Corn Bread

This is worth the time and effort. You have to start it the night before you want to bake it. It comes from a book that Jim got me, called "The Bread Baker's Apprentice", by Peter Reinhart. I've tried the Ciabatta bread from this book twice, but haven't perfected it yet. When I get it down, I'll post that recipe with some pictures. Anyway, here's some darn good corn bread:

1 c. coarse cornmeal
2 c. buttermilk
8 oz. bacon (approximately 10 slices)
1 3/4 c. unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 Tbsp. honey
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 1/2 c. fresh or frozen corn kernels.
2 Tbsp. bacon fat or vegetable oil

1. The night before baking the corn bread, soak the cornmeal in the buttermilk. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight.

2. The next day, to prepare the bacon, preheat the oven to 375F. Lay out the bacon on 2 sheet pans. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp. Using tongs or a fork, remove the pieces to a pan lined with paper towels to cool. Drain off the fat into a can or stainless-steel bowl and save for greasing the corn bread pan. When the bacon has cooled, crumble it into coarse pieces.

3. Lower the oven setting to 350F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar. In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Dissolve the honey in the melted butter and then stir the warm honey-butter mixture into the eggs. Add this to the soaked cornmeal mixture. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon or whisk until all the ingredients are evenly distributed and the batter is blended and smooth. It should be the consistency of thick pancake batter. Stir in the corn kernels until they are evenly distributed.

4. Place 2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat into a 10-inch round cake pan (you can also use a 9 by 13-inch baking pan or a 12-inch square pan -- I used a springform pan and it worked well). Place the pan in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the fat gets very hot. With good pot holders or oven mitts, remove the pan, tilt it to grease all the corners and sides, and pour in the batter, spreading it from the center of the pan to the edges. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon pieces evenly over the top,, gently pressing them into the batter.

5. Bake for about 30 minutes*, or until the corn bread is firm and springy (the baking time will depend on the size of the pan) and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The top will be a medium golden brown. the internal temperature at the center of the corn bread should register at least 185F.
*It took about twice as long for my bread to finish; I'm not sure why.

6. Allow the bread to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing it into squares or wedges. Serve warm.