Broa de milho, or corn bread, is a traditional recipe in Portugal and other parts of the world. It is a soft and somewhat sweet bread with a thick crust made solely of corn flour or, more commonly, of a mixture of corn and wheat flour. It is a delightful and gluten-free alternative to other more common breads. Ever since I first tried this bread, I have not been able to ler it go, with its sweet touch of corn and a crispy outer crunch that crumbles perfectly in your lips.
Why corn bread?
Don't you ever get tired of that same old loaf of wheat or rye? Well, of course not - all breads are yummy in their own way. But despite being incredibly delicious and having a perfect texture that serves as a flavorful and gluten-free alternative to your ordinary breads, corn flour bring loads of other benefits onto the table.
I will not list its entire properties and nutritional values here (mostly since I’m not an expert), but I will lay out a few extra reasons for you to indulge on this delicious treat. To start off, corn flour is high in vitamin B, potassium, iron, magnesium, along with several other nutrients. It is also an excellent source of fiber (which helps your bowel movements - aka do the number 2) and, surprisingly, protein.
If you have never worked with corn flour, you will immediately notice how it differs from others such as wheat and rye. This flour doesn‘t behave in the same way as most others: it's a bit crumbly and tends to break apart. Also, it won't get that sticky feel when kneading, so you will know when it's ready to stop kneading and which water amount to use once the dough becomes more or less compact and doesn't fall apart as much.
I have also found that, with this flour, it is best to bake small rolls rather than one large loaf. Doing this will lead to a softer and flufflier bread that doesn't harden as much. The large roll is obviously still perfect , though it is somewhat denser on the inside, and it hardens quite a bit throughout the days - for this reason, I recommend you slice it up before storing or else it might become too hard to cut.
Now that we're done with these small disclaimers, let's dive right into the oven:
*This is only an estimated amount of water. Since the amounts can vary, keep adding it bit-by-bit as you knead the dough. This flour is a bit tougher to figure out the flour:water ratio, but try to keep balancing the water amounts until the dough becomes more or less compact and doesn’t break apart as much.
Storing the Bread
This bread kept well in my kitchen cabinet for about 1 week before forming mold (my my home is very moist and between 10-20ºC). Though, do bare in mind that the bread will tend to harden throughout the days (though it softens quite well if reheated).
I have not yet tried to freeze the bread as it tastes best when fresh, though I am sure it will soften when reheated. Leave me some feedback if you do try this recipe, which I urge you to do.
Enjoy!
Don’t forget to take lots of beautiful pics, tagging @summermonkee on Instagram
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