Fresh Cornbread

Cornbread with a fresh corn flavor, crusty exterior and a moist, tender crumb.

Fresh Corn Cornbread

Serves 6 to 8

We prefer to use a well-seasoned cast iron skillet in this recipe, but an oven-proof 10-inch skillet can be used in its place. Alternatively, in step 4 you can add 1 tablespoon of butter to a 9-inch cake pan and place it in the oven until the butter melts, about 3 minutes.

1 1/3 cups stone-ground cornmeal

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

3 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs (2 ¼ cups)

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces

1 cup buttermilk

2 large eggs, plus one large yolk

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in large bowl.

2. Process corn kernels in blender until very smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer puree to medium saucepan (you should have about 1 ½ cups). Cook puree over medium heat, stirring constantly, until very thick and it turns deeper yellow, 5 to 8 minutes (you should have ¾ cup cooked puree).

3. Remove pan from heat. Add 5 tablespoons butter and whisk until melted and incorporated. Add buttermilk and whisk until incorporated. Add eggs and yolk and whisk until incorporated. Transfer corn mixture to bowl with cornmeal mixture, and using rubber spatula fold together until just combined.

4. Melt remaining tablespoon butter in 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat. Scrape batter into pan and spread into even layer.  Bake until top is golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 23 to 28 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove cornbread from skillet and let cool 20 minutes before cutting into wedges and serving.

Thin Crust Mushroom and cheese Pizza

Thin-Crust Whole Wheat Pizza with Mushrooms, Fontina, Arugula, and Lemon Makes two 13-inch pizzas

For the best texture, use King Arthur Brand Bread Flour. You can shape the second dough ball while the first pizza bakes, but don’t add the topping until right before you bake it.

Dough
 1 ½ cups (8 ¼ ounces) whole wheat flour
 1 cup (5 ½ ounces) bread flour
 2 teaspoons honey
 ¾ teaspoon instant or rapid rise yeast
 1 1/3 cups (10 2/3 ounces) ice water
 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
 1 ¾ teaspoons salt

Cream Sauce
 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
 2 shallots, minced
 ½ teaspoon salt
 1 garlic clove, minced
 1 sprig fresh thyme
 1 cup heavy cream
 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
 ¼ teaspoon pepper

 Mushrooms
 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thin
 8 ounces oyster mushrooms, trimmed and torn into 1-inch pieces
 ½ teaspoon salt
 ¼ teaspoon pepper
 6 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (about 1 ½ cups)
 1 cup baby arugula
 Lemon wedges, for serving

 1. FOR THE DOUGH: In food processor fitted with metal blade process flours, honey, and yeast until combined, about 2 seconds. With machine running, add water through feed tube; process until dough is just combined and no dry flour remains, about 10 seconds. Let dough stand 10 minutes.
 2. Add oil and salt to dough and process until dough forms satiny, sticky ball that clears sides of workbowl, 45 to 60 seconds. Remove dough from bowl and knead briefly on lightly oiled countertop until smooth, about 1 minute. Shape dough into tight ball and place in large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 18 hours and up to 2 days.

 3. FOR THE CREAM SAUCE:
Heat oil in 10-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add shallot and salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and thyme sprig and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in cream and bring to simmer. Cook until cream is thickened and spatula leaves trail that slowly fills in, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat, remove thyme sprig and stir in cheese and pepper. Transfer to bowl and let cool to room temperature before using. (Sauce can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days.)

 4. FOR THE MUSHROOMS: Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add mushrooms and salt and cook, stirring frequently, until liquid evaporates and mushrooms are lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to bowl and let cool to room temperature before using. (Mushrooms can be refrigerated, covered, for up to 2 days.)

 5. FOR THE PIZZA: One hour before baking pizza, adjust oven rack to middle position, set pizza stone on rack, and heat oven to 500 degrees. Remove dough from refrigerator and divide in half. Shape each half into smooth, tight ball. Place on lightly oiled baking sheet, spacing them at least 3 inches apart; cover loosely with plastic wrap coated with nonstick cooking spray; let stand for 1 hour.
6. Ten minutes before dough is ready to stretch, turn oven to broil. Coat one ball of dough generously with flour and place on well-floured countertop. Using fingertips, gently flatten into 8-inch disk, leaving 1 inch of outer edge slightly thicker than center. Lift edge of dough and, using back of hands and knuckles, gently stretch disk into 12-inch round, working along edges and giving disk quarter turns as you stretch. Transfer dough to well-floured peel, and stretch into 13-inch round. Using back of spoon or ladle, spread half of cream sauce in thin layer over surface of dough, leaving ¼-inch border around edge. Sprinkle half of mushrooms evenly over pizza, followed by half of fontina. Slide pizza carefully onto stone and return oven to 500 degrees. Bake until crust is well browned and cheese is bubbly and partially browned, 8 to 10 minutes, rotating pizza halfway through. Remove pizza and place on wire rack. Let pizza rest 5 minutes, top with half arugula, slice, and serve, with lemon wedges.
 7. Turn oven to broil, repeat process of stretching, topping, and baking with remaining dough and toppings, returning oven to 500 degrees when pizza is placed on stone.