Corn Bread
You know the smell. Butter on a hot pan, corn bread coming out of the oven, the whole kitchen warm and loud with it. That smell is a memory for most people before it is a recipe.
This version earns that memory twice. It starts with real popcorn, popped in corn oil on the stove the way your family did it on movie night. Then the popcorn goes into hot heavy cream and comes out as a paste that carries every bit of that roasted, buttery, deeply corn flavor straight into the dough. The whole house smells like the county fair and Sunday dinner at the same time.
The result is a yeasted loaf that rises tall, slices clean, and tastes like the best corn bread you have ever had, except richer. The crumb is soft. The crust goes deep gold. And the corn flavor does not fade into the background the way it does with cornmeal. It stays front and center in every bite.
| Ingredient | Grams | Baker's % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-Purpose Flour | 825 | 100.00% | |
| Popcorn (popped) | 165 | 20.00% | |
| Heavy Cream | 165 | 20.00% | |
| Water | 487 | 59.03% | |
| Instant Yeast | 18 | 2.18% | |
| Salt | 17 | 2.06% | |
| Total | 1,677 | 203.27% |
Pop the corn in two batches using 113g of kernels and 59g of corn oil total. Weigh the finished popped corn to confirm you have 165g. Set your oven to 350°F with the rack in the center position when you are ready to bake. Line your loaf pan with parchment paper. No oiling needed. Plan for the paste step before you mix anything else.
Heat the heavy cream until it boils, either on the stove or in the microwave. Pour the hot cream into a food processor or stand mixer bowl. Add the popped corn and half the water (about 243g). Process or mix until the corn breaks down into a thick, spreadable paste. Fine flecks of hull are fine and add texture.
Add the paste to your mixing bowl. Add the flour, yeast, salt, and remaining water on top.
Mix on low until combined, then increase to medium and mix for 8 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth and pulls from the sides of the bowl. The dough will feel tacky. Do not add flour. The paste tightens during fermentation.
Mix with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until no dry patches remain. Cover and let it rest at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container. Cover and ferment at room temperature until doubled in volume. Begin checking at 60 minutes.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Pat into a rough rectangle as wide as your loaf pan. Fold the top third down, the bottom third up, then roll toward you into a tight log. Place seam-side down in the parchment-lined pan. Or divide into quarters, roll into balls, and place on their sides in the pan.
Cover loosely with plastic wrap and rest at room temperature until the dough crowns 1 inch above the rim. At 75°F, plan 45 to 60 minutes. Do not over-proof.
Bake at 350°F for 60 to 75 minutes. Rotate the pan at 30 to 40 minutes. The crust colors to deep gold. The internal temperature should read 200 to 205°F. Cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before cutting.
Slide the cooled loaf into a large plastic bag and seal it. Keeps at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. The corn flavor is strongest on day one and mellows by day two. Toast heavily on days two and three. Slice and freeze in a sealed bag for up to a month. This bread makes excellent toast from frozen.