Need a Cornbread Recipe, or Two, or Ten

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Thanks, TS! That looks like a solid recipe. Will definitely give it a try.

It's so interesting to me that most scratch CB recipes have many of the same ingredients but in different amounts. That reassures me I'll find the right combination to a consistently moist recipe.
Let me know what you come up with. I love cornbread, more on the sweet side then savory so if you create a good one, let me know. Are you using a cast iron skillet?
 
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Are you using a cast iron skillet?
Actually, no. My wife is what's called a "super taster." She can literally tell to 100% accuracy by taste alone if I used a water pan in my smoker or not. In the past, she said CI pans made everything taste metallic, so I put my well seasoned ones away, or gave them away. Can't quite remember.

I have some thick bread loaf pans I'll use. Still debating picking up a CI loaf pan. We'll see.
 
I can't taste the car iron difference, for me the cast iron is all about the crunchy crust it creates. The same can be achieved with any vessel with thermal mass. Corning ware casserole dishes make great cornbread too. The trick is preheating the casserole fully and plenty of butter.

This thread was killing me, so last night my wife made cornbread drop biscuits to go with left over lamb shank and pinto beans. Enjoyed in the recliner with a 3 month old sleeping on my chest and a Bells 2 hearted ale.
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So I've never made cornbread, have had some a few times that was pretty good. But sometimes weird things pop into my head from who knows where...anyone ever made cornbread waffles?

Ryan
 
The sour cream in the one I proposed makes it moist every time. Using the Jiffy mix makes it fast and easy too.
Some people actually like their CB dry and crumbly? WTF...
The one my wife disliked used a cultured buttermilk. It was too doughy and tangy for her. She loved it, though, when I made Hoe Cakes with it. I liked it both ways.

Since starting this thread I've learned that 100% cornmeal can result in dry crumbly cornbread. There's no gluten to hold the structure together. But, like you said, Bill, some folks like it that way.

Using too little AP flour can have the same dry/crumbly effect. Also, using too much fat can have the same impact as 100% cornmeal. In a cornbread recipe with AP flour, too much fat prevents gluten structure. Same thing happens in bread baking.

I have cornbread recipes now that use either milk, buttermilk, cultured buttermilk, sour cream, or a combination, as the dairy product. One day when I'm bored, I'll make a mini-loaf recipe of each one to find one that works for me AND my wife.

BTW, each week I bake a flavorful whole wheat bread that uses a combination of whole wheat, whole oats, flax seeds, bread and AP flours. When the current loaf is gone, I may adjust the recipe to include a corn flour just to see how it contributes to the flavor. It never crossed my mind to do so until I started this thread.

Time for more Hoe Cakes!

Ray
 
You're just an "outside the box" kind of guy, Rich!
This thread is making me want a waffle iron, and I really don't need another kitchen gadget.....
I just bought one for our son this week! So between this thread and that is where the waffle cornbread came from.
Interesting thread for sure! I'm learning as well!

Ryan
 
You're just an "outside the box" kind of guy, Rich!
This thread is making me want a waffle iron, and I really don't need another kitchen gadget.....
Leftover stove top stuffing made into a waffle , with a couple slices of turkey and some gravy makes a great breakfast too .
 
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I may adjust the recipe to include a corn flour just to see how it contributes to the flavor
I mentioned about using it to thicken chili . Give that shot next time .
I bet it'd be good in that bread , but the bread looked really good as is .
 
Thanks, Rich. I'll try floured cornmeal and masa harina at different times in my bread recipe. Definitely looking forward to it.

Change of subject.

Soooo, I've said a couple of times in this thread I am not a fan of the Jiffy mix. Many love it. So, to be fair, I looked up the ingredients to see if I could determine which one could be causing the off-flavor I dislike. I even looked up the descriptions of the ones that have long scientific names.

Ignorance was bliss.

Most sounded harmless, except two. One is also used as fertilizer. And one, listed only by three initials, put me off EVER considering Jiffy mix again. If you like the Jiffy mix, you've been warned. I won't post the description here out of respect. The description is the problem and how it is used elsewhere as medicine for those who need it.

