Tag Archives: cornmeal

Bread

Einkorn Bread

I don’t know if you ever heard of einkorn. If you haven’t, you aren’t alone: most people have no idea what it is. Despite its name, it isn’t a variety of corn. It’s actually thought to be the oldest form of wheat, and supposedly has never been hybridized like modern wheat. Einkorn  means “one grain” in German, because it has only one grain per stem, while other varieties of wheat have several groups of grain.

I first heard of einkorn a few years ago, when I was researching farro. Einkorn is one of three main types of farro wheat, called farro piccolo (little farro) in Italian. It grows well in hardy climates, and has a much higher vitamin and nutrient content than modern wheat varieties. While it contains gluten, and is actually higher in protein than even bread flour (around 20% protein content as opposed to around 14%), einkorn may contain a type of gluten that some people with gluten intolerance can digest more easily. However, it was close to extinction until a few years ago, because harvesting and milling is much harder and more costly, and the yield is far lower, than with modern wheat varieties.

Since I love baking bread (if I could, I would bake every day… but being a family of just two, there is only so much bread we can consume!), I was intrigued at the prospect of baking with einkorn flour. Would the bread taste significantly different? Would it rise as well, or be leaden and heavy, like many undoctored whole wheat breads can be? I didn’t want to add more yeast than usual to make it rise higher, as an abundance of yeast gives bread an artificial taste and an overly light crumb. I didn’t want to add vital wheat gluten. I didn’t want to add sugar or fat or anything other than what I usually put in my bread dough: just flour, yeast, salt, and water. This way, I figured, I would really taste the difference between einkorn bread and bread made with modern wheat.

So last week, I baked my first batch of einkorn bread, using flour I picked up at my local market. (You can buy the flour as well as the whole berries from Jovial, the world’s largest producer of einkorn, online.) Since the gluten in einkorn is apparently not activated by kneading, I skipped the kneading step and simply stirred the dough a minute or two, then let it rise overnight at cool room temperature (if your kitchen is warm, refrigerate the dough). The bread rose very, very slowly at first, then picked up speed in the last few hours of rising. I took care not to deflate its air bubbles in the final stage of shaping, and let it rise again before slipping it into a moderately hot oven, and it emerged golden and fragrant 40 minutes later.

The result: Delicious, wheaty, sweet, moist, definitely worth repeating. It didn’t rise as much as bread made with modern wheat, but it had a pleasant chewiness and staled far more slowly than modern wheat bread: in fact, it was still good the next day (I propped it on its cut side so no air would compromise  the open crumb). Try the recipe below; it’s easy and rewarding, and you’ll be helping a grain once vital to humanity to flourish once again.

Makes 1 loaf (about 1 pound)

  • 2 cups einkorn flour, plus extra for sprinkling
  • 1/2 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 cup room-temperature water, plus extra as needed
  • cornmeal for dusting

Place the flour, yeast, and salt in a large bowl. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Add the water slowly, stirring constantly. When all the water has been absorbed, determine if you need to add a  little more water or not; einkorn flour absorbs water more slowly, and doughs made with einkorn should be somewhat sticky if the bread is to bake up light rather than heavy. The dough should feel sticky when touched, but not like a batter.

When you are satisfied with the texture of the dough, stir it a minute or two. Then cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and place a plate on top of plastic wrap  to prevent light from filtering through (the bread can develop an orange hue if the  dough is exposed to light, due to the high amount of carotenoids in the flour; carotenoids are very good for us, as they are anti-oxidants, so the high amount of carotenoids is another good thing about einkorn).  Set aside to rise for 12 hours.

Uncover, and gently deflate and reshape the dough to redistribute the yeast (this helps bread dough to rise better). Cover again with the plastic wrap and the plate, and let rise again until doubled, about 12 more hours.

When you are ready to bake, place a baking stone on the bottom rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees (preferably set on convection bake).  Line an upturned baking sheet with parchment paper and dust it with cornmeal.

Sprinkle your counter with cornmeal. Gently turn the dough onto the cornmeal without deflating it. Gently tug into a long rectangle, about 10 inches long by 4 inches wide; if the dough is sticking to your hands, wet your hands as you would if you were handling meatballs. Place on the cornmeal dusted parchment paper atop the upturned baking sheet and dust the top with flour. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise 1 hour.

Uncover (the plastic wrap may have stuck here and there).  Dust the top again with a bit of flour for a rustic look.  Transfer to the baking stone using the baking sheet as a peel (don’t bake the bread on the baking sheet though, just on the parchment paper).

Spray 3 times with water during the first 10 minutes of baking. Bake for a total of 35 to 45 minutes, or until the bread is richly golden. The bread should sound hollow when thumped on the bottom. Cool on a rack, removing the parchment paper first to allow air to circulate from  the bottom and prevent the bottom crust from getting soggy.

Cool completely before slicing. This bread is excellent spread with raw honey!

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Bread

Filoncino (Italian Baguette)

This bread is the Italian cousin of France’s baguette. Made with just flour, water, yeast, and salt, it has a light, airy crumb with small air bubbles. Be sure to allow for the overnight rising in the refrigerator, so the bread acquires a deep, rich flavor.

