No-knead Broa (portuguese Corn Bread)

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 5 mins Cook Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 3 cups lukewarm water
• 1 1/2 tablespoons yeast
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups stone-ground cornmeal
• 5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• cornmeal, for pizza peel and dusting the top

Recipe

• 1 mixing instructions:.
• 2 mix the yeast and salt with the water in a 5 quart bowl or a lidded (not airtight) food container.
• 3 add oil and honey.
• 4 mix in the remaining dry ingredients without kneading, usings a spoon or a heavy-duty stand mixer with dough hook.
• 5 note:: if not using a mixer you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of the flour.
• 6 cover (not airthight) and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), approximately 2 hours.
• 7 the dough can be used immediately after rising, however it is easier to handle when cold.
• 8 refrigerate in a lidded (not airtight) container and use over the next 7 days.
• 9 baking instructions:.
• 10 dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a grapefruit size piece (1 lb.).
• 11 dust with more flour and quickily shape into a ball by stretching the surface of dough around to the bottom on all four sides, roating the ball a quarter-turn as you go.
• 12 flatten the top slightly and allow to rest on a cornmeal-covered pizza peel for 40 minutes.
• 13 twenty minutes before baking time, preheat oven to 450º f, with a baking stone placed on the middle rack.
• 14 place a cast iron skillet or empty broiler tray on the bottom rack.
• 15 sprinkle loaf liberally with cornmeal and slash the top using a serrated bread knife.
• 16 slide loaf directly onto the hot stone.
• 17 pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the skillet or broiler tray and quickly close the door.
• 18 bake for about 30 minutes or until top of crust is dark brown and firm. smaller or larger loaves will require adjustments in baking time.
• 19 remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
• 20 allow to cool before slicing.