Sourdough with corn

When I read the announcement for Bread Baking Day #36 the first thought was; ‘I have no corn flour’. After searching for a good recipe with corn starch I thought of the roasted potato bread Susan made. I would adjust the recipe and use corn.

Thai people love to eat corn. You can buy it at almost every market in season. They sell sweet corn on the cob and ready to eat cups with kernels with butter and sugar (too sweet for me). After a hot meal Thai people love something sweet.

I adjusted the recipe and replaced the potato with corn kernels, garlic, union and a bit of chili. The first bread I baked was delicious. Because of the small amounts I used, we could smell the garlic and onion, but we almost couldn't taste it. In the second bread I will use the double amount. Still it is a delicious bread.

Because we had to go out that day I had no time to bake the bread. After proofing for 1,5 hour I placed the bread in a plastic bag in the refrigerator and baked it the next morning. My gas oven burns from the bottom and normally my loaves are a bit pale on top. But, today the bread had color!

I used the flower pot for steaming; I hadn’t used it for a while and am really happy with the result. I think the ingredients and the steaming with this flower pot gave it the nice color. And, the smell is great. The onion, garlic and chili give the corn the right flavor. The taste is even better.

But, where are the big holes? When you read this, and know the answer, please let me know. The starter I use looks good; the bread rises as it should. I use a little bit more water than my sticky fingers like, but it gives a more open crumb, so I read. I used the window pane to check the gluten-development. Another tip from Susan is not to over-proof the bread. And still the holes are no as big as I like them to be.

I choose to score the loaf with my lame, which works very good.

This makes one loaf of 400 gram

Ingredients for the filling:
• 100 g cooked corn kernels from the cob
• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium red onion, cut in small pieces
• 1 small red chili, can be spicy
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Dough:
• 150 g flour
• 65 g whole wheat bran
• 130 g water
• 4 g salt
• 75 g mature 100%-hydration sourdough starter
• The filling completely cooled

This is what I did:
I roasted the onion, garlic and chili till it got a nice light brown color and added the corn kernels. I fried it till the color was light golden brown, because the garlic will taste bitter when it’s too dark. Let it cool completely before adding to the dough.

Combine the flour, whole wheat bran, water, and starter in the bowl of a mixer with dough hook. Mix in low speed until the ingredients are roughly combined, adjusting the water to achieve a medium dough consistency.

I covered the bowl and let the dough rest (autolyse) for 30 minutes.

Add the salt and continue mixing to a low-to-medium level of gluten development.
Add the filling and mixed in lowest speed until just incorporated.


Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled container. Cover and fermented for 2.5 hours, with folds after 50 and 100 minutes.

Turn the dough into a lightly floured counter. Pre shape the dough into a ball and let rest, covered, for 20 minutes.

I shaped the dough into a round ball and placed it, good side up, on a piece of paper parchment. Because I had to refrigerated it and could bake it the next morning.

I proofed the loaf for 1.5 hours before placing it in the refrigerator. Otherwise you can proof for 2.5 hours and bake it directly.

(The next morning) pre heate the oven, with baking stone, to 230 C. I placed the flowerpot on the stone while preheating the oven to provide the steam.

I made a curve with the lame just before it went into the oven.

I baked it for 10 minutes with steam, and another 20 minutes or so without steam. Then I turned the oven off and left the loaf in for another 10 minutes, with the door ajar.

Cool on a wire rack.

Inspired by Wild Yeast
This loaf goes to Girlichef and Zorra of 1x umrühren bitte for BreadBakingDay #36, Corn y Bread.