20 Recipes That Will Change How You Think About Cornbread (2024)

FAQs

How has cornbread changed over time? ›

These early cornbreads are still a far cry from the fluffy fall favorite we enjoy now. In addition to lacking sugar and wheat flour, early versions didn't have leavening agents. Substances like baking soda and buttermilk that give modern cornbread its rise were not used until the 19th century.

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.

What does baking soda do for cornbread? - Quora. It makes the batter rise a bit so your cornbread will be light and a little fluffy. If you omit some sort of leavening agent, and baking soda is just one kind, your finished cornbread after baking will be about an inch high, and shall we say, pretty dense.

It is commonly called "cornbread" in the Southern United States and is not known by a different name in this region. Cornbread is a simple bread that is made by mixing cornmeal, flour, salt, baking powder, and milk to form a batter, which is then baked in the oven.

Cornbread is probably one of America's oldest foods. American Indians learned early on to dry or roast corn and grind it into a meal for making bread, cakes and porridge. Cornmeal, introduced to the first settlers by the American Indians, was precious, as it helped those colonists survive the harsh first years.

To personalize the cornbread, the box also features this tip: Mix in 1 cup shredded Cheddar, 1 (4-ounce) drained can chopped green chiles, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne before baking for a zesty spin.

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

If the mixture is too loose and watery, whisk in cornmeal a tablespoon at a time until it thickens. Pour the mixture into the hot skillet.

It's a real treat with chili, ribs, or barbecued chicken. You could even use this sweet, homemade cornbread to make stuffing for your Thanksgiving feast! My mom made this for me as a child, and now it's my family's favorite. Serve with butter, jam, honey, or your favorite spread.

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 thing that distinguishes Southern cornbread from, say Yankee cornbread, or any other cornbread one is likely to eat outside of the southern states, is that it is savory, not sweet, and it is made mostly with cornmeal.

1Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Note: We recommend allowing cornbread batter to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before baking, so if you prefer, you can delay heating the oven until you make the batter. 2Melt the butter, and then set aside to cool slightly.

Eggs are responsible for giving baked goods structure, which means the amount you use directly affects the resulting texture. Using too few eggs will make your desserts dense, but using too many will make them rubbery. The explanation for this lies in the fact that eggs are made up of protein.

Cornbread is as American as apple pie, but its origins date back far beyond the inception of this country. With roots in Mesoamerican, Native American, and African cultures; history and people have shaped this iconic American bread into what it is today.

Southern cornbread has traditionally been made with little or no sugar and smaller amounts of flour (or no flour), with northern cornbread being sweeter and more cake-like. Southern cornbread traditionally used white cornmeal and buttermilk. Other ingredients such as pork rinds are sometimes used.

Native American Roots

The Native Americans ground corn into meal and used it to make a simple flatbread, which was cooked on hot stones or in shallow pits. This early version of cornbread was a basic mixture of cornmeal, water, and sometimes a bit of salt.

No one is exactly sure of its origin. Some people have theorized that cornbread and milk, also referred to as “crumble in” or “crumb-in,” was a way for farmers and their families to stay fed during food shortages. Others agree that it may have risen from southern people trying to revive stale or dried-out cornbread.