Dan Lepard is probably my favourite bread & pastry baker. I’ve cut out and kept some of his recipes that were published in his long-running (now sadly ended) column in the Guardian Weekend Magazine. Luckily, they’re all still available in the Guardian’s online archive.
I’ve had his tasty cornmeal baps recipe bookmarked for a few weeks, planning to give them a go. Instead of baps, I decided to turn them into a cornmeal loaf instead.
The recipe makes two, 500g/1lb loaves. I found the dough a little on the wet side and the cooked loaf a bit too sweet so I’ve ever so slightly tweaked the recipe below. Saying that, this is one of the best loaves I’ve ever baked.
It has a great, slightly springy crumb and crisp crust.
Lepard recommends pairing it with fried chicken – building your own (probably far superior) McChicken Sandwich or KFC Fillet Burger. Justin also likes the idea of slicing it for a smoked bacon sandwich.
Being a vegetarian, I might pair it with my home-made hummus or grilled Halloumi for its tangy saltiness.
What would you pair your cornmeal loaf with?
Cornmeal loaf
Ingredients
- 100 g/3½oz coarse cornmeal or polenta
- 300 ml/10½ fl oz boiling water
- 100 g/3½oz plain yoghurt
- 400 ml/14 fl oz cold water
- 1 medium egg
- 30 g/1oz agave nectar or honey
- 7 g/¼oz fast-action yeast
- 1 kg/2.2lb strong white flour
- 50 g/1¾oz cornflour
- 3 tsp fine salt
- Cornmeal to finish
Instructions
- Put the cornmeal in a large mixing bowl, pour on the boiling water, whisk and leave for 10 minutes
- Whisk in the yoghurt, water, egg and honey until smooth
- Stir in the yeast. Add the flour, cornflour and salt, and mix to a smooth dough. Cover and leave for 10 minutes
- Lightly oil a patch of worktop. Gently knead the dough on it for 10-12 seconds then return it to the bowl. Cover and leave an hour
- If making 2 medium-sized loaves, divide the dough into 2 pieces of about 500g each. Shape into ovals with a little flour before putting into greased loaf tins. Leave to rise for about 90 minutes
- Heat the oven to 200ºC/180ºC fan/400ºF/gas mark 6 and sprinkle with cornmeal
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden
Notes
