Savoury Cornbread

Hello again dear readers,

I am all excited this week because I get to make something I have never (but always wanted to) make before ~ Savoury Cornbread! Picked up a bag of yellow cornmeal at the store MONTHS ago because I intended on making ciabatta. The cornmeal was called for to dust the surface of the table and bread board while you leave the bread dough out to rise a second time just before baking. The entire process of making a ciabatta loaf takes 18 hours. Hmmm … maybe some other time then.

Today I wanted something quick, easy and that fed a lot of people. Tomorrow is meeting day at the office as per usual and I have been getting feedback from the office staff that some really don’t fancy my weekly sweet treats all that much. I prefer savoury treats myself, so I sympathise with them. The thing with many savoury dishes is that they need to be kept warm or they would taste yucky, therefore, many savouries are off my list. I know it is the same principle with the cornbread … best eaten warm, fresh out of the oven … but I am willing to give this one a go. I am hoping that if this recipe is a good one then it would still be nice tomorrow with some butter. Mmmmm ….

Cornbread is done when the top is golden brown and it crispy. Tap it and you should feel a hard shell.

This is a versatile recipe; the base is the same but you can play around with the herbs and spices you add in for flavour. In this recipe I am using a mixture of dried herbs, spices and a handful of grated cheddar cheese. You can add bacon too if you like, with a pinch of nutmeg.

So, what you will need :

• 60 g unsalted butter , melted
• 240 g yellow cornmeal
• 190 g all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp dried Oregano
• 2 tsp dried Thyme
• 1 tsp dried Rosemary
• 1/2 tsp paprika or cayenne pepper
• pinch of chilli powder
• 400 mls buttermilk
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp salt  (omit salt if using salted butter)
• handful of grated cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tsp sugar

1. Traditionally cornbread is made in a cast iron skillet and shortening or lard is used to oil the pan … but I do not own a cast iron skillet large enough to fit this recipe and neither do I have lard lying around the house. So I am using a rectangular, general run-of-the-mill Pyrex baking dish. I buttered the sides and placed a sheet of parchment paper on the bottom. I have never made cornbread before so I am not taking any chances that it might stick. I also sprayed the parchment paper with baking spray for added security. It may be unnecessary. Alternatively if you don’t wish to go the baking pan or cast iron skillet way, then pop the batter into a muffin tin. Just remember to spray the holes before adding the batter.

2. Preheat oven to 240ºC. That’s like super hot … and as far as my little oven will go in terms of heat. The reason for this is you want a nice crispy finish to the top of your cornbread.

3. Assembly is pretty darned simple. Just combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl : Flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, dried herbs and spices. Whisk together and set aside.

4. Combine wet ingredients in a pouring jug : buttermilk, eggs, cheese, cooled melted butter. Whisk together. The buttermilk will give the cornbread a nice soft and tender texture. If you do not have buttermilk where you come from, then just use a buttermilk substitute by combining 250 mls fresh milk or cream with 2 tbsp vinager or yoghurt. Leave for 30 mins to sour and thicken. This works just as well as buttermilk.

5. Now combine the wet ingredients with the dry, using a rubber spatula to mix everything together. Nevermind that it looks a bit lumpy. Check seasoning and adjust accordingly.

6. Pour into prepared baking dish and whack in the oven for about 27 mins. When it is done remove the baking dish and pierce the cornbread with a skewer to check doneness. If your cornbread is browning too quickly then turn down the oven temp after the first 10 mins to 200ºC.

7. Remove from the pan onto a cooling rack. Cut into generous squares and serve warm with butter. I prefer to have mine with garlic and chive cream cheese for some reason. Whichever way you prefer to have it the important thing is to enjoy the fruits of your labour. I hear that cornbread is fabulous for sopping up gravy too. Mmmmm…! Also, must consider making sausage gravy.

~ ENJOY ~