EAR OF CORN SOURDOUGH

Posted in Breads by sallybr

I’ve been flirting with making this bread for a while, finally took a deep breath and did it! It was a lot easier than I anticipated. The idea and basic formula came from a super creative baker I follow on Instagram, and you can marvel at all her stuff clicking here.

EAR OF CORN SOURDOUGH BREAD
(slightly modified from crumbofherown)

for main dough:
265g bread flour
170g water
65g active starter (mine was at 60% hydration)
6g salt
2 tiny drops yellow food coloring

for green dough (you will use only half of it for the husk)
160g flour
85g water
30g starter
3g salt
two tiny drops of green food coloring

Start by making the main dough, adding first the water to the bowl of a KitchenAid type mixer, and diluting the yellow color in it. Add all other ingredients, mix with the dough hook for about 4 minutes. Transfer to an oiled bowl, and ferment at room temperature folding 4 times at 45 minute intervals.

Make the green dough, exactly the same way. It will be lower in hydration, so it won’t be as smooth as the other dough. Place in a small, oiled bowl, and ferment at room temperature. Do minimal kneading every time you fold the yellow dough.

After about 8 hours of mixing the dough, form the yellow dough as a batard, and place in a banneton. Leave the green dough in the bowl and place both components in the fridge overnight.

The next morning, the yellow dough out was gently shaped/pushed each batard into more of a corn-cob shape without completely reshaping the dough. I scored lengthwise first, then added horizontal scores across the entire loaf to create the individual kernels.

For the husks, I rolled the green dough out into a rectangle and cut out triangles. I placed the triangles over the yellow cob, folded the tips down, and added a small piece of green dough at the base for the stem.

I baked these individually at 450°F with the lid on for 23 minutes, then 425°F with the lid off for 8 minutes. If the green dough gets too much brown color, protect it with aluminum foil.

Let the bread cool completely before slicing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I have used food coloring in bread dough before, but had not added to the water before mixing. That makes all the difference in the world! Mixing the color once the dough is formed can be very tricky, and time consuming. Adding to the water makes it incorporate in the dough like a dream… The green dough will resist rolling at first, just allow it to rest a bit so the gluten relaxes, and continue trying. I did not want to make a very small amount of dough, so I used the full recipe. With the leftover dough I made a tiny little boule, scored it and baked after the big bread was out of the oven.

So there they are, my two babies, ready to be enjoyed! I am definitely going to play with this concept, it was quite straightforward to make, although I was a bit scared to try it at first.

I hope you visit @crumbofherown site on IG, it is quite amazing everything she does with sourdough in terms of shaping and adding colors. I want to try many different versions… So many breads, so little time!

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21Aug2026

FRESH CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALAD WITH CORN CHIPS

Posted in Salads, Vegetarian-friendly by sallybr

We have new neighbors who moved here from a town in Kansas 5 hours away, where they own a big farm. One of their main crops is corn, and they have been gifting us spectacular examples of their labor of love. We often indulge with nothing more than a little salt and pepper, but we’ve also been working hard trying new recipes. Here is one that is a total winner!

FRESH CORN AND BLACK BEAN SALAD WITH CORN CHIPS
(adapted from The New York Times)

for the dressing:
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon sugar (if your corn is super sweet, omit it)
½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

for the salad:
4 cups fresh corn kernels (from 4 large cobs)
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
A big handful of cilantro leaves, chopped
corn tortilla chips, lightly crushed, amount to taste
2 ripe avocados, halved, pitted and roughly diced
Hot sauce (optional), for serving

Prepare the dressing: To a large bowl, add the lime juice, cumin, sugar, crushed red pepper and olive oil. Season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and a pinch of pepper and whisk to combine. Taste and check seasonings, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
To the dressing, add the corn, black beans and cilantro. Toss to combine, taste and season with salt and pepper.
When ready to eat, add the corn chips and avocados, and toss to combine. Dot with hot sauce, if so desired.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Such a colorful salad, and quite substantial, as it is quite high in carbs. You can serve it only next to a main dish like grilled salmon, which we chose in our first time enjoying it, or go for the kill and also add rice and more chips like my beloved did.

Some dishes make you smile just looking at the plate, so colorful and fun. And having the best corn makes it super special. Leftovers were still ok, although I recommend adding fresh corn chips. The avocado might suffer a bit but the overall acidity helps.

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16Jul2026

COCONUT-DILL SALMON WITH GREEN BEANS AND CORN

Posted in Seafood by sallybr

Huge thank you to my dear friend Margie, who recommended this recipe. In fact, she often sends me recipes she loves, and they are always winners. This one I found particularly unusual because apart from the use of dill, which is a traditional match with salmon, corn and green beans seemed unexpected to me. And you know what? They work like a charm! Margie is a fantastic cook, world-traveler and great writer. I take this opportunity to share her substack site (click here), so you can subscribe (it is free!) and read about her adventures.

COCONUT-DILL SALMON WITH GREEN BEANS AND CORN
(slightly modified from New York Times)

1 (2-pound) salmon fillet (skin on or off)
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut cream
1tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tsp sherry vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 lemon
chopped fresh dill to taste (you can use up to 1/2 cup)
8 ounces green beans, trimmed
1 cup fresh corn kernels
1 pint cherry tomatoes, sliced into halves or quarters if large

Heat an outdoor grill. Pat the fish dry with paper towels and place on a large strip of heavy-duty aluminum foil on a sheet pan. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle lightly with salt.

