Chef John's Rustic Italian Corn Bread

I was speaking with my mother, Pauline, last week, and she told me about a bread she used to eat at her grandmother’s house. She said it was basic Italian bread, but had some cornmeal in it, and was one of her favorites. I love to play food detective, so I took her description and went to work. I believe this is pretty close to what she remembers, and even if it’s a bit off, it was still delicious.

Original recipe makes 1 loaf

Ingredients

1 cup warm water
1/2 cup bread flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/8 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 cup cornmeal
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 cups bread flour, or as needed
1 tablespoon cornmeal, or as needed

PREP

15 mins
COOK

35 mins
READY IN

4 hrs 30 mins

Directions

Stir warm water, 1/2 cup bread flour, yeast, and sugar together in a bowl. Let stand until the yeast softens and forms a creamy mixture, about 40 minutes.
Mix 1/2 cup cornmeal, olive oil, and salt into yeast mixture. Gradually add bread flour to yeast mixture until a dough pulls together.
Knead dough on a lightly floured work surface until smooth and elastic, 10 to 12 minutes. Place dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 14-inch wide rectangle. Roll dough, starting from the long-end, into a loaf, finishing seam-side down.
Dust a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon cornmeal. Place loaf on baking sheet, cover with a dry towel, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place a shallow pan of water on the lower rack of the oven.
Cut a 1/2-inch deep slash down the center of the loaf.
Bake in preheated oven until the top is golden brown and the bottom of loaf sounds hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.