Southwestern Cornbread with Yeast

The smell of Southwestern Cornbread with Yeast baking in the oven will have you swooning. Then, after your first bite...you'll be hooked.

There is nothing I like better than baking homemade bread.

There is just something so rewarding and satisfying about seeing it rise in the pan and then smell it baking in the oven, filling the entire house with aromas of heart and home.

This recipe for Southwestern Cornbread does just that.

*Disclaimer - This recipe was originally published in 2014. I'm working hard to update all my older recipes with recipe cards, new photos, and additional recipe information. But, getting to all of them will take time. Please bear with me. In the meantime let me assure you that this recipe is still a winner and one I'm sure you'll be well pleased with when you make it at home.

I found and adapted this recipe from the Taste of Home cookbook called Recipes Across America and then made enough changes to it that I decided to rename it from Arizona Corn Bread (pg 353) to Southwestern Cornbread. Is it so wrong? LOL

What makes this bread so special is that it has a mixture of textures.

Part is that of a soft and pillow yeast bread, and part has the crumbly texture of traditional cornbread.

Put the two together and you have one excellent bread that pairs well with any meal you put it with.

Or, it works wonderfully well as sandwich bread for any of your favorite sandwich fixins.

This recipe makes two good size loaves so you'll have plenty for now and then plenty for later if you decide to freeze one.

Or, think about wrapping up the second loaf and giving it as a thoughtful gift along with a nice bottle of wine.

It's a bread that everyone will enjoy, from the first slice to the last.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you...if you want a real treat, don't forget to drop a few slices in the toaster and toast them up.

This bread is wonderful that way too and would make fantastic toasted bread for an egg sandwich with a slice of melted pepper jack cheese...Oooooh, *note to self* LOL

SOUTHWESTERN CORNBREAD WITH YEAST   
Yield: 2 loaves      Prep Time: 120 minutes (including rising time)    Bake Time: 40-45 minutes

1 cup cornmeal
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 packages of active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 cup Greek yogurt
½ cup olive oil
1 small can (4 ounces) fire-roasted chiles
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 cup frozen corn
2 eggs
1 ¼ cup shredded pepper jack cheese
6 cups all-purpose flour
olive oil spray

-In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the first 8 ingredients; Set aside.
-In a medium saucepan over medium/low heat warm the yogurt, olive oil, chiles, corn, and red onion to 115 - 120 degrees.
-Pour the warmed yogurt mixture into the cornmeal mixture and blend with the paddle attachment until all the ingredients are combined.
-Slowly knead in the eggs (one at a time), cheese, and 5 cups of flour.
-Add in as much of the remaining flour as needed until the dough is smooth, elastic, and no longer sticky.
-Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise until doubled in a warm, draft-free place.
-Punch the dough down and divide the dough in half.
-Prepare 2  9" x 5" loaf pans by spraying liberally with olive oil spray
-Using your fingertips (sprayed with olive oil spray) place each half of the dough into a loaf pan and press and shape the dough evenly throughout the loaf pans.
-Allow the bread to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled (approximately 30-40 minutes).
-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
-Bake the loaves in a preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until the loaves are golden brown and sound hollow when tapped.
-Allow the loaves to cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes and then turn them out and allow them to cool completely.