I always soak mine, anyway. It just makes for a moister end product. For pancakes, it’s an equal amount of cornmeal and boiling water; mix it up and let it cool a good bit before adding eggs and buttermilk. Makes my mouth water just thinking about them.
Yeah, Bob’s has pretty much anything one would ever want in the way of grains. We lived about three miles from their mill in Oregon and made frequent trips there. Met Bob, too. He hung out there even after he retired, just to talk to people. I admit to using King Arthur flour, though.
Best thing ever!
Never had it. When the recipe started, I thought “meh”, but perked up at the end with the addition of vanilla and butter. Now we talkin’! I might have to give it a try.
The store had 5 or 6 varieties of cornbread mix. Two were called southern cornbread, Zataran’s and Krusteaz. All of them listed white flour as the first ingredient and all had sugar. I bought the Krusteaz as it had the least sugar. It is pretty good but not the grittiness of coarse ground cornmeal.
I bought a bag of Bob’s Red Mill coarse ground cornmeal for a scratch recipe. They have a recipe on the bag but it is a fancy one with sour cream.
First ingredient was flour? There should be equal amounts of flour and cornmeal. I wonder how equal amounts are listed in ingredients.
Zatarain’s is based in NOLA, and that’s where I first encountered their foods. If they put sugar in their cornbread mix, that’s good enough for me.
There shouldn’t be any flour at all.
No flour at all results in a very crumbly “bread”. Doable, but might not be to everyone’s tastes.
I’ve never heard of cornbread that doesn’t have flour in it, except for hot-water cornbread.
I did just find a ‘South Carolina Style’ cornbread that doesn’t have flour.
If you use coarse ground corn meal you don’t need flour. Also use corn oil for any shortening.
I don’t see a major difference in my standard recipe and the one @AHunter3 posted above other than cooking it in a cast iron skillet rather than a baking dish. Here is mine:
Get a 10" cast iron skillet, add a tablespoon of butter and put it in an oven preheated to 400F
Stir together 2 cups yellow cornmeal (stone ground preferably), 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt
In a separate bowl beat 2 cups buttermilk, 2 eggs and 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Combine the wet and dry mixtures, being careful not to overbeat
Scrape the batter into the hot skillet and bake until it is golden brown and crusty at the edges, approx. 25 minutes.
Serve warm
As to the sugar question, you’re making cornbread not a cake so no to the sugar.
…and don’t get me started on beans in chili grumble grumble grumble…
Predicted snow for Thursday and Friday - perfect for chili and cornbread. Have to remember to pick up buttermilk after work tomorrow. If I start the chili Wednesday morning…
And mine can be and often is cooked in a cast iron skillet. My Dad does, for instance.
That said, I put some flour in mine, usually 50-50 with the cornmeal.
That article is on the sugar vs no sugar issue but mentions flour, too:
So I’m just going to say it: sugar has no business in cornbread.
Neither, for that matter, does wheat flour. One might make something quite tasty with well-sweetened wheat flour mixed with cornmeal, but be honest with yourself and call it a dessert. Cornbread is something else.
Great article @pulykamell. Thanks for sharing it.
I’ve been ordering from Anson Mills for at least the last 10 years. I will use Bob’s Red Mill too if I’m out or running low. Anson Mills is pricey but I find it really makes a difference. And I’m not going to get too worked up about flour (though I won’t use it) but sugar is just downright wrong to my taste.
I’ve found The Cornbread Gospels to be a favorite resource for different cornbreads and some good history about regional and international types. It must be out of print since new copies sold online are stupidly expensive. Fortunately there are plenty of used copies selling on Amazon at reasonable prices.
Gotta have some sugar in it. And…Louisiana Hot Sauce, chopped jalapeno peppers, black pepper, salt, finely chopped red bell pepper for the way it looks, etc.
Living in New Mexico changed my cooking style forever.
Cornbread is fine and dandy, and it’s my go-to to accompany most of my Southern-ish entrees. I alluded to my award-winning (OK, I was the only judge) cornbread recipe up-thread. And, of course, the closely related hush-puppies are best to accompany fish, especially pan-fried catfish. Corn fritters also have their place…on my plate.
But when you want a true corny orgasm in your mouth (figuratively; literally should be kept in your bedroom), then corn soufflé is the ticket. Not too difficult to prepare (here’s a good recipe), and any dish with the word soufflé in it makes you appear to be a hoity-toity French haute cuisine chef.
Has anyone here tried custard cornbread? It’s cornbread made with extra eggs and milk, and it sounds really good. I recently printed off a recipe but haven’t tried it yet.
I’ve often added an extra egg and more sugar. Makes a cakey cornbread. Good for breakfast.
Kids love it.
(White corn meal is best)
I would agree that an authentic style Cornbread should not taste like poundcake. It is not a dessert. Its roots probably go back to a very simple recipe involving cornmeal and water, and maybe a little salt fried on a shovel, aka “Hoecakes” or “Johnnycake”. Of course any additionals like milk or eggs or butter will tend to improve it or increase how rich it tastes. I noticed some of the recipes above don’t even contain any flour. That might be authentic too, but bet it is awfully crumbly?
Unless some sort of acidity is involved the baking powder will have little or no action, leading to a dense product. I don’t tend to buy buttermilk, but adding a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice to milk will work for the purpose. I don’t think I’ve ever made a bad Cornbread, it’s pretty forgiving.
Well - the one time it turned out pretty rubbery and bland. I couldn’t figure it out. Then I noticed the Pyrex measuring cup on the kitchen counter - aha! … and still loaded with melted butter intended for the cornbread. Oops.
I like to use butter or bacon fat, the vegetable oils don’t sit well on my stomach nor taste very good. Pour the whole shootin’ match into a greased scorching hot cast iron skillet, this works best to make a crispy exterior.