Broa de milho

Step 1: Put the 1 ⅛ lb fine yellow cornmeal and 2 tsp fine salt in a large bowl, pour in the 2 cups boiling water and stir hard with a wooden spoon until there are no dry patches. The mixture will look like thick, crumbly porridge.

Step 2: Leave it uncovered until it is just warm to the touch, about 95°F, roughly 25 minutes. If it is still hot, it will kill the yeast.

Step 3: Stir the ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast into the ¾ cup lukewarm water, then add it to the bowl with the 5 ½ oz rye flour and 5 ½ oz strong white bread flour.

Step 4: Knead in the bowl with a wet hand for 6–8 minutes. The dough stays sticky and heavy, more like wet clay than wheat dough; do not keep adding flour to make it smooth.

Step 5: Cover and leave in a warm place for 1–1½ hours, until it has risen by about half and small cracks appear on the surface.

Step 6: Heat the oven to 475°F with a heavy baking tray or cast-iron pan inside. Dust a medium bowl generously with flour, tip the dough in and roll it around to form a rough dome.

Step 7: Turn the dome out onto the hot tray, floured side up. Bake for 15 minutes, until the crust has set and begun to crack.

Step 8: Lower the oven to 400°F and bake for another 30–35 minutes, until the crust is deep golden brown and the base sounds hollow when knocked.

Step 9: Cool on a rack for at least 2 hours. Wrapped in a cloth, it keeps for 4–5 days and is excellent toasted or crumbled as a topping.