Evidently, it is used widely in the food industry as a preservative, but many are eliminating it from their ingredients. I immediately checked my cabinets and freezer. I looked for it in other ingredient lists. I only found it in a box of Stovetop stuffing.

Scratch Stovetop, too.

I really struggled with whether I should press the "post reply" button. The ingredient? BHT. It keeps fat from going rancid in highly processed foods.
 
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You're just an "outside the box" kind of guy, Rich!
This thread is making me want a waffle iron, and I really don't need another kitchen gadget.....
Dan , just in case you need a nudge . I did these a couple weeks ago .
Smoked brisket hash in masa harina waffle .
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Next day was a breakfast sandwich .
2 eggs , sausage , bacon and cheese . Masa waffle .
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1670246151451.jpeg
 
I've always been happy using the recipe on the Indian Head corn meal bag (copied below). I favor the yellow corn meal, maybe more for the aesthetics, and will occasionally add some chopped up jalapeños. I've not experimented beyond that. Always cooked in a preheated cast-iron skillet.

  • GOLDEN YELLOW CORN BREAD OR CORN MUFFINS​

    1 cup Indian Head Yellow Corn Meal
    1 cup all-purpose flour
    ¼ cup sugar
    1 teaspoon salt
    3 teaspoons baking powder
    ¼ cup oil
    1 cup milk
    1 egg, beaten
    Corn Bread:
    Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Combine corn meal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Mix oil, egg, and milk together and add to dry ingredients, mixing until batter is uniform. Bake in a greased 9”x9”x2” pan for 20-25 minutes.
    Corn Muffins:
    Pour corn meal batter into greased or line muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full. Bake at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.
    Recipe Variation:
    **For a sweeter, moister corn bread or muffin, make these changes to the recipe above: use 2/3 cup milk, ½ cup sugar, ½ cup oil and 2 eggs. Reduce the heat to 400 degrees. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
 
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For those who like the crispy edges, you might try hot water cornbread. It's simple and gives you all the crispy you could want:

400 grams corn flour
100 grams bread or AP flour
1 tsp of salt
2 cups boiling water (approx)

Whisk the dry ingredients together, then slowly add the boiling water while mixing with a spoon. You want all the dry ingredients moistened but a thick dough. And that's it for the dough/batter.

Heat some oil in a pan. I like to use my cast iron pan for this.

You can shape the dough into smooth little cakes before frying them in the oil. But I like crispy so I just scoop up some batter in a big spoon and then use another spoon to push some of the batter into the hot oil. The irregular surface gives a higher surface area to volume ratio and that's where the crispy comes from. Fry until they are golden brown, turning them over a time or two. Remove and drain.

I like to serve them with butter or maple syrup, but the possibilities are endless. And though I haven't done this myself, I don't see why you couldn't add some finely chopped jalapeno to the batter before frying to get a little kick.
 
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I've lived in the South, Texas, and the West Coast. I've traveled to all 50 states. The VAST majority of cornbread I've eaten was either dry or flavorless. I've baked cornbread exactly twice in my life, and the results were meh.

There are a cabillion recipes online. I don't have the desire to try them all. Does anybody have a recipe and technique for moist, flavorful cornbread? Sweet, savory, I don't care.

Thanks in advance.

Ray

Oh, and what prompted this was my wife asking questions about baking cornbread for a work pot luck she's having today. I bought her Martha White cornmeal and buttermilk but she felt both her attempts were failures. She took one of them to work.
had to ask Mama, cause i love her cornbread. She uses Jiffy box brand and does not deviate from box instructions. she sometimes adds finely diced canned green chilis or a few spoonfuls of shredded cheddar cheese. Caveat: she makes it in a 8-ish" cast iron skillet that is preheated to instruction temp, then adds mixed goop to hot pan and cooks. Preheating makes for a nice crust on the bottom. The only really moist cornbread I've eaten is when the latins down here add cream corn to their recipes, but i dont have them.
good luck.
 
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