Chef Joey's Cornmeal Bread

This recipe makes two huge 9x5" loaves of bread. I ground my own corn flour and I brushed the tops with soy milk and sprinkled with roasted sesame and sunflower seeds for a nice crunch.

• Ready In: 2 hrs 40 mins
• Serves: 12
• Yields: 12 slices

Ingredients

• 1 (1/4ounce) package  yeast (red star)
• 1⁄4 cup warm water
• 1  cup cornmeal
• 2  teaspoons kosher salt
• 3  cups soymilk
• 2⁄3 cup  agave nectar
• 3  tablespoons shortening (vegan)
• 5 1⁄2-6  cups flour (I used rye,spelt and bread flour)

Directions

1. Dissolve the yeast in warm water (115'F). Add a little agave to this and stir gently to combine. Let this mixture sit and bubble up.
2. In a large bowl mix the cornmeal and salt.
3. Heat the milk in a sauce pan to around 110-115'F. Add the shortening and agave nectar. Whisk to melt the shortening and mix the agave nectar.
4. Add slowly to the cornmeal and stir as you pour making sure it's all combined.
5. Add 3 cups of the flour to the cornmeal mixture and mix well. Add the yeast mixture into the cornmeal/flour mix and stir well.
6. Add the rest of the flour and make a stiff dough. It will be somewhat sticky.
7. Knead 100 times or use a stand mixer with a dough hook until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
8. Using olive oil, grease a large non-reactive bowl and place the dough in it. Oil a piece of plastic wrap and place loosely over the bowl and let it rise until double in bulk. About 1 hour.
9. After 1 hour punch down and rise again for 1/2-3/4 hour.
10. Turn out onto a floured surface and divide in two equal pieces and place in 2 9x5" well oiled loaf pans.
11. At this point brush the tops of the bread with soy milk and sprinkle with your seeds.
12. Let rise again until doubled in size.
13. Bake in a 375'F oven for 40-45 minutes.
14. If these brown too fast cover each with an aluminum tent.
15. Allow to cool for 10 minutes on a metal rack then remove from pans and cool further.
16. This bread is fluffy inside and crunchy outside. Enjoy with some vegan margarine or other spread.
17. Bon Appetit!