Why You’ll Love This Sweet Corn Sourdough Bread

• Bread Flour – For strength and structure.
• Cooked Sweet Corn Kernels – Adds sweetness, moisture, and a lovely texture contrast.
• Sweet Stiff Starter – Helps reduce tanginess while giving excellent structure and oven spring.
• Milk & Butter – Enrich the dough and keep it soft and flavorful.

What is a Sweet Stiff Starter?

INGREDIENTS (Yields: 1 Loaf)

Sweet Stiff Starter:

60g sourdough starter (100% Hydration), preferably use at its peak 

180g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)

75g water

30g sugar (I used organic brown sugar)

Main Dough:

140g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)

All stiff starter (above)

15g brown sugar (I used organic brown sugar), please use more if you prefer sweeter

1 tsp salt

20g milk powder

100g steamed sweet corn kernels

50g egg, whisked (from 1 medium egg)

10g water

35g butter, room temperature

50g steamed sweet corn kernels

Egg Wash: 

1 egg + 1 tbsp water, whisked

Utensil:

Baking pan/dish (12.5 X 7.75 inches or 32 X 20 cm), lined with parchment paper.

Or  8 inches square pan or 450g loaf pan.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sweet Stiff Starter 
1. In a bowl of stand mixer, dilute starter with water, stir in sugar and add in bread flour.  Mix with paddle attachment until well mixed and all come together.   It can be done by hand mixing too.
2. Cover and let it ferment until tripled. I prepared a night before and leave it in aircond room (approximately 24 - 25C room temperature) overnight until tripled.  It took about 8 - 9 hours depending on your starter.  It should take around 4 - 6 hours to get triple at room temperature at 28C - 30C. 
2. Sweet Corn 
1. Steam the a fresh sweet corn (big size) for 15 minutes.  Remove the corn kernels with a knife once it is cooled down. Divide to 100g and 50g.
2. Blend  100g steamed sweet corn kernels with 50g egg in a food processor until fine. Please add the water to add up to 155g.
3. Main Dough:
1. Put all ingredients (except butter), including all the stiff starter (loosen by slightly tear it) into a bowl of stand mixer.  
2. Slightly combine the mixture by hand with the paddle attachment before turning on the machine so that the flour will not splash out.  Using the paddle attachment, mix for 2 minutes or until all incorporated. This step is critical to prevent  an uneven mixed dough as the stiff starter is rather hard and a dough hook may not be able to mix it well enough.
3. Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes or until the dough comes together. Add in butter and continue knead for 10 minutes or until reach window pane stage.   Add in 50g of sweet corn kernels and continue knead for another 1 - 2 minutes until all incorporated evenly. The whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.
4. 1st Proofing/Resting:  
1. In the same bowl, let the dough rest for 15 - 60 minutes. Keep it covered with clingfilm or use a lid.  This dough I rested for 40 minutes and the dough rose quite a lot in 40 minutes.  (I did not find any big differences between 15 minutes to 60 minutes rest.  So, please follow your schedule).
5. Shaping:
1. Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide into 5 equal portions. 
2. Form each portion into a ball.  
3. Flatten with rolling pin. 
4. Roll the dough like a swiss roll. Then roll it to a long strand (about 14 inches) with slightly smaller diameter in the middle.
5. Twist the dough as per the diagram below.
6. Place the twisted dough into the prepared baking dish.
6. Final Proofing:
1.  Let the buns proof at a warm place until the dough rise about 80% - 90% in size. This one took approximately 2 hours at at room temperature of 29 - 30C.  The duration of proofing depends on your ambient temperature and starter.
7. Baking:
1. Preheat oven at 190C (top & bottom heat) or 170C (fan-forced) for 10 - 15 minutes.
2. Brush with egg wash.
3. Bake in a preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
4. Remove bread from oven and immediately brush with butter (optional).  Let the bread cool on rack.

Sweet Stiff Starter

Sweet Corn 

Main Dough

Pro Tips for Perfect Result

1. Use Fresh Corn: 
• If using canned or frozen corn, be sure to drain well and pat dry to avoid excess moisture in the dough.
2. Sourdough Starter:   
• A healthy starter is essential for successful bread baking. To ensure your bread rises well, it's important to feed your starter regularly and use it (the levain) at its peak. A consistently fed starter will be more active and reliable. If the mother starter isn’t strong, the dough may still struggle to rise properly, even if the levain is used at its peak.  For more information, click the links: "How To Make Sourdough Starter" and "Sourdough Maintenance".
3. Gluten Development: 
• Essential for soft, airy bread, gluten is created when flour hydrates. To develop it, use techniques like autolyse or kneading. The windowpane test checks readiness—dough should stretch thin without tearing.  From my experience, high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a paper thin windowpane stage.
4. Kneading: 
• Please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide. Times vary by flour and mixer type. For higher fat dough, knead longer (18–20 minutes).
5. Flour & Hydration: 
• Use high-gluten flour for optimal texture. Always reserve some liquid to adjust dough consistency for best results.   If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency.
6. Dough Temperature:
• Maintaining the right dough temperature during kneading is crucial for a fine crumb. If the dough becomes too warm, the crumb will become too big and uneven. To prevent this, use cold water, milk, or eggs, and chill your mixing bowl or hook attachment in the freezer. Knead at low speeds, and if your kitchen is warm, rest the dough in a cooler spot. Proper dough temperature ensures a soft, fluffy bread with a fine, even crumb.
7. Proofing:
• Proofing time depends on your environment. Use the finger poke test to gauge readiness. To check dough readiness, lightly press the side with your finger:
• If it bounces back instantly, it’s under-proofed and needs more time.
• If the indentation stays, it’s over-proofed.
• If the indentation slowly bounces back, it’s ready to bake.
• There’s also a final rise called oven spring when the dough bakes, which adds to the bread’s height.
8. Wrinkle Top or Shrinking: 
• If your bread collapses or develops wrinkles on top after baking, it might be over-proofed during the second rise. Aim for the dough to rise to 80-90% of its final size or just below the rim of the pan to prevent this. Over-proofing leads to weaker structure, causing the bread to lose shape.
9. Baking & Oven Temperarate:  
• Do also note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.

Serving Ideas

This bread is:

• Perfect toasted with butter and a sprinkle of sea salt
• Great for sandwiches, especially with creamy fillings
• Lovely served with soups or as a side to breakfast

Storage

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. For longer storage, wrap slices individually and freeze. To enjoy, thaw at room temperature or warm in a toaster.

A healthy starter is very crucial as advised by Baking with Gina.   It is advisable to feed your starter regularly if you want your bread to rise nicely and to use the starter (levain) at its peak.  A starter that is fed regularly will be more active in general.  If the mother starter is not strong, the bread dough will not rise a lot even though the starter is used at its peak.  

More Soft Sourdough Breads to Try

Orange Sweet Potato Soft Sourdough Bread

Purple Sweet Potato Sourdough Loaf

Black Sesame Soft Sourdough Bread

Pumpkin Soft Sourdough Bread

Final Thoughts

This Sweet Corn Soft Sourdough Bread is a comforting, lightly sweet loaf that’s both wholesome and indulgent. It’s a great way to incorporate whole ingredients like corn into your sourdough baking, all while achieving that soft, fluffy texture you love.

Tried this recipe? Tag @Bakewithpaws on Instagram to share your bake!

Questions? Drop a comment below—I’m happy to help.