Thick and Hearty Cornmeal White Sandwich Bread
By Rebecca St.Clair
A delicious and hearty cornmeal white sandwich bread perfect for thick sandwiches or slicing and serving on the side of a cozy soup. This delicious and hearty cornmeal bread has a light golden crust and a soft, crumbly interior, with the perfect old-fashioned rustic flavour.
The cornmeal adds a subtle sweetness and texture, making each slice perfect for slathering with butter or serving along side your favourite soups and stews. A true comfort food bread that’s both filling and satisfying.
Using cornmeal in bread baking
Cornmeal add a lovely slightly sweet flavour to these white bread loaves. It also adds a dense and slightly dry grainy texture, which makes it great for a hearty sandwich or to soak up soups and sauces.
The addition of white flour as well as the cornmeal, gives this bread the perfect texture for this delicious everyday sandwich bread.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Hearty Texture – A gorgeous hearty texture that holds up to thick filled sandwiches and adds the perfect satisfying texture to serve along side soups and stews for that well rounded meal.
Sweet Flavour – This lovely golden cornmeal adds the perfect subtle sweet flavour that really makes this bread a special treat.
Easy to slice – Since this is a thicker heartier loaf, it really holds up to slicing especially after it is allowed to cool. No more smooched bread. This loaf remains strong and sturdy.
Simple – No long list of ingredients here! This bread is only made with simple pantry staples.
How to store cornmeal white sandwich Bread loaves
This recipe is going to make enough for two cornmeal white sandwich bread loaves. So, let’s talk about how we can store our bread to prolong the freshness!
At room temperature
You can absolutely store your bread on the counter. It will be at is softest and have the very best texture the first day. However, I find that the second day, after it has cooled and dried slightly, it is the perfectly sliceable bread.
To prolong the freshness, try to keep the loaf stored in a paper bag. You can store it on the counter for 3 days. As the bread dries out, it is perfect for slicing and toasting!
Fridge
The fridge is not the best place to store cornmeal bread loaves. The fridge is a natural dehydrator and tends to dry bread out very quickly. The temperature of the fridge will also change the overall texture of your bread loaf.
Freezer
This is the best option for storing cornmeal bread loaves for longer storage. Store the loaf whole or presliced. To store your bread in the freezer,
- Allow the bread to cool to room temperature.
- Wrap the bread completely in plastic wrap or in a sealed bread bag.
- Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- If you want to preslice the bread loaf before freezing, when you are ready to eat it, remove the slice and place it directly into the toaster. No need for defrosting!
Ingredients
Cornmeal – Add a hearty texture to bread loaves as well as a delightful slightly sweet flavour.
All-purpose flour – The addition of wheat flour helps to bind everything together and adds that typically soft chewiness for typical sandwich bread.
Sugar – Adds flavour. It also works with the yeast to help rise the bread dough.
Milk – Makes a more tender and slightly sweeter loaf due to the milk fat and sugar inside of the milk. The lactose in the milk will also give a more deliciously caramelized crust.
Salt – Adds flavour. It also adds strength to the dough. While the yeast will make the dough rise. The salt will help keep it fluffy and full of bubbles, which will keep it from collapsing.
Yeast – Makes the bread dough rise. It produces carbon dioxide gas bubbles that gets trapped inside of the gluten giving bread that lovely fluffy texture.
Shortening – This fat provides the bread with a soft and moist texture.
How to Make Hearty Cornmeal White Sandwich Bread
- In a sauce pot over medium-low heat add the milk, sugar, water, salt, shortening, and cornmeal. Stir until the shortening melts that the cornmeal just starts to cook and thicken.
- Remove from the heat and set aside to cool until warm but not hot. If the mixture it is too hot it will kill the yeast.
- Once cooled, stir in the yeast and set aside until you just start to see bubbles from the yeast activating. This should take about 8-10 minutes.
4. Add in the all-purpose flour and stir until the dough starts to come together.
5. Tip this out on a lightly floured counter and knead the dough. This should take about 8 minutes if you are using a machine or 10 minutes if you are kneading the dough by hand.
6. Coat a large bowl with a little bit of oil and turn the dough around in the bowl to coat it.
7. Cover the bowl either with a piece of plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm spot until doubled. Which should take about 1 ½ hours.
8. Tip the dough out on the counter again and split in half.
9. Shape each half into a loaf shape. I do this by flattening the dough out and folding it in thirds, like a letter going into an envelop. Then, working in the opposite direction, roll the dough into a fat log shape. Pinch each end closed to form a smooth loaf.
10. Place the loaves into 2 greased loaf pans. Cover and set aside until doubled again, which should take about 1 hour, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
11. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 °F (220 °C).
12. Bake the loaves for 30 minutes or until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
13. Brush the top of each loaf with a little bit of butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
14. Allow to cool slightly. Then slice and serve.
Hearty Cornmeal White Sandwich Bread
The hearty texture of cornmeal gives this bread a rustic, sweet flavour balanced perfectly with the savoury aroma. Ideal for a country breakfast or as an accompaniment to any hearty meal.
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups milk 375 ml
- 1 ¼ cup water 310 ml
- ¼ cup sugar 50 g
- 1 Tablespoon salt 15 g
- ¼ cup shortening 50 g
- 1 cup cornmeal 122 g
- 2 ¼ teaspoons dry active yeast 7 g
- 6 ¼ cups all purpose flour 937 g
- 1 Tablespoon oil (for greasing the bowl) 15 ml
- 1 teaspoon butter (for brushing on the finished loaves) 5 ml
Instructions
- In a sauce pot over medium-low heat add the milk, sugar, water, salt, shortening, and cornmeal. Stir until the shortening melts that the cornmeal just starts to cook and thicken.
- Remove from the heat and set aside to cool until warm but not hot. If the mixture it is too hot it will kill the yeast.
- Once cooled, stir in the yeast and set aside until you just start to see bubbles from the yeast activating. This should take about 8-10 minutes.
- Add in the all-purpose flour and stir until the dough starts to come together.
- Tip this out on a lightly floured counter and knead the dough. This should take about 8 minutes if you are using a machine or 10 minutes if you are kneading the dough by hand.
- Coat a large bowl with a little bit of oil and turn the dough around in the bowl to coat it.
- Cover the bowl either with a piece of plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm spot until doubled. Which should take about 1 ½ hours.
- Tip the dough out on the counter again and split in half.
- Shape each half into a loaf shape. I do this by flattening the dough out and folding it in thirds, like a letter going into an envelop. Then, working in the opposite direction, roll the dough into a fat log shape. Pinch each end closed to form a smooth loaf.
- Place the loaves into 2 greased loaf pans. Cover and set aside until doubled again, which should take about 1 hour, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425 °F (220 °C).
- Bake the loaves for 30 minutes or until golden brown and sounds hollow when tapped.
- Brush the top of each loaf with a little bit of butter as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Allow to cool slightly. Then slice and serve.
Notes
To prolong the freshness, keep the loaf stored in a paper bag. You can store it on the counter for 3 days. As the bread dries out, it is perfect for slicing and toasting!
Nutrition Information
Yield
24Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 196Total Fat 3gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 2mgSodium 253mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 2gSugar 3gProtein 5g
Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
Hungry for something to serve with this hearty thick bread? Try one of these easy recipes!
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