Hi-Maize Cornmeal Cornbread Loaf

I love corn muffins but they are always made with lots of fats to keep them moist. Why is that? Cornmeal, you see, can be very dry. I have tried on numerous occasions to try to bake a recipe I think will 'be the one'.

How many times have you heard that claim?

I want a corny corn muffin in loaf form that can handle a toasting and a smear of peanut butter. Besides a good high fiber cereal, this quite possibly is the 2nd best thing a diabetic would need to start the day off right.

My idea of the perfect cornbread inner is...a pound cake texture (small crumb), moistness (when you press on the crumbs they stick to your finger tip), great cohesion (can not fall apart when you spread something over it) and of course, it must taste like corn.

I believed such a loaf is obtainable but I realize I am going to have to bake it myself. First thing I did was go to the King Arthur site. They have all sorts of wonderful baking ingredients that can make a bad baker like me look like a goddess. They have all new high fiber flours and meals that are a diabetics dream team.

I ordered a whole grain hi-fiber cornmeal, a high fiber flour blend and a box of cake enhancer. Not knowing too much about baking from scratch, this should be very interesting. Every now and then I tend to get lucky but I am very sporadic at best. I hate to admit this but I actually detest the whole process of measuring and creaming and all those steps necessary to making wonderful bake goods and I have absolutely no patience and find myself cutting corners and ruining the whole project.

Lately I have been setting personal challenges in the baking arena, forcing me to use my brain to find a formula that will work for dishes I just can't seem to get right. I do think if this does not work, I will give up on ever eating a healthy diabetic friendly GOOD corn muffin and stick to fruit quick breads.

I am happy to announce my last attempt was somewhat perfectly successful. I say somewhat because it needs to have a little less of a cake-like interior to be my perfect cornmeal cornbread loaf. I had two eggs in this version so I took out 1 egg and added back the yolk only (posted recipe reflects that adjustment).
I also added a small amount of yeast to the batter. It's an old Italian tip for making a polenta cake light and airy as cornmeal can be very heavy.

Held up to the "schmear of peanut butter" test without crumbling and I also tasted it with regular butter. Not too sweet, has a good corn flavor and I had to seriously stop myself from eating more then one slice. Also would be good with a hi-fiber sugar-free fruit spread. Power food at it's best!!

My Cornmeal Cornbread Loaf
Makes 1 loaf

* 1 3/4 cups High Fiber flour blend (you could use white whole wheat pastry flour)
* 1 cup Hi-maize cornmeal
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 2 teaspoons baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup buttermilk
* 1/4 teaspoon fast rising yeast
* 1/2 cup unsalted butter or 1 ICBINB stick, melted and cooled
* 1 large egg and 1 egg yolk

Preheat oven to 375°. Lightly grease a loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and soda, yeast, and salt.

In another bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together, the milk, melted butter and eggs.
Pour the liquid all at once into the flour mixture, stirring quickly and gently until just combined. Use a spoon because the batter will be thick, just like a traditional skillet cornbread.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until the edges start to brown, the top cracks slightly and a cake tester comes out clean with only a minimal of small crumbs sticking to it.

Remove from oven and let cook completely to set the crumb.
Wrap individual slices in butcher paper and freeze for up to 3 months.

Enjoy!!

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