Chef John's Rustic Italian Cornbread
I created this Italian cornbread recipe after speaking with my mother, Pauline. She told me about a bread she used to eat at her grandmother's house. She said it was one of her favorites — a basic Italian bread with some cornmeal in it. I love to play food detective, so I took her description and went to work. I believe this is pretty close to what she remembers, and even if it's a bit off, it was still delicious.
warm water
1
cup
bread flour, or as needed, divided
2 ½
cups
active dry yeast
1
(.25 ounce) package
white sugar
⅛
teaspoon
cornmeal
½
cup
olive oil
2 ½
tablespoons
salt
1 ½
teaspoons
cornmeal, or as needed
1
tablespoon
 Stir warm water, 1/2 cup bread flour, yeast, and sugar together in a bowl. Let stand until yeast softens and forms a creamy mixture, about 40 minutes.
  Mix 1/2 cup cornmeal, olive oil, and salt into yeast mixture. Gradually add 2 cups bread flour to yeast mixture until the dough pulls together.
  Knead dough on a lightly floured work surface until smooth and elastic, 10 to 12 minutes. Place dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl and turn to coat. Cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 2 hours.
  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 14-inch-wide rectangle. Starting from the long end, roll dough into a loaf, finishing seam-side down.
  Dust a baking sheet with 1 tablespoon cornmeal. Place loaf onto the baking sheet, cover with a dry towel, and let rise until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
  Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place a shallow pan filled with water onto the lowest oven rack.
  Cut a 1/2-inch deep slash down the center of the loaf.
  Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
