Polish corn bread
2 servings
Ingredients
| Quantity | Ingredient | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | cups | Cold water |
| 6 | cups | Rye flour |
| 1 | teaspoon | Active dry yeast |
| ============================ | ||
| 4 | cups | Warm water (105-110 F) |
| 5½ | cup | Rye flour |
| 5½ | cup | All purpose flour |
| 2 | tablespoons | Salt |
| 4 | packs | Dry yeast dissolved in 1/4 cup warm water (105-110F) |
| ¼ | cup | Ground cornmeal |
| 2 | teaspoons | Caraway seeds |
Directions
SOURDOUGH STARTER:
BREAD:
1. Start sourdough starter at least 3 days before baking: Combine the cold water, rye flour, and yeast in a bowl. Mix well; it will be lumpy. Pour the mixture in a clean bowl, cover with a cloth, and refrigerate for 3 days.
2. Remove the starter from the refrigerator 2 hours before beginning to make the bread.
3. Transfer the starter to a large bowl and add the warm water, yeast, flours, salt, cornmeal and caraway seeds and mix until smooth, 5 minutes.
4. Divide the dough in half. Shape into 2 even rounds. Place each round in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a clean cloth, and set aside to rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1-2 hrs.
5. Place a roasting pan on the bottom of the oven and fill with hot water. Preheat the oven to 400F. Sprinkle a baking sheet with corn- meal.
6. Dampen your hands and reshape the bread into even round mounds.
Place the loaves on a prepared baking sheet. Bake the bread until crusty, about 2 hours. If the water in the roasting pan runs low during the baking, replenish it to provide the bread with steam heat.
Cool, or serve warm.
Makes 2 large loaves.
Source: New York Cookbook, Molly O'Neill, 1993