Corn bread recipes are both universal and unique; the root of the recipe may stay the same, but each version has its own flair and taste.
Regardless of who does the making, corn bread always elicits a deep-seated craving for beans and brown sauces; an old nostalgia that cannot always be placed.
The process of making your own variation of the bread adds to that feeling and allows you, the baker, to not only build on a tradition passed down by your relatives and those who came before you, but to share the positive memories corn bread ignites with visiting company, your children, or yourself on a cold, gray day.
This corn bread recipe will provide you with a foundation that you can build off of to your own desire. If you want a straightforward corn bread, starting here is ideal; there are few challenges, and the ingredients are not difficult to find in your local grocery store.
If you want to get a little more creative with your baking, then an alternative recipe is provided after the foundational one that will let you add a little bite to your bake.
There are other additions you can make which are included below, but do not let yourself be limited by these proposed outlines; find your own taste and share it with others so the tradition of corn bread variations can continue.
Let’s get started with the basic recipe, though, before discovering how to make corn bread that’s a little more complicated.
Contents
Corn Bread Recipe
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 3 ½ tsp baking powder
- 1 egg
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1/3 melted butter
- A pinch of salt
How to Make Corn Bread
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, and grease an 8×8 casserole dish.
Soak the cornmeal in milk for fifteen minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
Mix together the flour and cornmeal in a bowl, then add the sugar, salt, and baking powder. Combine the dry ingredients until a uniform mixture forms.
Then, form a well in the center of the mix. Add the milk, egg, and melted butter, and stir until the batter is smooth. Ease the batter into the greased casserole dish.
Bake the cornbread batter for twenty-two to twenty-six minutes. To test for a complete bake, insert a toothpick into the center of the cornbread – a clean toothpick indicates that the bake has finished.
Alternatives for Making Corn Bread
If you want to fiddle with the corn bread recipe, there are plenty of ways to do so. You can substitute the melted butter for vegetable oil, if you would like a healthier bread.
You can also use different kinds of sugars in the mixture; brown sugar, for example, adds a rich, molasses taste that deepens the flavor.
You can add a pinch of chili powder to your corn bread if you want it to have an extra kick.
By using gluten-free flour and cornmeal, you can also make a gluten-free version of the above recipe, but if you really want to personalize your corn bread – kick it up a notch by scattering actual chunks of corn throughout.
The ingredient’s list is as follows:
Ingredients
- 1 cup flour
- 1 cup cornmeal
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup half and half
- ¼ cup melted butter
- 1 cup sweet corn (thawed, fresh, or canned – drain if using canned corn)
- ½ cup sugar (optional)
- A pinch of salt
Process
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and grease your 8×8 casserole dish.
Combine the flour and cornmeal, as before, then add the baking powder and a pinch of salt.
After forming a well in the center of the mixture, add the half and half, eggs, butter, and sugar – note, too, that sugar is optional in this recipe.
Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until the mixture is just barely moistened.
Fold in your fresh, thawed, or canned corn, remembering to the drain the canned corn, if you so choose to use it. While a moist taste is nice, that would be too moist! Mix the batter until the corn is well-integrated.
Disperse the batter evenly throughout your casserole dish, then bake the mixture for thirty minutes – or until it passes the clean toothpick test.
The video below shows a variation of a corn bread recipe using jalapenos and cheese!
Corn bread is a dish that has a vast and varied history, and it remains a staple, even as it evolves to suit individual families.
You can make it for yourself on a cold and rainy day to pair with a thick stew, or you can eat it alongside hot dogs and burgers at any family reunion.
Add an extra kick to the dish with chili powder, or play with its sweetness and add fresh corn or different types of sugars.
Whatever you do, you will contribute to the evolution of corn bread by playing with the tastes that you prefer.
Do you have your own method for corn bread?