Makes two 14-inch loaves

  • 3 and 1/2 cups bread flour, plus extra for the counter
  • 1 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 1 and 1/2 cups room-temperature water, plus extra as needed
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal

Combine the flour with the yeast and sea salt in an 11-cup food processor. Process for 5 seconds. Slowly add 1 and 1/2 cups of room temperature water through the feed tube while the processor is running; the dough should come together, forming a somewhat sticky, smooth ball. Add a little more flour if the dough is wet or a little more water if it is dry.

Once the dough forms a ball around the blade of the food processor, process for 45 seconds (do not overprocess or the dough will become too hot and you will compromise the formation of the gluten strands).

Turn the dough out onto the counter, knead by hand for a few seconds, shape into a ball, and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl; turn it to coat with the oil on all sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 30 minutes, then refrigerate for 24 hours. The dough will double in bulk.

When you are ready to bake, return the dough to room temperature.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Cut it into 2 equal pieces and shape each into a ball, making sure you don’t press out all the air bubbles that have developed (leaving air bubbles intact ensures a lighter texture once the bread is baked). Cover with a towel and let rest for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven with a baking stone in it to 450 degrees (preferably set on convection).

Pat 1 ball of dough into a flat 1-inch high rectangle measuring about 4 inches x 5 inches. Fold the side furthest from you over toward you and seal the seam using the heel of your hand. Turn the rectangle 180 degrees, and fold the side furthest from you over toward you; seal the seam using the heel of your hand. Fold the resulting log in half lengthwise, sealing the edges with your fingertips. Roll into a 14-inch-long cylinder with slightly tapering ends. Repeat with the remaining ball of dough. Cover with a towel and set aside to rise at room temperature for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Slash each cylinder diagonally at 3-inch intervals with a razor blade. Sprinkle lightly with flour. Place on a baking peel that has been sprinkled with the cornmeal; slide onto the baking stone. If you don’t have a baking peel, place the loaves on a reversed baking sheet sprinkled with cornmeal and slide them into the oven. Be sure to leave plenty of space between the loaves as they will double in the oven.

Lower the oven temperature to 425 degrees (preferably set on convection).

Bake the bread for 25 minutes, or until golden brown and crisp, misting with water from a spray bottle 3 times during the first 10 minutes of baking. (Close the oven door quickly each time to prevent heat from escaping.)

Cool the bread on a rack and serve at room temperature; alternately, freeze the bread in plastic freezer bags for up to 2 weeks and reheat for 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

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Bread

Everyday Bread

This is the sort of bread you crave when you need comfort. Not too airy, and certainly not dense, it has a moist crumb, pleasantly sweet taste of wheat, and a thin, crackling crust. The addition of a bit of sugar and milk yields a browner, sweeter crust; the olive oil results in a moister, cakier crumb. I prefer the bread baked from dough that has had a chance to mellow overnight in the refrigerator: its flavor is more complex, its air bubbles somewhat larger.

Here I baked the bread as a boule (or large sphere); but the same dough can be baked flat with olive oil and sea salt, for focaccia; or flattened into a slipper shape for a decidedly unrustic take on ciabatta; or rolled thin into baguette…. depending on the shape you choose, the bread will take different amounts of time to bake through, as a taller dough takes longer than a flatter one. But to have a bread with a properly chewy crust, you need to bake the loaf at least until it sounds hollow when thumped from the bottom.

Makes 2 large loaves (About 12 ounces each)

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  • 3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter
  • 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 and 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, plus 1/8 teaspoon for sprinkling
  • 1/4 cup 2% or whole milk, plus 1 tablespoon for brushing
  • 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons room temperature water, plus extra if needed
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the bowl
  • 2 tablespoons coarse cornmeal

Place the flour, yeast, sugar, and 1 and 1/2 teaspoons of the salt in a large bowl. Mix well with a wooden spoon.

Add 1/4 cup of the milk and all of the water, and stir well. Add the olive oil and stir again. If the dough is too dry to gather around the spoon, add a bit more water by the teaspoon until the dough gathers into a soft mass around the spoon. If the dough is sticky, add a bit of flour by the teaspoon until it forms a cohesive, soft mass.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead vigorously for 10 minutes, or until it is very smooth and elastic. Try to add as little flour as possible to the dough as you knead it; the more flour you add, the denser the bread will be. It is all right if the dough sticks to your hands a little; knead it faster and it will tend to stick less. The dough is kneaded sufficiently when it is smooth and even in texture all the way through, and when it springs back when poked with a finger; it will also stretch about 6 inches without tearing when pulled apart with two hands.

Lightly oil a large bowl and place the dough in it. Turn it to coat with the oil and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise at room temperature for 1 hour, or until starting to increase in volume. Refrigerate 12 to 24 hours (a 24 hours rise yields a tastier dough). Return to room temperature when you are ready to shape the dough and bake the bread.

One hour before you are ready to bake the bread, and after it has returned to room temperature, preheat the oven with a baking stone on the bottom rack to 425 degrees (preferably set on convection bake). Remove the two other racks so that you have room to slide the two loaves onto the hot baking stone later.

