Categories: bread
Ingredients
- 7 1/2-8 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/4 cups yellow cornmeal
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons dry active yeast
- 1 stick (1/2cup) butter
- 2 1/4 cups warm/hot water
- 3/4 cup molasses (room temp)
Directions
-
mbine 2 1/2 cups (0.6 liters) of the flour with the cornmeal, salt, and yeast in a large bowl and mix thoroughly.
- Stir in the butter. I cut it up into 1 tablespoon slices and add one at a time.
- Dissolve the molasses into the water and add to the mixture, a little at a time, blending well. I put cold water and the molasses and microwave it on high for 1 minute.
- Beat this mixture with an electric mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally.
- Stir in 1/2 cup (118 ccs) flour and beat at high speed for 2 minutes more, scraping the bowl occasionally.
- Stir in enough additional flour to form a stiff dough. I usually try to add an additional 5 cups of flour to get to 8 cups.
- Turn out onto a lightly floured board. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic (about 8 to 10 minutes). I push the dough down and away from me and then take the back edge and fold it towards me. Then rotate it a quarter of the way to the left and repeat. Make sure to collect any bits that fall out and put them back into the knead.
- Place the dough in a large greased bowl, turning over once to grease the top. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel, and allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free place until it doubles in bulk (approximately 1 hour to 1:15). I use the stove top above the hot oven.
- Punch the dough down and divide in two equal parts.
- To shape the loaves, roll each piece into a 14×9 inch rectangle (35×20 cm). Roll the dough up from its short side end and seal the sides with the fingers by pinching, fold the sealed ends under so they lie along the seam.
- Place the loaves, with seam sides down, in two greased 1 1/2-pound (680 gram) loaf pans.
- Cover the pans with a dishtowel, and allow the dough to rise again in a warm, draft-free place until double in bulk (about 45 minutes).
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit (190 celsius) and bake the bread 45 minutes.
- Remove from pans immediately and cool on a wire rack.