Serving Up {Bread}: Mom's Corn Bread

I love corn bread but have become a bit of a corn bread snob.  I grew up enjoying my mom's recipe for corn bread, which is dense and moist and delicious.  Sadly, I have learned that most corn bread is dry, crumbly and not delicious.  As a result, I am cautious about eating corn bread outside of my own (or my moms) home.

If you have doubt, I will illustrate my point by telling you that twice, in a very short period of time, I took meals into the homes of people that needed a meal.  On both occasions I brought this bread along as an accompaniment.  On BOTH occasions, I had the husbands comment later that they don't even like corn bread but that they loved mine.  I thought that is was funny that the same thing happened twice and that both men felt the need to tell me how much they disliked corn bread.  I was pleased on both accounts that mine found their favor.

So if you aren't a corn bread fan (because you have only had dry, bland experiences) may I encourage you to try this recipe and see if it makes a corn bread fan of you.  It makes a great side to a warm soup in the winter or the perfect balance to a green salad in the summer.

MOM'S CORN BREAD     Pin It
recipe from Linda W.
printable version

1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1 cup corn meal
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cup milk

Cream together the butter and sugar in a medium bowl.  Add the eggs and beat well.  Combine the dry ingredients and alternately add the dry ingredients and milk.
Pour into a greased 9-inch square pan.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until center tests done.

Serving Up {Bread}: Polenta Bread

What can I say?  I love a fresh loaf of bread straight from the oven.  Warm, slathered with butter and paired with a soup or a salad (or another slice of bread!).  Perfect!

I have been making the same French Bread recipe for my entire marriage.  I don't even need to look at the recipe to make it anymore.  So I truly don't know what made me deviate from my norm one day, approximately two years ago, and try this bread recipe.  But I'm glad that I did.  Olive oil and corn meal are pretty peculiar ingredients for baked bread, and they are definitely a noticeable presence in this bread, but the end result is a remarkably soft bread that will have you reaching for a second (and third) slice.

POLENTA BREAD     

(recipe from Taste and Tell) 

printable version

2 cups warm water

2 tsp. yeast

½ cup sugar

½ cup olive oil

½ cup polenta (or cornmeal)

2 tsp. salt

6 ½ cups bread flour

In a small bowl, dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water.

While waiting for the yeast to bubble and foam, get your stand mixer set up with a large bowl and dough hook accessory. Combine polenta, salt and flour in the mixer bowl. Add the olive oil and yeast mixture and mix well. Knead dough with dough hook for 8-12 minutes. Dough will be bubbly and light, but should not be too sticky. Turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for 1 minute in the bowl.

Divide the dough into thirds and shape into long loaves. Place on greased cookie sheets. Allow dough to rise in a warm location, until the loaves have doubled in size. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.

If a soft crust is desired, butter bread top as it comes out of the oven.

If a crustier crust is desired, omit the buttering of the top of the bread.