Everyday Epicurean

_This recipe is based on the Corn Bread recipe from the book “The Complete Book of Baking” ISBN 0 7018 1502 7._

_NOTE: This makes TWO (2) 680g bread pan loaves. (or one really really high top one)._

!/recipes/images/18.jpg (Corn Bread)!

h2. Ingredients.

* 1.5 Tablespoons of Active Dry Yeast
* 2 cups of warm water (hot from the tap works)
* 1/2 cup of Molasses
* 1 cup of corn meal (Polenta)
* 5.5 cups of bakers flour
* 2 teaspoons of salt
* 1 large handful (1/4 cup-ish) of Sunflower seeds
* 4 Tablespoons of Olive Oil

h2. Method.

Put the water in a large mixing bowl.
Sprinkle the yeast over the surface.
Add the Molasses, then sprinkle the polenta and 2 cups of flour over that. Stir vigorously with a whisk until everything is combined in a smooth (but sticky) paste-like substance.
Cover with a tea-towel and let it ferment/rise for 1/2 hour.

After the half hour rise, the mix should have roughly doubled in volume. Add oil, salt, sunflower seeds and 1 cup of flour. Mix in with a wooden spoon. Gradually add the remaining flour 1/2 to 1 cup at a time. Towards the end you may need to kneed the last amounts of flour in rather than stirring.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured bench and kneed it until it’s nicely springy (depending on how much kneeding you needed to do to mix in the flour, this may take up to 10 mins).

Now in a lightly greased ( _with olive oil_ ) large bowl, place the dough ball and turn until all sides are coated in oil. This prevents the dough from drying out or sticking to the bowl as it rises.
Cover the bowl with Glad Wrap (plastic film) and leave to rise for 1.5 hours (or until doubled in bulk).

Punch down the dough and kneed lightly. Divide the dough into two equal portions and shape. Place the dough portions in 680g (1.5 lb) baking pans. Cover and let rise for 1/2 hour in a warm place. The loaves should rise to just over the top of the pans.

Preheat your oven at 190C.

When the loaves have risen, place them on the middle rack of the oven and cook for 35 to 40 mins. When done they should sound hollow when tapped on the base.
Place the cooked loaves on a wire rack to cool.