Turn the risen dough out onto a very lightly floured counter and cut it into 2 even pieces. Shape each into a round, taut ball. I do this by cupping the dough between my two hands and rotating it a little at a time while putting pressure on the bottom and squeezing my hands together on the very base of the dough. Place 1 piece of parchment paper on an upturned baking sheet (in other words, the baking sheets will have the rims facing down to facilitate sliding the loaves into the oven) and dust each piece of parchment paper with cornmeal. Place one shaped dough ball on each cornmeal-dusted parchment paper and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Uncover, slash each loaf diagonally with a sharp knife three times to score the top (this allows the crust to expand without tearing and looks nice), and brush with the remaining tablespoon of milk. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/8 teaspoon of salt.

Quickly slide the loaves into the oven and onto the hot baking stone, one at a time, using the upturned baking sheets as paddles. Close the oven door very quickly.

Using a plant mister, spray the loaves three times with water during the first 10 minutes of baking. Be sure to close the oven door quickly each time or else the oven temperature will drop.

Bake a total of 30 minutes, or until the loaves are a deep, golden color flecked with brown, and sound hollow when thumped on the bottom. Cool on racks and serve at room temperature. The loaves can be frozen, well wrapped in plastic and placed in freezer-safe bags, for up to 2 weeks, then thawed and reheated in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.

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Focaccia

Cornmeal-Crusted Focaccia with Spiced Broccoli Raab & Pecorino

Polenta, seldom eaten in southern Italy, is a staple in Calabria. It is cooked soft and topped with chickpeas, broccoli raab, or sausages and beans, as well as baked into savory pies and breads. Here I adapted a classic Calabrese recipe for a spiced cornmeal focaccia known as pitta di granturco and topped it with boiled broccoli raab, garlic, chilies and Pecorino to make a very tasty focaccia. I love it in generous wedges with a simple green salad for lunch, or served with grilled Italian sausage and sweet peppers for a hearty dinner.

You have to like the slightly bitter flavor of broccoli raab, and the rustic charm and crunch of a cornmeal dough, to enjoy this unusual focaccia; I love both, so it is one of my favorite ways to enjoy greens and homemade bread.

I find the best thing about cornmeal doughs is their pleasantly gritty texture and the way the grains sort of pop in your mouth, so I always buy stoneground cornmeal for best flavor and texture. Coarse Italian polenta works well too, as long as it is not an instant variety.

Because cornmeal has no gluten at all, there is a proportion of all-purpose flour in the dough; this ensures the focaccia won’t emerge as dense as a brick. The dough will feel a bit cakey when kneaded, and won’t rise dramatically in the oven, so don’t be alarmed. And remember to allow time for overnight rising of the dough in the refrigerator.

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as an appetizer

For the dough:

  • ¾ cup stone-ground coarse cornmeal
  • ½ cup unbleached all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed
  • ¾ teaspoon instant yeast
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon fennel seeds
  • ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for greasing the pan
  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon warm (100°F) water, plus extra as needed

For the topping:

  • 1 bunch broccoli raab, tough stems removed, washed and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • ¼ teaspoon chili flakes
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano

Make the dough: Place the cornmeal, flour, yeast, salt, fennel seeds, and cayenne in a food processor. Mix a few seconds to combine. With the motor running, add the olive oil, then pour in the water to make a soft dough that forms a ball around the blade. Add a little more water if the dough is dry or a touch of all-purpose flour if it is sticky. Process for 45 seconds. Lightly flour a bowl, and place the dough in it.

Shape into a rough ball, cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap, and let rise at room temperature until almost doubled, about 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight so the dough develops a deep, sweet, complex flavor.

A few hours before you are ready to bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator, place it on a very lightly floured counter, and knead it a few times. Alternately, knead it while it is still inside the bowl if that is easier for you. Reshape into a ball, return it to the bowl, and cover again.

One hour before baking, preheat the oven with a baking stone in it to 425°F (preferably set on convection bake).

Make the topping: Bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the raab and 1 tablespoon of the salt. Boil the raab 5 minutes, or until it is bright green and tender, and drain. Cool under running water, drain again, and squeeze almost (but not completely) dry. The raab has to retain some of its natural moisture or the topping will be unpleasantly dry, but it shouldn’t be too moist, or the crust will be soggy rather than crispy.

Chop the raab a few times and place it in a bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, ¼ teaspoon of the salt, the chili, garlic, and Pecorino, and mix well. Taste for salt and adjust as needed.

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Generously oil a 12-inch pizza pan. Place the dough in the oiled pizza pan.

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Using your hands, flatten the dough so it covers the bottom of the pan; it should be about 1/2-inch thick. Brush with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and season with the remaining ¼ teaspoon of salt.

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Scatter the raab topping all over the dough and spread it out evenly. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for for 30 minutes (this allows the gluten to relax). Remove the plastic wrap.

Bake on the baking stone in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown all over and crispy around the edges, spraying the oven floor with ¼ cup of water 3 times during the first 10 minutes of baking.

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Brush with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and cut into wedges. Serve hot.

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