There’s nothing in the world like a perfectly made batch of cornbread. Moist, buttery, a nice “backbone” to the crust, and slightly sweet (I am from Virginia after all!) I used to think that reaching cornbread nirvana would require persnickety preparation and lots of labor, and so I resorted to pre-packaged cornbread mixes. They never failed to disappoint however, so I set off in search of a cornbread recipe that would satisfy my longing for this maize-filled favorite. The recipe that follows started as one I found online that was attributed to Gourmet Magazine. Regardless, I’ve modified it in quite a few ways and therefore consider this recipe thoroughly my own.
Since I prefer to bake using a scale, I’ve included weight measurements for the dry ingredients in addition to the typical volumetric ones. Feel free to use either, the recipe will work equally well.
Matt’s Magnificent Cornbread
Ingredients:
1 cup | 120g all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 cup | 160g cornmeal (stone ground is best)
1/4 cup | 30g sugar
1 tablespoon | 14g baking powder
1/2 teaspoon | 4g table salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
1 stick unsalted butter OR 1/3 cup canola oil (but butter is best!)
Additional 1 tablespoon oil or non-stick cooking spray
Hardware:
10″ cast iron skillet
Large & medium bowls
Measuring devices
Whisk
Rubber spatula or wooden spoon
- Place rack in middle of oven and preheat to 425 degrees.
- Combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl and whisk together until well combined. Make a well in the center of the dry mixture.
- If using butter, melt or soften it and cool slightly. Whisk together milk and egg, then whisk in butter or oil.
- Add wet mixture to dry mixture and mix with a spatula or spoon just until evenly moistened. The batter will still be lumpy but do not overmix!
- Preheat skillet on the stovetop over medium-high heat until hot, then quickly add additional oil and swirl to coat the pan or spray with non-stick spray.
- Pour batter into skillet. It should sizzle a bit. Place in oven and bake until top is golden brown, about 16-18 minutes. Test for doneness using the “toothpick method.”
- Cool at least 10 minutes before slicing and eating.
While the instructions may seem a bit long, in reality it only takes me about 5 minutes to throw a batch together, especially using the scale. This recipe yields 8 reasonably large wedges of cornbread, which means I almost always have leftovers when I fix it for my family. I’ve found it freezes well wrapped in plastic wrap or in a plastic freezer bag for up to a month. To reheat simply pop in the microwave for about 45 seconds.
Got any questions? Anybody willing to give it a try and report back? Let’s hear it in the comments …
I must admit that I have never been a big fan of cornbread. That grainy texture just seems a little too ,much like those times on the beach where I haven’t kept my lunch separate enough from the sand.
I do have one fond memory of cornbread, however. I was on a service trip to Hazard County, KY. The woman whose house we were working on made us pan cooked cornbread. Something about the way she cooked it in a pan on the stove gave it the extra crunch it needed, of course, maybe it was just the love that went into it.
@Josie - You’re right … the best cornbread always has some “backbone” to it from starting off in a hot pan. And food in general is always better with a big heap of love mixed in. Unfortunately in today’s society I think people are starting to forget what food fixed with love tastes like …