Sawtooth and the petticoats: Week of Loaves: Cornmeal Ginger Loaf

By request, here's a loaf with fresh ginger in it. This is a mildly sweet, slightly crumbly loaf with some crunch thanks to the cornbread. The ginger flavor is evident but not very strong, and you certainly could use one and a half tablespoons instead of just one.

Yesterday I showed you a handy link for converting loaf sizes. I should have used that chart myself for this recipe. It indicated to use an 8" x 4" pan, but I decided that a 9" x 5" pan would be fine (that's what we have). Technically it did work, but apparently the volume of the smaller pan is HALF that of the size I used. What that means is that I made a very flat loaf. It still tasted mighty fine.

Cornmeal Ginger Loaf

Clothed

adapted from Moosewood Restaurant Cooks for a Crowd, pp. 428-429

1/4 pound (1 stick or 1/2 cup) butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs, room temperature

1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (peeled first)

1/2 teaspoon orange flower water (optional)

1/2 c milk or soymilk

Naked

3/4 cup flour

1/2 cup cornmeal

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preheat the oven to 350˚/180˚. Grease an 8" x 4" (20 cm x 10 cm) loaf pan. Dust flour on the sides and bottom. I do this by throwing a little flour in the bottom of the greased pan, then turning the pan sideways and using my other hand to rap the pan and shake the flour all over. Shake out any extra that doesn't stick.

Cream the butter and ginger until they're nicely mingled, about two minutes. Pour in the sugar and beat until smooth, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time and beat until mixed, scraping down after each egg. Mix in the milk and orange flower water and scrape again.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, and baking powder.

Scrape into the prepared pan and spread evenly over the bottom (giggle). Bake for about 1 hour, until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean. Cool on a rack. Use a table knife to loosen the loaf from the sides of the pan before removing.