Name: Jewish “Corn” Bread
Yield: Makes 2 large loaves
Ingredients: 1 package dry yeast; 2 cups gluten flour; 3½ cups all-purpose flour, or as needed; ½ teaspoon sugar; 1 egg white beaten with 2 tablespoons water; Cornmeal (for sprinkling the baking sheets); 2 teaspoons “black caraway” (chernushka) or regular caraway seeds; 1½ cups warm (110-degree) water; 4 teaspoons salt; 3 cups Rye Sourdough Starter, measured after stirring down, at room temperature

Preparation info

Makes
2
large loaves

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Better Than Store-Bought

By Helen Witty and Elizabeth Schneider

Published 1979

About

The name of this bread is a mystery to us. Although theories about the word “corn” in its name abound, we’ve not yet encountered one that we find acceptable in either historical or etymological terms. Call it what you like, but if you’ve a fondness for it, you’ll probably have to make it unless you live in the Big Apple; as far as we know, it’s a New York specialty. Bakers lucky enough to find a supply of them enhance their “corn” bread with a sprinkling of so-called “black caraway”