b Broa – Pão de Milho – Portuguese Corn Bread

The dog wags his tail, not for you, but for your bread.

Make the yeast starter and set aside.

Place the corn flour in a mixing bowl and add the boiling water butter, sugar and salt. This will start the cooking process of the corn flour.

Mix well with a dough hook or with your hands if the dough is cool enough to handle. Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes and add the flour a little at a time.

Add the yeast mix and knead until the dough is smooth and can be shaped into a ball.

Place dough on a floured surface and shape into a ball. Coat the top of the dough with corn flour.

Form the dough into a flat round shape and place in a greased cake pan or pie plate.

Meanwhile preheat oven to 450 degrees. Let the dough double in size for about 30 minutes or longer.

You’ll  notice the cracks forming on the dough but that is what gives the dough an artisan appearance.

Cook for about 45 minutes until the crust is dark. Hit the bread with your knuckles and listen for a hallow sound. You may need to cook the bread longer depending on your oven since temperatures vary.

Let cool before slicing. The bread will be very crusty. If you want a softer crust, place the cooled bread in a food safe plastic bag for a few hours.

I wish you could taste it with that melted butter!

Watch this video to see the old process of making Pao Milho and cooking it in a wood fired oven.

Making Pao de Milho old tradition Part I

Part II

Part III

Part IV