Easy Homemade Corn Bread Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How is cornbread made from scratch? ›

Whisk flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Add milk, vegetable oil, and egg; whisk until well combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the pan comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

Northern cornbreads tend to be more cake-like, on the sweet side, with a finer crumb due to more flour in the mixture. Southern cornbread is flavored with bacon grease, and cooked in a cast iron skillet, a perfect side for barbecues, or chili. It also tends to be rather crumbly.

Adding about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of extra butter or vegetable oil can increase the moistness of your cornbread. You can do this even if your recipe doesn't call for butter or oil. Replace milk or water with creamed corn.

The gluten in flour adds durability to your cornbread. Meanwhile, cornmeal is slow to absorb liquids, making your cornbread more inclined to crumble, according to Our Everyday Life.

Can I substitute water for milk in cornbread mix? Yes, you can, but it may result in a less rich flavor. If you're out of milk, try using cream or half-and-half, evaporated or powdered milk, or even plain yogurt. If you have dietary restrictions, try soy or oat milk.

In a large bowl mix together the corn meal, flour, salt, and baking powder. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, butter, and buttermilk. Add to the dry ingredients and stir until well blended.

One of the simplest ways is to bring in more flavor and depth is by adding ⅓ cup of sour cream to the batter, which makes the cornbread extra moist and a little tangy. Another tangy option: Add ⅔ cup of buttermilk, which also makes the cornbread super tender.

To make cornbread moist again (and to give it a crispier crust), opt for the stovetop. Coat a non-stick pan or skillet with butter or olive oil, and reheat on medium low. If you can, flip it after 5 minutes to rewarm (and moisten) evenly.

Look for a temperature no lower than 200°F (93°C) but no higher than 209°F (98°C). If the cornbread is done, remove it from the oven and allow it to cool somewhat before either turning it out of the pan or slicing and serving from the skillet.

Set the batter aside for 10 to 15 minutes.

By letting the cornbread batter sit at room temperature before baking, the cornmeal has some extra time to absorb the flavor from the other ingredients, and the baking powder gets a head start.

How to tell when cornbread is done? ›

Spread the thick batter in your prepared pan, and bake the cornbread for 20 to 25 minutes, checking it at 20 minutes. When done, the edges will be lightly browned and just beginning to pull away from the pan. A toothpick or paring knife inserted into the center should come out clean.

Overmixing the batter

It might also end up being gummy or crumbly, depending on how long you bake it. Even if you aren't using flour (as many southern cornbreads don't), the extra air you've whipped into the batter will do one of two things: collapse in the oven or create a cornbread that's overly dry.

The homemade cornbread mix is easy to whip up and uses just 6 basic ingredients: flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt, and vegetable oil.

If you're from the north, your cornbread most likely has sugar or honey in it. If you're from the south, you may not use sweetener in your bread at all. Those in Appalachia may still prepare cornbread the old-fashioned way simply using ground corn, hot water, and lard.

White bread is rich in calories, whereas cornbread is 60% lower in calories — white bread has 238 calories per 100 grams, while cornbread has 96 calories. Therefore, cornbread has more nutrients than white bread. Consequently, you can consider it to be healthier.

Place the corn kernels in a blender or seed grinder. Then just grind till you obtain a powder. The first go-around will yield some uneven pieces, so sieve the powder into a bowl and then re-grind the larger pieces. You may need to go for a third grind/ blend.