In a small bowl, combine the coconut cream, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper. Zest the lemon right into the bowl and squeeze in 1 tablespoons juice. Stir in the fresh dill. Pour half of the dressing over the fish and set the other half aside. Wrap the fish in the foil by turning up the sides and crimping them together to form a packet.

On another large strip of foil, toss the green beans with oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Wrap the beans in the foil to form a packet. Place both the salmon and green bean packets on the grill and cover if using a gas grill. Grill until the green beans and salmon are cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the fish packet to a large serving platter and open the top.

Open the green bean packet, transfer the beans to a large bowl and add the corn, tomatoes, more fresh dill, half of the reserved dressing and a pinch of salt. Toss to coat. To serve, top the fish with some of the vegetables and remaining dressing.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I had never grilled green beans in a packet like that, and loved the result, it is so easy and mess-free, I will be making it often, whenever the main dish involves grilling. The salmon, cooked in the foil, developed a very soft texture, with the nice added bonus of the coconut sauce, a bit on the sweet-and-sour path. Perfect! If you have a ton of dill available use it, I did not and was a bit shocked at the price of dill at the grocery store, so I reduced the amount considerably. Margie told me she made the recipe again and used cilantro, and thought it was a nice twist, consider that as another possibility. Hardest part of the recipe? Getting the corn kernels off the cob, I am not particularly fond of that, but nothing beats the freshness of corn prepared that way. Go for it. I do have a perfect tool to help that job, so not sure why I am winning….

Margie, thanks for always inspiring me!

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7Jun2025

CORNBREAD ÆBLESKIVER

Posted in Appetizers, Small Dishes, Vegetarian-friendly, Veggies by sallybr

As I mentioned recently, I do love gadgets, and this pan has been sitting and waiting for too long. However, the moment I saw Karen’s post on this cool recipe, I grabbed it to play!

CORNBREAD ÆBLESKIVER
(slightly adapted from Karen’s Kitchen Stories)

140 grams (1 cup) all purpose flour
70 grams (1/2 cup) medium grind cornmeal
70 grams (1/3 cup + 1 tbs) sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
100 grams canned corn kernels
olive oil spray for the pan

Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix the wet ingredients, plus corn kernels with a fork. Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients, and mix until just combined.

Heat your aebleskiver pan on medium low and spray each cavity with olive oil.
Using an ice cream scoop, fill each cavity almost to the top with the batter. Cook until the bottom begins to brown. Using a thin skewer turn the aebleskiver part way and continue to cook. Be sure to push any overflow back into the wells.

After that, add a little more batter to top them off before “closing” them, moving the opening to the bottom of the pan. Continue to cook until evenly golden brown and the center is cooked through. Serve right away or keep warm in a 200 degree F oven.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: First things first, I highly recommend this cookbook if you want to expand your Æbleskiver horizons… My main modification of the recipe was cutting the sugar by a bit more than half, and using canned corn because I had some in the pantry and got lazy to scrape fresh corn off the cob. Using the pan takes a bit of practice, I filled the cavities too much in my first batch, but the second half was perfect. I still need to perfect moving the little fritters to cook the second side, but they turned out very tasty.

Karen, thanks so much for inspiring me to finally make something with my pan…

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17Oct2023

CHINESE TIGER SALAD

Posted in Salads by sallybr

No, I have no idea why it is called Tiger Salad, but I can tell you it is delicious and you should make it… It is yet another recipe from Josette’s blog, and you can read her thoughts about it clicking here.

CHINESE TIGER SALAD WITH CORN AND AVOCADO
(slightly modified from thebrookcook)

2 T sesame seeds, I used black
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
3 T canola oil
2 tsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp oil from a jar of chili crisp
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
2 tsp unseasoned rice vinegar
1 tsp kosher salt
3 large ears of corn, husked, slightly rubbed with canola oil
2 avocados, cut into large pieces
1 English hothouse cucumber, seeds removed, halves sliced crosswise
1/2 bunch cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 T crumbled queso fresco or Cotija cheese, plus more for garnish

To Make the Dressing: toast the sesame seeds slightly in a dry small skillet over medium heat; transfer to a large shallow bowl. Add lime juice, oil, soy sauce, chili crisp oil, toasted sesame oil, unseasoned rice vinegar, and salt and stir vigorously until salt is dissolved. Set dressing aside.

To Make the Salad: air-fry or grill the corn and remove the kernels from the cobs, placing them in a large bowl. Add avocado, cucumber, and half of the cilantro. Add reserved dressing and toss gently to combine. Taste salad and season with more salt if needed. Top with the cheese, remaining cilantro and more black sesame seeds if you like.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: This is quite a satisfying salad thanks to the corn, and very flavorful with all the lime juice, the sesame oil and of course the heat of the chili crisp oil. I took a picture without the cheese, as Phil prefers to skip it, so I added only to my plate. I’ve made the salad again using feta and it also goes super well with all other ingredients. It is an interesting recipe, a marriage of Chinese and Mexican cuisines. It also keeps well, leftovers were great next day, even the avocado was still fine.