Polenta-Crusted, Kernel-Dotted Sourdough #BreadBakers

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the Bread Bakers home page. 

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month Stacy of Food Lust People Love is hosting and asked the bloggers get corny. Stacy wrote: "This can be a yeast or quick bread, made in any pan or shape. Sweet or savory.  It should contain corn as a major element, actual corn (fresh, frozen or freeze-dried; yellow, white or purple) - OR cornmeal/polenta. Or all of the above. Let's get corny!"

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to Stacy at foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.

The #BreadBakers Get Corny...

• Bacon Country Bread with Corn from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Corn Bread from Sneha's Recipe
• Grits Sandwich Bread from Pastry Chef Online
• Honey Skillet Cornbread from Making Miracles
• Hot Water Cornbread from Palatable Pastime
• Iowa "Corn" Pancakes from A Messy Kitchen
• Polenta Rosemary Garlic Sourdough Bread from Spiceroots
• Polenta-Crusted, Kernel-Dotted Sourdough from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Sourdough Cornmeal Dinner Rolls from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Southwestern Chicken Skillet with Cornbread Topping from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Studded Golden Cornbread from What Smells So Good?
• Sweet Peach Cornbread from Food Lust People Love
• Yeast Corn Breakfast Bread from Ambrosia

Polenta-Crusted, Kernel-Dotted Sourdough

I couldn't decide what kind of bread to make with corn flour or corn meal. Then I came across a bag of dehydrated roasted corn kernels at Whole Foods and decided to make a sourdough boule with those kernels. I'll be honest: this wasn't a hit with my family. "Mom," they complained, "it smells like cornbread, but then you bite into it and it's just regular bread. It's deceiving." Fine. I liked it.

Ingredients

makes one boule

• 100 g starter (recently fed)
• 350 g warm water + 25 g more + more for folding
• 450 g all-purpose flour + more for shaping
• 50 g corn flour (masa harina)
• 10 g salt
• 1/2 C dehydrated roasted corn kernels
• polenta for dusting
• Also needed: digital kitchen scale, banneton proofing basket or mixing bowl lined with a tea towel, Dutch oven, spray bottle
• For serving: honey butter

Procedure

In a large mixing bowl, combine 100 g starter with 350 grams of warm water. 

Add in 450 g all-purpose flour, 50 g corn flour, and 10 g salt. Use your hands to mix everything together until everything is completely moistened. It will be a very shaggy dough. Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest for 30 minutes.

After 30 minutes, pour in another 25 g warm water. Use your hands to incorporate that into the dough which will already look more smooth. Dip your hands in warm water, then place one hand under one side of the ball and stretch the dough up and over the top. 

Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat that stretch. Do it a second and third time so that the bowl is facing the same way it was when you started and you have done four fold-overs total. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.

Before your second folds, add in the corn kernels so that they will be incorporated throughout the dough. I sprinkled 1 Tablespoon of the kernels on top, then did one fold. Sprinkled another 1 Tablespoon, then did a second. The third and fourth folds  had no add-ins.

Repeat this process of four rotating folds plus a half hour rest for four hours. After four hours, the dough will be smooth and billowy.

Lightly dust your work surface with flour and turn the dough from the bowl. Dust the top of the ball and do the four rotating folds of the dough to form a ball. Gently fold the edges of the dough under itself to make the ball more tight, with a seam underneath. Let rest for 15 minutes.

If it holds its shape and height, line your banneton or a mixing bowl with a tea towel. Dust the top of the boule with polenta and transfer the round, polenta side down, into the prepared basket. If the boule isn't holding its shape and height, repeat the shaping once or twice more.

Cover with another towel and let the dough ferment in the refrigerator for at least six hours. I let this boule go for about nine hours. Before baking, remove the boule from the refrigerator while the oven heats.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. While the oven preheats, dust the bottom of your Dutch oven with rice flour. Invert your loaf carefully into the Dutch oven.

You can slice vents into the top of your loaf. Some people have intricate designs. Mine are more function, less form.

Reduce temperature to 450 degrees F and place your Dutch oven, covered, into the oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Carefully remove lid and return to the oven for another 25 minutes.

Remove the boule from the Dutch oven and let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.

That's a wrap for our corny loaves! The #BreadBakers will be back in July with yeasted biscuits or scone recipes. Stay tuned...