Portuguese Cornmeal Bread Food

PORTUGUESE CORNBREAD: BROA

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine the yeast, sugar, and the warm water in a large bowl until the yeast is dissolved and foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal and salt with the boiling water. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon to blend. Add the melted butter and mix to incorporate. Now, pour the yeast mixture into the cornmeal mixture, stirring to combine. Gradually add the flour, mixing well after each addition. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if the dough feels dry and doesn't come together easily. Continue to mix until a dough forms into a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Grease a large bowl with oil and transfer the dough to the bowl, brush the top with more oil so it is completely coated. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 11/2 hours.
• Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and knead briefly, 3 or 4 times, to punch out the air. Gather the dough into a ball and shape it into a round loaf. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and place a pizza stone in the oven to heat up.
• Put the dough round on the pizza stone and brush the top with oil. Sprinkle the top of the bread with coarse salt. Bake in middle of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes until the bread is golden brown and bottom sounds hollow when tapped. *To recreate the steam effect from authentic Portuguese brick ovens, spray the bread and oven walls with cold water every 10 minutes. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool.

PORTUGUESE CORNBREAD (BROA)

Steps:

• Grind cornmeal to a powder in a food processor. You may skip this step, but the product will not be as smooth.
• Mix 1 cup of powdered cornmeal, salt and water until smooth.
• Add olive oil, and cool to lukewarm.
• Blend in the yeast.
• Gradually add the remaining cornmeal and 1 cup flour, mixing constantly.
• Add more flour if dough is still sticky.
• Rise until double in volume.
• Knead until firm.
• Shape into round loaf.
• Rise until double.
• Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 to 40 minutes.

PORTUGUESE CORNBREAD - BROA

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl combine 1 cup of the cornmeal, the salt and boiling water and stir vigorously until smooth. Stir in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, then cool to lukewarm. In a small bowl, sprinkle the yeast and sugar over the lukewarm water.
• Let it stand for 2 or 3 minutes, then stir to dissolve the yeast completely. Set the bowl in a warm draft-free place, such as an unlighted oven, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the yeast doubles in volume.
• Stir the yeast into the cornmeal mixture. Stirring constantly, gradually add the remaining ½ cup of cornmeal and 1 cup of the flour. Gather the dough into a ball, place it in a bowl and drape a towel over it. Set it aside in the draft-free place for about 30 minutes, or until it doubles in bulk.
• With a pastry brush, coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie pan with the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil. Turn the dough out on a lightly floured surface and punch it down. Then knead it by pressing it down with the heel of your hand, pushing it forward and folding it back on itself repeatedly for about 5 minutes, meanwhile adding up to 1 cup more flour to make a firm but not stiff dough.
• Pat and shape it into a round flat loaf and place it in the greased pan. Drape a towel over it and set it aside in the draft free place for about 30 minutes, or until it doubles in bulk again.
• Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake the bread in the middle of the oven for 40 minutes, or until the top is golden. Transfer it to a rack 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.

BROA - PORTUGUESE CORNBREAD

Steps:

• Combine the yeast, sugar, and the warm water in a large bowl until the yeast is dissolved and foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine the cornmeal and salt with the boiling water. Beat vigorously with a wooden spoon to blend. Add the melted butter and mix to incorporate. Now, pour the yeast mixture into the cornmeal mixture, stirring to combine. Gradually add the flour, mixing well after each addition. Add a couple of tablespoons of water if the dough feels dry and doesn't come together easily. Continue to mix until a dough forms into a ball. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, about 5 to 10 minutes.
• Grease a large bowl with oil and transfer the dough to the bowl, brush the top with more oil so it is completely coated. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 11/2 hours.
• Turn the dough out onto the floured surface and knead briefly, 3 or 4 times, to punch out the air. Gather the dough into a ball and shape it into a round loaf. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let rise again until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. and place a pizza stone in the oven to heat up.
• Put the dough round on the pizza stone and brush the top with oil. Sprinkle the top of the bread with coarse salt. Bake in middle of the oven for 40 to 50 minutes until the bread is golden brown and bottom sounds hollow when tapped. *To recreate the steam effect from authentic Portuguese brick ovens, spray the bread and oven walls with cold water every 10 minutes. Transfer the bread to a wire rack 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.

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.

PORTUGUESE CORNMEAL WHITE BREAD (PãO A MODA DE SAO MIGUEL)

Steps:

• Stir together yeast, sugar, and 1/4 cup warm water in a large bowl until yeast is dissolved. Let stand until foamy, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add remaining 1 3/4 cups water, 2 tablespoons butter, salt, cornmeal, and 5 1/2 cups flour, then stir until mixture forms a dough.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding just enough flour to keep dough from sticking, until smooth and elastic, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer dough to a large buttered bowl and brush top with some of melted butter. Cover bowl with a kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Brush 2 (9-inch) metal pie plates with remaining butter and sprinkle with cornmeal.
• Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead briefly, 3 or 4 times, to remove air. Halve dough and form each half into a 5-inch ball, then put in pie plates (do not flatten). Cover with kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush loaves with milk and cut a 1/4-inch-deep X in top of each with a sharp knife. Bake in middle of oven until loaves are golden brown and bottoms sound hollow when tapped, 55 to 60 minutes. Transfer loaves to a rack and cool.

PORTUGUESE CORN BREAD FOR THE BREAD MACHINE (BROA)

Steps:

• Stir cornmeal into ½ (or 3/4) cup of the cold water until lumps disappear.
• Add all ingredients to your bread machine in the order recommended by its manufacturer, and select the bread cycle.

PORTUGUESE CORNMEAL BREAD

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, stir togethercornmeal and boiling water. Placebowl in an ice-water bath and letstand, stirring mixture a few times,until cold to the touch, about 10minutes. In a large bowl, whisktogether flour, salt, sugar, andyeast. Make a well in dry mixtureand add cornmeal mixture andcold water. Stir until a wet doughforms and no dry flour remains.Cover bowl with plastic wrap andlet rise at room temperature untildough quadruples in volume andtop appears bubbly, at least 12 hoursand up to 18 hours.
• Brush the bottom and sides of a 4-to-5-quart Dutch oven (about 9 1/2 inches in diameter), preferably enameled cast iron, with oil. Sprinkle generously with cornmeal and flour to ensure an even coating. With lightly oiled hands, punch down dough, pour out onto a clean work surface, and shape into a ball. Transfer to Dutch oven; lightly sprinkle top with more cornmeal and flour. Cover Dutch oven with plastic wrap and letrise at room temperature until doubled in volume, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• Preheat oven to 500 degrees with rack in lower third. Using the tip of a sharp knife, slash top of dough in a few places to a depth of 1 inch. Lightly sprinkle top of dough with water. Cover Dutch oven with lid, transfer to oven, and reduce temperature to 450 degrees. Bake until bread is puffed and brown, 45 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until a thermometer inserted into center of loaf registers 190 degrees to 200 degrees, about 15 minutes more. Let cool in Dutch oven on a wire rack 15 minutes, then turn bread out onto rack and let cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing and serving. (Or store, unsliced and wrapped in parchment-lined foil at room temperature up to 3 days, or sliced and frozen up to 3 months.)