Mielie Bread
A moist South African sweetcorn bread made with creamed corn, flour, eggs and milk, baked in a loaf tin.
Mielie is the Afrikaans word for maize, and mielie bread is a loaf built on sweetcorn, with kernels in the crumb and a golden, slightly sweet crust. It is a staple of South African braai tables, served warm with butter alongside grilled meat.
The batter is closer to a cake mix than a bread dough. Combine the dry ingredients, then stir in the eggs, milk and corn until just mixed. There is no kneading, and no waiting for yeast. Do not overmix. A few streaks of flour are fine, and a heavily beaten batter bakes into a tough loaf.
Creamed sweetcorn gives moisture and a soft crumb. Whole kernels add texture and little bursts of sweetness. If you only have one type of tin, blitz half the corn in a blender.
Bake in a well-greased loaf tin until a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out, or it may break.
The Method for Mielie Bread
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Heat the oven to 180°C / 355°F (160°C / 320°F fan) and grease a 900 g loaf tin.
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Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a large bowl.
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Whisk the eggs, milk, creamed corn, whole corn and melted butter together and fold into the dry mix until just combined.
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Pour into the tin and bake for 45 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the tin before turning out.
Worth Getting Right
- Mix until only just combined.
- Grease the tin well.
- If your oven runs hot, check at 35 minutes.
- Wait for the loaf to cool before slicing.
Serve It With
Butter · Grilled sausages · Soup · Cheese
Leftovers and Storage
Keeps in an airtight tin for 3 days. Freezes well, sliced, for up to 2 months.
Nutrition per Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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