Pan de Elote Jalisciense

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Blender
• •9-inch clay cazuela, ceramic baking dish, or metal square pan
• •Sharp knife for cutting corn from the cob
• •Mixing bowl and spatula

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the pan

   Heat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9-inch round clay cazuela, a ceramic baking dish, or a metal 9-inch square pan. Line the bottom with parchment if using metal. In Jalisco, a wood oven gives this bread a deeper browned edge, but a home oven works if you respect the timing.

2. 2

   Cut the corn

   Stand each ear of elote upright in a wide bowl and cut the kernels close to the cob. Scrape the cob with the back of the knife to catch the milky juice. That liquid is flavor. If the kernels are dry and starchy, stop here and make esquites instead. Pan de elote needs tender corn.

3. 3

   Blend the base

   Add 4 cups of the corn kernels to a blender with the eggs, condensed milk, melted butter, piloncillo or sugar, vanilla, and salt. Blend just until mostly smooth, about 30 to 45 seconds. Do not punish it. You want a thick yellow batter with some corn texture, not a thin drink.

4. 4

   Finish the batter

   In a bowl, whisk the harina de trigo, baking powder, and canela if using. Pour in the blended corn mixture and stir with a spatula until no dry flour remains. Fold in the remaining 1 cup whole corn kernels. That last cup gives the bread its bite. No me vengas con atajos. Texture matters.

5. 5

   Bake until set

   Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the top is deep golden, the edges pull slightly from the pan, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs, not wet batter. This bread is supposed to be dense. Do not bake it dry trying to make it behave like cake.

   If the top browns before the center sets, lay a loose piece of foil over the pan for the last 10 minutes. Do not seal it tight.
6. 6

   Rest and slice

   Let the pan de elote rest in the pan for at least 25 minutes. Warm from the oven, it is fragile. Once it settles, cut thick squares or wedges. Serve with cafe de olla or black coffee. Recetas probadas y garantizadas.

Chef Tips

• •Use fresh elote when it is in season. If the market corn is dry, old, or flavorless, do not make pan de elote that day. Preguntale a las señoras del mercado. They know which vendor has sweet ears.
• •This is not American cornbread. There is no harina de maiz here because the body comes from fresh corn kernels. The small amount of harina de trigo keeps the bread from collapsing.
• •Mantequilla is the right fat for this Jalisco market version. Manteca de cerdo belongs in many breads and tamales, but here butter lets the fresh corn stay forward.
• •Do not call this cake because it is sweet. Mexican panaderia has many breads that live between bread and dessert. Cada estado, su propia cocina.
• •There is no masa madre and no Guadalajara pata in this recipe. That belongs to birote, a different Jalisciense bread. Confuse them and a Guadalajara panadero will correct you before I do.

Advance Preparation

• •Pan de elote keeps well for 3 days wrapped tightly at room temperature. The crumb stays moist because the fresh corn holds water.
• •For make-ahead serving, bake the bread the day before, cool completely, wrap tightly, and rewarm slices on a comal or in a low oven.
• •Do not refrigerate unless your kitchen is very hot. Cold storage firms the butter and dulls the corn flavor.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 115g)