Tuscan Style Cornbread Polenta Bread Recipes

POLENTA BREAD (ABM)

Steps:

• Add ingredients to your bread machine in the order recommended by your manufacturer (for mine, it is the order as given above) but, DO NOT add in the eggs in any order in which they come directly in contact with the warm water, or they will cook (that is why I add them in between the flour and the polenta).
• Use the regular white bread setting.

AUTHENTIC MEXICAN CORN BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Grease and flour a 2-quart baking dish.
• Whisk sweetened condensed milk, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract in a large bowl. Stir in whole kernel corn, cream-style corn, and butter.
• Whisk cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl; stir cornmeal mixture into the corn mixture.
• Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Serve warm.

TUSCAN CORNBREAD WITH ASIAGO BUTTER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°. In a 10-in. cast-iron or other ovenproof skillet, cook pancetta over medium heat until crisp, stirring occasionally. Remove with a slotted spoon; drain on paper towels. Reserve drippings in skillet. If necessary, add enough oil to measure 2 tablespoons drippings., In a large bowl, whisk cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, basil and garlic until blended; stir in tomatoes. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in olives and pancetta., Place skillet with drippings in oven; heat 2 minutes. Tilt pan to coat bottom and sides with drippings. Add batter to hot pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 20-25 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack., Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat butter until light and fluffy. Beat in oil until blended; stir in cheese, green onion, basil, oregano and, if desired, garlic. Serve 1/2 cup butter mixture with warm cornbread (save remaining butter for another use).

POLENTA CORNBREAD

Steps:

• In a bowl, mix flour, polenta, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, beat eggs to blend with buttermilk and 1/4 cup butter; pour into flour mixture. Stir batter until evenly moistened.
• Scrape batter into a buttered 8-inch square pan and spread level.
• Bake in a 400° oven until cornbread is browned, springs back when lightly pressed in the center, and begins to pull from pan sides, 20 to 25 minutes. Use hot or cool.

TUSCAN STYLE CORNBREAD (POLENTA BREAD)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F In a medium bowl combine cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt; set aside. Add 1 tablespoon oil to a 10 inch cast iron skillet or 9-inch round cake pan and place in oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and swirl oil around to coat bottom and sides.
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl combine half-and-half, eggs, and remaining oil. Crumble in bacon, then stir in tomatoes, shallot, and rosemary. Add dry cornmeal mixture and stir just until moistened. Pour batter into skillet or cake pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until a wooden toothpick comes out clean.
• Cut into wedges and serve with softened butter.

CHEF JOHN'S RUSTIC ITALIAN CORN BREAD

Steps:

• Stir warm water, 1/2 cup bread flour, yeast, and sugar together in a bowl. Let stand until the yeast softens and forms a creamy mixture, about 40 minutes.
• Mix 1/2 cup cornmeal, olive oil, and salt into yeast mixture. Gradually add bread flour to yeast mixture until a dough pulls together.
• Knead dough on a lightly floured work surface until smooth and elastic, 10 to 12 minutes. Place dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 14-inch wide rectangle. Roll dough, starting from the long-end, into a loaf, finishing seam-side down.
• Dust a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon cornmeal. Place loaf on baking sheet, cover with a dry towel, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place a shallow pan of water on the lower rack of the oven.
• Cut a 1/2-inch deep slash down the center of the loaf.
• Bake in preheated oven until the top is golden brown and the bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.