Yeasted Honey Cornbread

Level up your cornbread game with this tender, airy yeast-leavened honey cornbread, a great twist on the classic Southern staple. The bread has a light, airy texture with just right amount of chewiness. Serve it warm with a dollop of ricotta and a drizzle of honey for a simple treat. The bread makes wonderful toast in the morning and great sandwiches too.

50 g Butter
90 g Honey
270 ml Milk
145 g Polenta (cornmeal)
410 g Spelt bread flour
1 tsp Sea salt
8 g Dried yeast
Extra polenta for dusting

In a small saucepan, melt the butter and honey together over low heat. Remove from the heat and stir in the milk. Cool milk mixture to room temperature.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the polenta, spelt flour, salt and yeast. Add the warm milk mixture and mix on slow speed until a dough has roughly come together. Increase the speed and knead for 5-7 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Turn out the dough on a work surface and shape into a ball. Lightly grease the mixing bowl with a bit of olive oil. Return the dough and cover with a plastic film. Set aside at a warm place for an hour until the dough has doubled in volumn. I usually place it in the oven with the light on.
Spray your work surface with a little olive oil. Turn out the dough and divide it into 3 even portions. Shape each portion into a ball. Roll each dough ball out into a narrow rectangle, then roll it up. Repeat with remaining dough balls.
Place them, seam side down, in a 24cm loaf pan greased or lined with baking paper. Cover and proof for 30-45 minutes until it has reached the top of the loaf pan.
Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190C/375F with a tray of water at the bottom rack. Brush the bread with a little of water and sprinkle liberally with polenta. Bake the bread in the middle of hot oven for about 35-40 minutes until golden brown and crusty. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack.

7 comments:

DEZMOND 12/8/25 13:03: It looks gorgeous and I love how it is divided into three buns before baking. Bet the haus smelled divine.
2pots2cook 12/8/25 13:06: This is definitely a keeper for colder days!!!!
David M. Gascoigne, 12/8/25 14:09: Looks wonderful. We make a conventional cornbread quite often.
Tom 12/8/25 15:09: ...a different take on corn bread.
Christine 12/8/25 15:42: It looks delicious
Balvinder 12/8/25 17:06: How soft does this look?
eileeninmd 12/8/25 17:15: Your bread looks and sounds delicious.
Take care, enjoy your day and the week ahead.