Portuguese Corn Bread

Found in a beautiful book of "Secrets of a Jewish Baker"

Ingredients:

Starting sponge:
1 cup warm water
1 1/2 tbs dry yeast
1 1/2 cups bread flour
Boil:
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup cornstarch dissolved in 1/4 cup water
Dough:
1 cup corn flour (fine - see note)
2-2,5 cups bread flour
1 tbs salt
Flour for dusting

Method:
-Make a sponge by mixing all the ingredients. Set aside to double (30 -40 min).
-Make a Boil: Heat a cup of water to boiling point, add mixing of starch and water, boil again. You should get consistency of thick custard. Leave to cool.
-Mix all ingredients until smooth, knead 8 minutes (bread machine is OK).
Divide dough in 2 , shape loafs or balls, dust with flour, and place on a baking sheet. Dust with extra flour, and cover to rest 45min.
Preheat oven to 225*C; put a dish with boiling water inside and place the sheet with the dough. Bake for 50 min. Crust should be dark, and cracked.
Note: Only fine corn flor should be used - if you don't have it, you can grind polenta or other corn meal to fine grade.




Portugalski hljeb/kruh sa kukuruznim brasnom

Potrebno:
Pocetno tijesto:
1 solja tople vode
1,5 kasika suhog kvasca
1,5 solja brasna
Kukuruzni skrob:
3/4 solje vode
1/4 skrobnog brasna razmucen u 1/4 solje vode
Tijesto:
1 solja kukuruznog brasna (vidi objasnjenje dole)
2-2,5 solje obicnog brasna
1 kasika soli

Izrada:
Sastojke za pocetno tijesto umijesiti i ostaviti da naraste, 30-40 min.
Skuhati 'puding' od skroba, i ostaviti da se prohladi.
Kada je sve spremno umijesiti sve sastojke do glatke konzistencije, bar 8 minuta. Upotreba masine za mijesenje je u redu.
Oblikujte 2 lopte ili vekne, pa postavite na pleh na kojem cete peci. Pospite sa brasnom i ostavite nadolaziti (45min).
Zagrijte rernu na 225*C, na dno stavite posudu sa kljucalom vodom, pa ubacite tijesto da se pece oko 50 min. Treba da dobijete cvrstu tamnu koricu po povrsini, koja je ispucala.
Objasnjenje: Ukoliko nemozete naci kukuruzno brasno, sameljite palentu/kukuruznu krupicu u mlinu za kafu.