hi to all,
concerning jewish corn bread -
I wrote A Treasury of Jewish Holiday Baking and while I did include an
entire chapter JUST ON YEAST breads, I confess, I left out Corn Bread as to
me, it is simply another version of rye bread (which I did include). In
Montreal, where great Jewish bakeries abound, corn bread is simply a great
rye bread WITHOUT rye seeds in it - but certainly a sour started bread and
sometimes, with some cornmeal on the bottom - but that is only used on the
peel to facilitate the bread sliding into the oven. The crust is deep
golden, the bread is a large round or sometimes stumpy long loaf - like a
bulbous bullet - and it is a great bread - almost a dense white rye.
George's (George Greenstein) corn bread is as classic a jewish bakery corn
bread as you will find -but it seems to be more of a matter of definition.
I think people LIKE the IDEA of CORN bread - but are always surprised to
find out no corn nor cornmeal is usually in it. In Montreal, most folks
woulds say corn bread is a rye that is slightly whiter than regular rye
(which is more gray), quite sour, dense, and usually fashioned in bigger
loaves than rye bread (which is made long and reserved for the deli trade
who like that shape for their famed Montreal smoked meat sandwiches).
Re: bread knives -
I have tried a ton of them - and the best one, to my mind, is Lamson
Goodnow or Lamson Sharp <http://www.lamsonsharp.com/> serrated bread knife
- It is the sharpest (and stays sharp) bread knife I have ever used (having
tried the Montana et al) and is simply a gorgeous knife.
Happy new year to all, happy baking,
Marcy Goldman
Head Baker
www.betterbaking.com