Yeasted Thanksgiving Cornbread with Cranberries

Mmmmmh  this was good.  Maybe more of a dessert than a mealtime bread, but I happily ate it next to my turkey and mashed potatoes.  The cranberry center is moist and refreshing next to all that heavy food, and I wouldn't mind seeing this at more family dinners.  You can also bake up a loaf of the basic dough to have a plain "cornbread" that we all thought tasted more like sourdough, but was delicious anyways.  The base dough recipe is supposed to make three loaves but I used all of it to make two: one plain, and one with cranberries.  I think that is the way to go, and I plan to do this again soon.

**both recipes are taken from Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a day**

Broa (Portuguese Corn Bread)
3 Cups Lukewarm water
1 1/2 Tablespoons Granulated Yeast
1/1/2 Tablespoons Kosher Salt
1 1/2 Cups Corn Meal
5 Cups Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Mix the yeast and salt with the water in a 5-quart bowl (preferably the bowl to your stand mixer if you have a dough hook).  If not, and 5-quart container will do.

Mix in the remaining dry ingredients without kneading, using a spoon, a 14-cup capacity food processor with a dough blade, or a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.  If you're not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to incorporate the last bit of flour.

Cover (not air-tight), and allow to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses, about 2 hours. 

The dough can be used immediately after the rise, or it can be refrigerated and used within 10 days.  The dough is MUCH easier to work with after it has been refrigerated. 

When you are ready to bake your bread:
Dust the surface of the dough with flour and cut of a 1-lb (grapefruit sized) piece.  Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating a quarter turn as you go.  Flatten and allow to rise on a cornmeal covered pizza peel for 40 minutes.

Twenty minutes before baking time, pre-heat the oven to 450 degrees F with a baking stone on the center rack, place an empty broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with the rising bread. 

Just before baking sprinkle the loaf liberally with cornmeal and slash a tic-tac-toe pattern in the top with a serrated knife.

Slide the dough onto the baking stone.  Pour one cup of hot water into the broiler tray and quickly shut the door.  Bake for about 30 minutes, until deeply browned and firm.

Allow to cool before slicing or eating.  (You better hope Tim is not around if you want to follow that step).

Yeasted Thanksgiving Corn Bread With Cranberries

1 1/2 lbs broa dough (approximately one cantaloupe sized piece)
1/2 cup fresh cranberries or 1/3 cup dried
4 tablespoons Sugar
Zest of half of an orange
3 Tablespoons softened butter
12-inch cast iron pan

Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a 1 1/2 lb piece.  Dust the piece with more flour and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating a quarter turn as you go.

Flatten the ball with your hands to a thickness of 1/2 inch.  Sprinkle the dough with cranberries, sugar, and orange zest.  Roll up the dough-jelly roll style-to incorporate the filling.  Shape into a ball again and flatten until it is about the size of your pan. 

Grease a cast iron pan with butter, being sure to coat the sides of the pan as well, Place the dough into the pan.  Allow the dough to rest for 1 hour and 20 minutes (just 40 minutes if you are using fresh, unrefrigerated dough), 

Twenty minutes before baking time, pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F and place a broiler tray on any other shelf that won't interfere with the bread rising. 

Just before baking, heat the cast iron pan on the stove over medium heat for about 2 minutes-just enough to start caramelizing the bottom crust. 

Place the pan on a rack near the center of the oven.  Pour one cup of hot water into the broiler tray and quickly shut the door.  Check the bread for browning after about 20 minutes.  The baking time will depend upon the pan being used, but will probably be about 30 minutes.  The loaf should be a rich yellow-brown when done. 

Carefully turn the hot loaf out onto a plate or cut wedges directly out of the pan.