Raise Your Hand If You Love Cornbread

Do you love cornbread?

Out there among those raised hands may very well be a couple of young men who once upon a time lived in our home. They loved cornbread then and still do, selecting restaurants based on cornbread and happy to eat it at any time.



There may also be an older gentleman with an upraised  hand who just so happens does live in our home. Upon learning that ham and beans are on the the menu he will almost certainly respond with a question. "And cornbread?" 


Until recently, I would not have been among the cornbread lovers. It was okay piping hot out of the oven, but then? Not so much. I tried different recipes. A boxed mix, a recipe on the cornmeal bag,  one with sourdough and another without did not impress me.

But now. Now I have a recipe I like and one I'm glad to share with you. Baked in a cast iron skillet, a crisp crust surrounds a lovely moist center. Try it and I think you'll be among the crowd who loves cornbread.

Sourdough Cornbread

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray a 10-inch cast iron skillet with oil and place in oven while it heats.

In a bowl place:
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Measure 1 cup of milk and heat until very hot in the microwave. Pour over cornmeal and allow to cool to room temperature.


Add:
1 1/2 cup sourdough starter
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix well until smooth with a wooden spoon. 


Pour into hot skillet and bake 17-22 minutes. With a hot skillet, it will bake quickly. 


Serve warm with butter and honey. (But it will still taste great when its cool.) Or set aside and use Sausage/Cornbread Stuffing, an annual Thanksgiving tradition at our home. 

6 comments:

  1. I adore cornbread this time of year. Hearty and warm. I have to tell you a story. I was in Walmart looking for celery. They didn't have any for 3 days. Another man was looking for it too. He asked me what I was cooking for New Year's Day and we discussed his recipe which he was looking at on his phone. I asked him where he got it and said Pinterest. Then he showed me his cornbread. It was on Tumbleweed Contessa's site. I got so excited I took his phone and showed him me and my girls' pictures. I told him that was my mom's cornbread recipe. I got so excited I forgot what else I needed. Very small world.

    Wishes for tasty dishes in 2016,
    Linda

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    1. Love your story, Linda! I'm always a little surprised when I learn that someone tried and liked one of my recipes.

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  2. Bev...I am so happy to see your recipe today. My sweet son-in-law brought sour dough starter here at Christmas and left me a starter. I was perplexed as to what to do with it but you have given me the answer. We love cornbread and I am excited to try this. God bless you and happy new year!!

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    1. Dana, you will love sourdough! There are more sourdough recipes on the blog--check the recipe tab above. The Banana Bread is particularly good (I'd keep sourdough just to be able to make it!)

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  3. I love cornbread and have tried many different recipes over the years. This is definitely one of the best. It's not too sweet. The crumb is moist, light and tender. And the crust is delicious! I greased my cast iron skillet with bacon fat instead of oil, but that's the only change I made to the recipe. My starter was unfed, room temperature. It pairs well with a spiced pumpkin or molasses butter.

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    1. So glad you tried and enjoyed this recipe. Bacon fat sounds like a great addition. I love what sourdough does to breads!

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