The Fresh Loaf

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Hominy and Herbs

wassisname's picture
wassisname

Hominy and Herbs

 

Loafgeek posted these masa slider buns right around the time I was putting a lot of polenta in my breads.  With corn already on the brain the wheels began turning.  A large amount of masa would wreak havoc on the sourdough loaf I was picturing, so what to do?  The first possibility to pop into my head was to make some fresh corn tortillas, chop them up and use them like an old-bread soaker.  It never happened.  That would be an awful lot of work just to test kind of a goofy idea.  Besides, fresh tortillas tend to get devoured and I wasn’t sure I could muster that kind of self-control.  So, the idea went on the back burner.

I must have looked at the can of hominy in the cupboard a hundred times before it dawned on me that this was the answer.  So simple!  The kernels are pretty big, so I gave them a light chopping before adding them to the dough. 

From there it was just a matter of deciding what other flavors to layer into the bread.  A little rye sour sounded like a good match, along with a little whole wheat.  Both were freshly ground and left slightly coarse.  Some kind of herb seemed like a good fit, too.  In the end I couldn’t decide which to use (it was a dead heat between thyme and rosemary) so I decided not to decide and instead wandered around the yard and picked a little of everything I could find.  Thyme, rosemary, sage and oregano were all looking good so they all went in, with the mix weighted toward the thyme and rosemary.

So, what began as kind of a lark turned out so tasty I keep going back to it.  The formula and method are below but, really, you could make this with just about any dough you like.  The herbs and sourdough really make it work for me.  Hominy tends to mellow other flavors, so without stronger flavors to play off it would probably be a fairly bland loaf.  With a bowl of tomato soup?  Magic!

Marcus

 

 

Comments

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

Blush.  Pasole Bread!  All it needs is cilantro for the herb:-) Looks great and has to taste uniquely south of the border.  You know Lucy is going to mess with this except our cans of hominy are over 6 1/2 pounds.  Have to wait till we make pasole next time and, since it is summer time, we will wait till the fall.

Well done and happy baking Marcus

wassisname's picture
wassisname

Thanks, dabrownman!  Well now you've got the creaky, little wheels in my brain turning all over again.  Cilantro!  I've never tried putting it in bread.  I wonder if the flavor would hold up?  Because, cilantro and maybe a little lemon zest... that could get interesting.  I look forward to seeing what Lucy comes up with. 

CeciC's picture
CeciC

Fantastic looking loaf may I have none posted plzzzzz!

wassisname's picture
wassisname

Thank you, CeciC, this one is disappearing in a hurry!

Janetcook's picture
Janetcook

What a unique idea.  I never would have thought of hominy in a loaf of bread but after reading about yours I can't help but think 'why not'? and you have proved that it can be done and turn out well!

Not sure how this flavor combo would go with hominy but today I baked a semolina loaf with a bit of corn meal, fennel and raisins  could substitute hominy for the corn meal…..and then I think sun dried tomatoes for some reason with a dash of olive oil…

Combinations are endless….

THanks for the post.

Take Care,

Janet

wassisname's picture
wassisname

Thanks, Janet.  Hominy is such a neutral flavor that it could pair-up with just about anything.  Corn meal might still be the better way to go with a raisin and fennel bread.  Not so much because of the flavor, but because of what it might do to the texture - too many large-ish, mushy-ish bits in the bread, maybe?   Though, the more I think about it the more curious I become...

hanseata's picture
hanseata

I would have never thought of putting hominy in bread. Looks very nice, though.

Before I had a clue what it really was, I once bought masa harina, thinking it's nice and cheap cornmeal. Added it naively to a German pumpkin seed bread and wondered about the strange taste it had :)

Karin

 

wassisname's picture
wassisname

I can imagine how the masa flavor might seem a bit off if you are expecting the flavor of corn meal! I used Mexican style (treated with lime) hominy for this bread so it has that very same masa flavor, not the sweetness of cornmeal or polenta.  I haven't tried yellow hominy to see if it changes the taste much, but I bet it would look good.  I guess I need to do more experimenting!  Thanks Karin!

wassisname's picture
wassisname

Not this again!  I'll try again later.

wassisname's picture
wassisname

What I was trying to say… I can imagine how the masa flavor would seem off if you were expecting cornmeal!  That cornmeal sweetness is noticeably absent. I used Mexican style (treated with lime) hominy for this bread, so it has that very same masa flavor.  I’m wondering if yellow hominy would give a little different flavor?  I bet it would look good, anyway.  I just might have to try that.