Broa/ Cornmeal Bread/ Portuguese Bread

September 18, 2014

Broa/ Cornmeal Bread/ Portuguese Bread

Baking bread does not intimidate me as much now so I kind of take some risks with different flours. Corn meal is one such meal that I like to make but never really found a very interesting recipe until I fumbled upon this one.

This bread goes so well with the soup that it will be a staple going forward. Especially in cold winters I will make it again with a green leaves soup.

Ingredients

1 cup corn meal / maize flour

1 cup semolina

1 cup while flour

1 3/4 cups hot boiling water (part of it to be cooled down)

1/2 cup sugar

3 tbsp butter

2 1/4 tspn instant active yeast

salt to taste

Method

1) In a large basin, add the corn meal, semolina salt and about 1 cup of boiling water. Keep stirring while adding the water in it. The batter should resemble a paste or scrambled eggs. Add more water if required, but do not add the entire water at this stage.

2) In another bowl, mix the wheat flour, yeast and sugar. Add part of the water but cool it down to luke warm. Mix and set aside 30 min or until it has risen to double its size.

3) Add this yeast starter to the cornmeal mixture along with butter, use more of the remaining water if required. If the dough is sticky, add a bit more wheat flour, but try to work your way and knead until you get a manageable dough.

4) Make small rounds using plenty of flour and let it stand until it demands. The above quantity will give you 2 standard size broa breads

5) Meanwhile, place a pizza stone or baking sheet lined with butter paper in a preheated oven for 5 min at 220 C

6) Place the risen breads on the hot stone , sprinkle with cold water on top and around the pan and slide into the hot oven for 25 to 30 min or until it sounds hollow when tapped at the base.

Serve this with fresh blob of butter or with Soup and Salad.