Portuguese Corn Bread/Pão de Milho

There is something about baking bread that connects me instantly to my mother. I can still picture her in the kitchen, the warmth of the oven filling the whole house with that unmistakable scent of fresh corn bread. This Portuguese Corn Bread recipe — Pão de Milho — is a traditional loaf made with white corn flour, and it is one of those recipes that reminds me exactly where I come from.

What is Portuguese Corn Bread?

Portuguese Corn Bread — Pão de Milho — is a traditional bread made with white corn flour, all-purpose flour, and yeast. It has a dense, slightly chewy crumb and a golden crust that makes it ideal for pairing with soups, stews, and grilled fish. This is not the sweet, cakey cornbread you might know from American cooking — Pão de Milho is a proper bread loaf, hearty and rustic, the kind that has been baked in Portuguese homes for generations. One important note: this recipe calls for white corn flour, not cornmeal. Cornmeal is coarser and ground differently — using it will not give you the right texture. Look for white corn flour at a Portuguese market or online.

How to Make This Recipe

This Portuguese Corn Bread recipe uses a two-stage dough process. You start by combining the corn flour with boiling water and stirring vigorously until smooth — this gelatinizes the corn flour and gives the bread its characteristic texture. After the mixture cools to lukewarm, you add your proofed yeast, then gradually incorporate the all-purpose flour until a soft dough forms. The dough rises twice: once in a bowl until doubled, and once in the baking pan. Bake at 350°F for about 40 minutes until the top is golden brown. Let it cool on a rack before slicing.

Tips for the Best Portuguese Corn Bread

• Use white corn flour, not cornmeal — the finer grind is essential for the right crumb texture.
• Make sure your yeast proofs properly before adding it to the dough; if it doesn’t foam up in the lukewarm water, start over with fresh yeast.
• Cool the corn flour and boiling water mixture to lukewarm before adding the yeast — hot liquid will kill it.
• A 9-inch round baking pan works well for shaping this loaf.
• Don’t rush the second rise; giving the dough time to double again in the pan makes a lighter loaf.
• The bread is done when the top is golden brown and it sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom.
• This bread is best the day it is baked, but it makes excellent toast the next day.

For this recipe you’ll need active dry yeast — this Fleischmann’s Rapid Rise Yeast from Amazon is a reliable option that works well for this type of bread dough.

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Serving and Storing

Pão de Milho is traditionally served alongside kale soup, a boiled dinner, or grilled fish. Slice it thick and serve warm with a little butter. Store wrapped at room temperature for up to two days. To extend its life, slice and freeze — it toasts directly from frozen beautifully.

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Love Portuguese breads? Try my Flat Skillet Cornmeal Bread (Bolo da Sertã) — a no-yeast version cooked entirely on the stovetop — or my Portuguese Corn Bread Stuffing for a savory way to use a leftover loaf.