Crusty Portuguese American Yeasted Cornbread No Knead Recipes

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.

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.

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.

CRUSTY QUAKER CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400F; grease an 8 or 9 inch pan.
• Combine dry ingredients and stir in wet ingredients, mixing just until moistened.
• Pour into prepared pan and bake in the preheated oven 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• *NOTE: Delicious topped with butter, sour cream, or honey!