Broa de milho (Portuguese corn bread)

Broa is a traditional Portuguese corn bread, usually made with a mix of corn flour with white flour and/or rye flour, and sourdough. According to my mom, my grandmother used to bake several loafs of  this bread every week, so I decided to try to follow tradition and gave it a try.

With a few hints from my mom and a recipe we found at a blog (in Portuguese) this is what came out from our oven.

Broa de milho

Ingredients:

• 350g maize flour
• 175g white bread flour
• 175g rye flour
• 200g sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 2tsp salt
• 450ml boiling water
• 50ml water

Method:

Add all the flours to a large bowl and mix them together. Add the salt to the boiling water and add it to the flours, mixing with a spoon. Let the dough cool down until its temperature is below 40C. Mix the sourdough and the remaining water and add it to the dough. Mix with your hands for a few minutes, until everything is well incorporated, adding more water if necessary - the dough should be quite sticky. 

With wet hands, smooth down the dough, and let it rest for about 2 hours. The dough is ready when it has risen and cracks appear on the surface.

To shape the dough sprinkle a clean bowl with maize flour, put the dough inside the bowl and sprinkle with more flour. Toss and rotate the dough in the bowl until it is shaped into a ball.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 220C for 40 minutes. 

Broa de milho - crumb

The broa should have a thick, crusty crust, with a moist dense crumb. It goes well with strong flavours, like a nice smoked ham, or an extra virgin olive oil. Enjoy!

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