"Nutt House" Cornmeal Bread     Back to Bread Menu     Printer Friendly Page

Recipe By Orville
Preparation Time 4:00

Makes 1 loaf or 6 to 7 Hoagie Buns or 12 to 14 Dinner Rolls

1/2 cup water
1/3 cup cornmeal

4 teaspoons yeast -- (1 1/3 packets)
1/3 cup hot water -- about 100 degrees
1 teaspoon sugar

1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons butter -- melted
2/3 teaspoons salt
2 1/4 cups bread flour -- more as required

Combine the cornmeal and 1/2 cup of water. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until cornmeal is thickened. Set aside to cool. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon of sugar to 1/3 cup of hot water, and set aside to activate. Add 1/3 cup sugar, egg, oil, salt, and melted butter to mixer bowl. Add 1 cup of flour and start mixing. Add the yeast mixture and the cooled cornmeal. Continue mixing. Now start adding the rest of the flour. Add flour until the dough balls on the dough hook. The dough should not stick to your dry fingertip when you touch it. Drop dough on a floured surface and kneed slightly and form a ball. If you are not using a mixer with a dough hook, kneed the dough for about 15 minutes. Place dough ball in a medium bowl that has the surface coated with butter. Cover dough with a towel and let rise until doubled in size. After dough has doubled pour on to a lightly floured surface.

Bread: Take the dough and form into a ball, then roll out to about 8" X 10". Roll the dough into a loaf and seal the ends and bottom by pinching the dough until sealed. Place in a bread pan that has been brushed with melted butter. Brush the top of the loaf with melted butter. Let rise until doubled in size. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for about 40 to 50 minutes or until golden brown, both top and bottom.

Dinner Rolls: Cut the dough into 2 oz pieces. Roll the dough into balls and place on a buttered baking sheet or one lined with baking paper. Brush the rolls with melted butter and let rise until doubled in size. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Hoagie Buns: Cut the dough into 4 oz pieces. Roll dough into sticks about 6" long. On a lightly floured surface roll the hoagie sticks into a bun shape about 1/4" to 3/8" in thickness. Brush tops of the buns with melted butter. Place on a buttered baking sheet or one lined with baking paper. Let rise until doubled in size and then place in a 350 degree oven and bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Notes: This bread is a little slower when rising. It will take a little longer to rise than white bread or wheat bread. This bread stores very well in the freezer.

The Nutt House is a restaurant and hotel located on the square in Granbury Texas. I purchased the bakery that supplied all of the breads and pies for the Nutt House in the late 80's and recieved the cornmeal bread recipe in the deal. Every morning, at 11:00 AM the ladies go out on the sidewalk and ring their dinner bells to call all the hungry travelers in for lunch. This cornmeal bread has been served at the restaurant every day since the late 1800's. I hope you enjoy it, as it has a wonderful flavor. It makes the best dinner rolls I have ever tasted.