Cookbook

Suggested by the Baly family,
for 8 people.

Preparing your own bread can take more time but for those ready for a culinary journey that will result in gustative delight, keep in mind that you can prepare this ahead of time and freeze.

Ingredients for Two 9-by-4 inch loaves

● 1/2 cup coarse yellow commeal
● 1/2 cup molasse
● 6 tablespoons butter, softened, mostly for geasing bowl
● 1 1/4-ounce package active dry yeast
● 2 cups whole wheat flour and enough
   AP white flour to make a soft but not sticky dough, about 3 1/2 cups
● 1 tablespoon kosher salt
● 1/2  teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

Preparation

1. In a bowl, stir together the commeal and one cup of water. in a saucepan over medium-high heat, bring another cup of water to a boil. Add cornmeal mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is very thick (about 6 minutes). Stir in the molasses and two tablespoons of butter. transfer mixture to bowl of an electric mixer and cool to tepid temperature.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the yeast and 1/2 cup water until yeast has dissolved. Add to conmeal and mix on low spped with your mixers dough-hook attachment for several second. Add flour 1/2 cup at time, mixing for several seconds after each addition. Sprinkle in the salt and nutmeg, and continue mixing until dough completely comes away from sides of bowl (about seven minutes).
3. Lightly butter a bowl. From dough into a ball and place it in a bowl. Oil a sheet pf plastic wrap and loosely cover dough. Allow  dough to rise for an hour and half, or until it has doubled in size.
4. Lightely grease two 9-by-4-inch loaf pans. Press down dough and divide it into two equal pieces. Shape each piece loosely into a lof and place in separate pans. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 30 minutes, or until loaves have doubled.
5. Preheat oven to 400 °F degrees. Bake loaves for 15 minutes, then reduceheat to 350 degrees and cook additional 45 minutes to one hour, or until bread is a dark golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
6. Allow bread to cool in pans for five minutes, then tum out into write cooling rack. brush all over with remaining softened butter. Serve warm if possible.

To make ahead: Bread can be frozen after baking. Let thaw in refrigerator overnight; reheat loaves wrapped in foil for 30 minutes at 325 °F degrees before serving. Dough can be refrigerated overnight after shaping into loaves (cover pans with plastic). Allow dough tro rise at room temperature for two to three hours before baking (it will double in size and fill the loaf pans). Bake as directed. Dough can also frozen after shaping for up to two weeks (wrap well in plastic). Defrost it in refrigerator overnight, then let rise at room temperature for two to three hours, or until doubled in size. Bake as directed.



Courtesy of Thomas Winslow, Chef