixture well, until completely combined.
• Turn this mixture out onto a well-floured surface and knead until elastic and all ingredients are well blended; this will likely take about 10 minutes.
• If you need to -- and only if you NEED to -- add a bit more flour; you will likely need to if your kitchen is at all humid, as that can keep the dough a little sticky.
• When smooth and elastic, gather the dough into a ball.
• Lightly grease a fairly large mixing bowl and put the dough into bowl, turning dough so it is greased all over.
• Cover bowl with a clean tea towel, place in a draft-free area (try the top of your fridge, or inside your oven -- not turned on of course) and let dough rise until doubled in bulk, which should take about 90 minutes.
• Now punch down the dough and shape it into either one round loaf or two small ones; have ready a well greased baking sheet or a well greased pie plate.
• Roll the loaf (loaves) in corn flour until well covered, then, if you've made the two small loaves, place on baking sheet, or if you've prepared just the one large loaf, place on pie plate.
• Cover with clean tea towel and let rise in a draft-free place for 45 minutes, or until doubled in size.
• Sprinkle with additional corn flour just before baking.
• Bake bread in preheated 450F oven for 30 to 40 minutes, or until loaves sound hollow when tapped on bottom; they should be golden brown and crusty on top.
• Transfer to wire racks and wait impatiently for them to cool.

BROA (PORTUGUESE CORNBREAD)

Steps:

• Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium heat until it begins to bubble. Whisk in butter and 2 teaspoons sugar. Add cornmeal and whisk until mixture reaches a thick, sauce-like consistency. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
• In the meantime, sprinkle yeast and a pinch of sugar over warm water. Stir and let stand until yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 5 minutes.
• Combine flour and salt in the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the dough hook. Add the yeast mixture and mix on low speed. Slowly pour in the milk mixture. Knead into a slightly dense dough. Remove from the bowl and roll into a ball.
• Grease the sides of a bowl or pot with olive oil and add the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Punch dough down and roll into 2 boules, or flat-bottomed balls. Place boules on a baking sheet lined with a silicone mat. Sprinkle tops with flour and cover with plastic wrap again. Let rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Fill an oven-proof pot with 4 to 5 cups water and place on the bottom rack of the preheating oven.
• Cut 4 shallow slits into the tops of the puffed bread boules in a cross pattern, 2 parallel lines up and 2 across.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Spritz tops with water from a spray bottle. Reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and continue baking until crusts are a deep brown, about 20 minutes. Remove breads from the pan and let cool for 20 minutes.

NO-KNEAD BROA (PORTUGUESE CORN BREAD)

Steps:

• MIXING INSTRUCTIONS:.
• Mix the yeast and salt with the water in a 5 quart bowl or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
• Add oil and honey.
• Mix in the remaining dry ingredients without kneading, usings a spoon or a heavy-duty stand mixer with dough hook.
• Note:: If not using a mixer you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of the flour.
• Cover (not airthight) and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
• The dough can be used immediately after rising, however it is easier to handle when cold.
• Refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 7 days.
• BAKING INSTRUCTIONS:.
• Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a grapefruit size piece (1 lb.).
• Dust with more flour and quickily shape into a ball by stretching the surface of dough around to the bottom on all four sides, roating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
• Flatten the top slightly and allow to rest on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel for 40 minutes.
• Twenty minutes before baking time, preheat oven to 450º F, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack.
• Place a cast iron skillet or empty broiler tray on the bottom rack.
• Sprinkle loaf liberally with cornmeal and slash the top using a serrated bread knife.
• Slide loaf directly onto the hot stone.
• Pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the skillet or broiler tray and quickly close the door.
• Bake for about 30 minutes or until top of crust is dark brown and firm. Smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in baking time.
• Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
• Allow to cool before slicing.

YEASTED CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Combine flour, masa, sugar, salt and yeast in a large bowl.
• Add milk, butter and 2 eggs, stirring until smooth.
• Spread dough into a 13- x 9-inch baking pan coated with cooking spray.
• Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size--about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Bake for 25 minutes or until bread is done.
• Cool in pan for 5 minutes before serving warm.

GINA'S CRUSTY CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet in oven for 30 minutes.
• In large bowl combine flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder and sugar. Make a well in the center and add milk, eggs and melted butter. Stir just until moistened.
• Remove skillet from oven and add bacon fat to skillet. Swirl around to coat bottom and sides, then pour in cornbread mixture. Smooth the top with a spatula, then place in oven and bake about 25 minutes, or until brown.
• If you like, you can spread 2 tablespoons of butter on top of hot cornbread to melt.