Easy Cornbread Recipe
In my cookbook I shared with you one of my easy recipes for my favorite cornbread but I’m surprised I never shared one with you here on the blog. So I thought it was about time I did. There’s just something about a hot slice of buttery, bouncy, bright cornbread. It’s got the perfect amount of chew and a vegetal straight up corny flavor! You don’t need to live in the southernmost states to whip up your own batch of cornbread, especially when it’s such a great loaf to keep on your counter – ready to be sliced up and snacked on or paired with a nice meaty entree. Don’t believe me? Try it with some chili, stew, or just all on it’s own smothered in honey and butter, you’ll thank me later.
Cornmeal – It’s not cornbread without cornmeal! This will give our bread color, flavor, and texture so be sure to pick some up. Flour – Just regular all purpose works just fine today, no need for fancy bread flour. Sugar – We need to balance out our savory salty flavors today, I just used plain old white granulated sugar but feel free to use brown if you’d prefer. Leavening agents – These are going to be baking powder and baking soda today. The combination of these two are what allows our bread to rise without the help of yeast. Eggs – We’re using 2 large eggs. Buttermilk – Buttermilk is key for flavor and texture today, if you don’t have any on hand scroll down for instructions on how to make your own. Butter – Unsalted and melted down before being incorporated. Seasoning – Just some salt today, a necessity in baking.
This homemade cornbread recipe is super easy! Just make sure to whisk the wet and dry ingredients well before folding them together and your cornbread will come out perfect!
Preheat The Oven And Skillet
Before you even begin the cornbread batter, put a large cast iron skillet inside your oven and preheat it to 425°F (218°C). You want to get it nice and hot for the best results.
Make The Batter
While the cast iron skillet and oven are getting hot you can make the batter! To do this, start by whisking together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Then in a separate medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs, and 7 tablespoons of the melted butter. You need to reserve 1 tablespoon of the melted butter to grease the skillet. Next, stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients being very careful not to overmix the batter. You want to stop mixing the moment the lumps are gone. And that’s it! The cornbread batter is complete.
Reduce The Oven Temperature
First, very carefully remove the hot cast iron skillet from the oven, and make sure you have a heatproof place to set it down. Then reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). This is an important step for your cornbread to properly bake.
Bake The Cornbread
Now it’s time to bake! But first, you need to grease the skillet by coating it with the leftover 1 tablespoon of melted butter. Then you can pour the batter into the hot skillet and place it in the oven to bake for 20 to 25 minutes. When it’s done the cornbread will be golden brown on top, firm to the touch, and a toothpick will come out clean.
Cool And Serve
Once the cornbread is baked, allow it to cool for 15 minutes in the cast iron skillet. Then serve it with butter and honey to enjoy!
What Is Cornbread?
Do you all recall my quick bread post? It detailed how to make a great fluffy bread without yeast, substituting baking powder and baking soda in its place to create volume and airiness in our bread. Cornbread is the same, it’s a quick bread that uses cornmeal to achieve its color and maize-y flavor.
Why Buttermilk?
Let’s talk about the buttermilk in cornbread because the buttermilk plays a very important role here. The buttermilk will add complexity and depth to your bread. It acts a chemical tenderizer and adds some great acidity to our bread, you’ll find buttermilk sneaking it’s way into quite a few baking recipes so be sure to pick some up! You can even freeze your buttermilk till you need it next, making it an easy to use baking staple.
Can I Make My Own Buttermilk?
If you can’t find any at the store, or you didn’t feel like buying some just for this recipe, fear not! You can make your own buttermilk quite easily with just regular milk and something acidic. Just take 1 cup of regular milk and mix in either 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or fresh lemon juice. Let stand for 15 minutes before incorporating.
What Can I Serve Cornbread With?
I like to slice up my cornbread and smother it with butter and honey, but that’s just me. If you’d like it to accompany some entrees, here are some picture perfect partners for your latest and greatest culinary creation.
One Pot Chili Mac And Cheese Chili World’s Best Chili Crockpot Beef Stew Pozole Rojo Recipe Mexican Pork Stew Ratatouille
Storing Leftovers
Once the cornbread has cooled completely wrap it in aluminum foil or plastic wrap. It will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 3 days. You can also refrigerate it for up to 6 days.
Freezing
Wrap the cooled cornbread tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, then place it in a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Reheating
If you froze the cornbread, thaw it out at room temperature for about an hour, unwrap it then transfer it to a baking sheet or loaf pan and bake for about 5 to 10 min at 350°F or until heated through.
Other Delicious Recipes To Try
Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf Pumpkin Cinnamon Bread Healthy Whole Wheat Banana Nut Bread Cream Cheese Filled Banana Cake Banana Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Loaf Limoncello Lemon Cake Old Fashioned Lemon Bread
