Portuguese Cornbread Recipe

The recipe for Portuguese cornbread is not as difficult as you think. Prepare the necessary things first, then start following the steps, and remember to control the heat well.

1. You can continue to use the container that held the dough last time without having to wash it every time! Continue to stir the next dough in the container that has been used up. The remaining dough in the container will work like old dough, making the bread more fragrant.

2. Mix yeast, salt and warm water in a large container. The yeast does not need to be completely dissolved. Then add coarsely ground cornmeal and bread flour, and stir with a wooden spoon until the mixture is evenly mixed and there is no dry powder. This step can be completed in a few minutes

3. Cover with lid (no need to seal) and ferment at room temperature for two hours

4. After two hours, place in the refrigerator overnight

5. The next day, the dough has more than doubled.

6. Take it out before making bread

7. In order to prevent it from sticking to your hands, sprinkle a thin layer of flour on the dough first, then quickly grab the dough and cut it with scissors. Dust with flour again and gently pull the top layer of dough to tighten it toward the base, making it into a ball. Flatten the dough slightly. It is recommended to shape this bread into a flatter round shape so that the crust is larger in proportion. This flat shape is traditional and authentic, and also prevents the cornmeal from making the finished product too firm. Then place it on a pizza peel covered with baking paper and let it rest for 2 hours (if you are using freshly mixed and unrefrigerated dough, you only need to rest and ferment for 40 minutes)

8. Sprinkle cornmeal on the dough surface before baking and cut out the desired patterns.

9. 20 minutes before baking, place the baking stone on the second to last layer of the oven and place an empty baking tray on the bottom layer. After preheating at 230 degrees for 20 minutes, slide the dough on the pizza peel onto the baking stone, quickly pour a cup of boiling water on the baking sheet, and close the oven door to retain the steam. Bake for about 35 minutes or until the surface of the bread is firm. Larger or smaller dough balls will require adjusting the baking time. Take out the bread and let it cool on a rack before slicing.

Portuguese cornbread may be ordinary, but if you make it yourself, the taste is extraordinary. If you want to experience your own "extraordinariness", you will definitely start doing it right away.