Portuguese Cornbread/Broa

Broa, famous corn bread made with yellow or white cornmeal is the daily grain food of Portugal..This corn bread has a crisp, even hard crust and a very soft, fine textured interior..It goes well with soups and stews or when served with butter or olive oil or with cheese..Broa is made with a mixture of cornmeal and wheat or all purpose flour and is leavened with yeast..This yeast bread tastes fantastic and a prefect pair for soups..I tried out this bread yesterday with stone ground yellow cornmeal and all purpose flour which had a rustic flavour and texture..I got 3 round loaves and they vanished within few hours, everyone at home enjoyed with melting cheese or with butter with a bowl of soup..

4cups All purpose flour or Bread flour + flour for dusting
2cups Stone ground yellow cornmeal
2cups Luke warm water
2tbsp Active dry yeast
3tbsp Butter (room temperature)
1+1/2 tsp Salt
1tbsp Sugar

Mix the yeast,sugar and salt in a cup of luke warm water and keep side for 5minutes until the yeast mixture turns foamy.. mix the cornmeal, butter and flour in a large bowl, pour the foamy yeast mixture; luke warm water and knead everything as soft dough..cover with a lid and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for atleast for an hour..punch down the doubled dough, knead slowly the dough dusted with all purpose flour and make 3 or 4 round loaves..arrange the round loaves over a baking sheet, cover the loaves with a towel and let the loaves sit again in a warm place for an hour..

Preheat the oven to 450F and place the loaves in the middle rack and make some slashes over the loaves with a sharp knife, place an another baking tray to hold water on the bottom of baking tray and pour 2cups of tape water..this helps to make the crust crispy, close the oven door immediately and bake for 30minutes or until the crust is nicely browned and firm top..

Allow to cool completely and enjoy!!