Minnie Utsey's No-Fail Cornbread Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What ingredient keeps cornbread from crumbling? ›

Cornmeal gives cornbread its classic color and flavor, but too much can make your bread crumbly. Try replacing a little bit of cornmeal with flour. The specific measurements will depend on how much cornmeal and flour is in your recipe, but you should try to have more flour than cornmeal in your batter.

The extra egg which is increased protein and binder makes the cornbread denser and heavier in texture.

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.

It originated with British colonists who adapted their baking to use meal ground from white corn. But it wasn't sweet.” No matter who it was, those that lived in the south found sugar to be too valuable to put in cornbread, so they simply poured syrup or sorghum molasses over it.

Cornbread normally cracks on top, but if it is too extreme and falling apart there are a few options. Do not over mix ingredients. Stir until they are just moistened. Add an extra egg yolk, even if the recipe doesn't call for an egg.

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.

Pour batter into prepared pan. The batter will be lumpy. Overcome the urge to mix until smooth. Overmixing can cause the corn bread to peak and have tunnels, resulting in a tough texture.

“JIFFY” mixes can also be prepared with water or plant-based milk alternatives like soy, almond or coconut milk. Pineapple or orange juice may be substituted for flavor variation in the corn and fruit muffins. Feel free to experiment with other options and let us know if you find something else that works well.

Masterclass notes that corn pone is distinguished from cornbread by the omission of eggs and milk. Both sources confirm that corn pone is cooked in a cast iron skillet, which is also the traditional cooking vessel for Southern cornbread.

Cornbread is a quick bread made with cornmeal, associated with the cuisine of the Southern United States, with origins in Native American cuisine.

Which cornmeal is best for cornbread? ›

As for the best cornmeal for cornbread, either fine- or medium-grind cornmeal is a great choice. Medium-grind cornmeal will bring slightly more texture and grittiness to the batter, which you may or may not want (it's up to you!). You can use fine or medium cornmeal in these extra corny muffins.

However, cornbread generally contains high amounts of carbs, phosphorus, and sodium in each serving. One piece of cornbread prepared from a commercially prepared mix contains ( 2 ): Calories: 198. Protein: 4 grams.

Cornbread is delicious and a great accompaniment to any meal. However, it is not a good idea if you are a diabetic. The high starch and cornmeal contents are carbohydrates which are broken down into sugar in the body. Sugar is extremely dangerous for people with diabetes, so it is best to avoid it.

The term "pone" most likely entered English from Native American language terms like apan, oppone or supawn, meaning baked, possibly related to earlier ash cakes baked in hot coals. A "corn pone" is usually a small round loaf of cornbread, about the size of a biscuit, traditionally baked in a round cast iron skillet.

Egg as a Binding Agent

The primary purpose of using eggs in cornbread (and with other baked goods) is to bind the ingredients together. By holding the ingredients together, the egg improves the mixture's structure and texture while allowing you to create a gel-like substance for easier processing.

While not a professional chef, my experience with corn bread, be it packaged or made from scratch is if you over mix it, it's gonna fall! Also, let it sit for 4-5 minutes after gently scraping it into the pan and let the ingredients start their magic reactions. No peeking while baking!! That can make it fall too.

It has a grainy texture, courtesy of stone-milled cornmeal from Anson Mills, where each bite is loaded with maximum impact. In other words, paying attention to your cornmeal pays off. Consider it one of the few times size, shape, and type actually do matter.

Storing your cornbread in the fridge when it's still warm can cause moisture to build upon the surface, which will make it spoil faster. Wrap your cornbread in plastic wrap. Plastic wrap will keep air and moisture away from your cornbread so it lasts longer. Store your cornbread in the fridge for up to 1 week.