GREAT HARVEST HONEY CORNMEAL YEAST BREAD

3 cups milk
8 tablespoon (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/2 cup mild honey
2 teaspoons salt
2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water
4 cups cornmeal
4 to 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour or bread flour

1. Place the milk, butter, honey and salt in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat, and heat until the butter has melted. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

2. Dissolve the yeast in the lukewarm water in a large bowl, or the bowl of an electric mixer.

3. Once the milk mixture has cooled to lukewarm, cimbine it with the yeast mixture.

4. Mix in he cornmeal. Then add the flour, about 1-1/2 cups at a time, until the dough is too stiff to mix with a spoon or with the mixer. Turn the dough out onto a well-floured surface, kenad it several times, and let it sit, loosely covered with a towel, for 15 minutes.

5. Knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes, adding more flour if necessary to keep it from sticking to your hands. Don't use more than 6 cups of flour; the dough should be soft, not firm.

6. Place the dough in a bowl, cover loosely with a damp towel or a plate (or plastic wrap), and let rise in a warm spot until it has doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.

7. Heavily flour two 10-inch metal or ceramic pie plates.

8. Punch the dough down, divide it in half, and shape each half into a round ball. Place the balls, seam side down, in the prepared pie plates, pressing down gently so the dough fills the pan. Cover loosely with a kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm spot until nearly doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes.

9. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

10. Using a sharp knife, make several slashes in the top of each loaf. Bake in the center of the oven until the loaves are golden and sound hollow when tapped sharply with a finger, about 35 minutes.

Makes: 2 large loaves (about 2-1/2 pounds each).

Source: The Farmhouse Cookbook by Susan Herrmann Loomis