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Cracked, sweet and hearty—cornbread grows up
Portuguese Cornbread (Broa)
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Traditionally, broa is made with corn flour, which is dried corn that is ground finer than cornmeal. You can use finely ground cornmeal, but the bread will have some granularity in the crumb. This dense, hearty loaf is delicious sliced and spread with salted butter. Stored in an airtight container or zip-close bag, leftover broa will keep for up to three days at room temperature; the flavor and texture are best if the bread is toasted.
Tip
Don't let the loaf rise for longer than indicated, as the bread may bake up with an unpleasantly boozy, slightly sour flavor. Unlike most bread doughs that double in bulk during rising, this one increases only by about 50 percent.
202 grams (1⅔ cups) corn flour
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup boiling water, plus ¼ cup water at room temperature
137 grams (1 cup) bread flour, plus more for dusting
70 grams (½ cup) rye flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 teaspoon table salt
Ingredients
-
202
grams (1⅔ cups) corn flour
-
2
tablespoons honey
-
1
cup boiling water, plus ¼ cup water at room temperature
-
137
grams (1 cup) bread flour, plus more for dusting
-
70
grams (½ cup) rye flour
-
2
teaspoons instant yeast
-
1
teaspoon table salt
Directions
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01In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the corn flour, honey and boiling water on low until evenly moistened and a thick mash forms, 30 to 60 seconds. Turn off the mixer and let sit until just warm to the touch, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, line a rimmed baking sheet with kitchen parchment.
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02Add the room-temperature water, bread and rye flours, yeast and salt. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low, scraping down the bowl as needed, until a cohesive dough forms, about 5 minutes; the dough should clear the sides of the bowl and feel tacky but not excessively sticky.
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03Turn it out onto the counter and use your hands to shape the dough into a ball about 5 inches in diameter. Set on the prepared baking sheet, dust the top with flour and cover with a kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until the volume increases by about 50 percent, 1 to 1½ hours. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 500°F with a rack in the middle position.
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04Bake the bread for 15 minutes. Reduce to 300°F and continue to bake until deep golden brown, another 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer the bread from the baking sheet to a wire rack and let cool completely, about 2 hours.
Tip: Don't let the loaf rise for longer than indicated, as the bread may bake up with an unpleasantly boozy, slightly sour flavor. Unlike most bread doughs that double in bulk during rising, this one increases only by about 50 percent.
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Reviews
I’m Portuguese and grew up eating this bread in Toronto and I’ve had it in Portugal. I LOVE this bread. It was always so delicious fresh out of the Portuguese bakeries we frequented. So I’m wondering how this compares. Have you had it anytime before making this one? I’m trying to decide on which recipe to try.
Made this bread using gram weights and it was super sticky. It wouldn’t form into a ball, so I left it in a 5 inch pile instead of trying to figure out the right amount of flour. It spread out during the rise period, but I baked it at 500 for 15 minutes. It was done at that point (great color, about 1 1/2 “ high and 210 on my Thermapen). It tastes good, has a decent texture, but something is wrong with the weights or combo of flours. Any thoughts?
Hi Amy -
I double-checked all of the weights and they line up with our standard measurements for corn, bread, and rye flour so I'm not sure why your dough was so sticky. In fact, this dough is usually somewhat dry when you add the bread and rye flours and start mixing (see the video from the TV show here: https://www.177milkstreet.com/tv/new-breads). Did you make sure to let the corn flour and 1 cup of water sit for 30 minutes before adding the remaining ingredients? The corn flour needs this time in order to fully absorb that water and become hydrated. The additional 1/4 cup of room temperature water should be added when the bread and rye flours are added.
Best,
The Milk Street Team
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