- 2
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup coarse yellow cornmeal
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 6 tablespoons butter, softened, more for greasing bowl
- 1 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- Oil for greasing.
Preparation
Step 1
1. In a bowl, stir together the cornmeal and 1 cup water. In a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring another cup of water to a boil. Add cornmeal mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is very thick, about 10 minutes. Stir in the molasses and 2 tablespoons butter. Transfer mixture to bowl of an electric mixer and cool to tepid.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the yeast and 1/2 cup water until yeast has dissolved. Add to cornmeal and mix on low speed with dough-hook attachment for several seconds. Add flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing for several seconds after each addition. Sprinkle in the salt and nutmeg, and continue mixing until dough completely comes away from sides of bowl, about 7 minutes.
3. Lightly butter a bowl. Form dough into a ball and place it in bowl. Oil a sheet of plastic wrap and loosely cover dough. Allow dough to rise for 1 1/2 hours, or until it has doubled in size.
4. Lightly grease 2 9-by-4-inch loaf pans. Press down dough and divide it into 2 equal pieces. Shape each piece loosely into a loaf and place each in a pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until loaves have doubled.
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bake loaves for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until bread is a dark golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
6. Allow bread to cool in pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto wire cooling rack. Brush all over with remaining softened butter. Serve warm if possible.
Yield: 2 9-by-4-inch loaves.
To make ahead: Bread can be frozen after baking. Let thaw in refrigerator overnight; reheat loaves wrapped in foil for 30 minutes at 325 degrees before serving. Dough can be refrigerated overnight after shaping into loaves (cover pans with plastic). Allow dough to rise at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours before baking (it will double in size and fill the loaf pans). Bake as directed. Dough can also be frozen after shaping for up to 2 weeks (wrap well in plastic). Defrost it in refrigerator overnight, then let rise at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours, or until doubled in size. Bake as directed.