Whole Grain Corn Bread-II

Skillet Cornbread

By Cat, Jan 2008 (Photo, right, from Wikimedia Commons)

• See also: 1. Quick Breads, Muffins; 2. Corn Bread or Muffins: Sprouted Grain or Pre-Soak Method; 3. Lime water
• Includes: 1. Standard Method; 2. Pre-soak Method

The most important consideration when making cornbread, is the source of the cornmeal. Since most commercial feed corn – the kind of corn used to make cornmeal and corn starch – is GMO, you want to be sure to purchase either “Organic”  or “GMO-free” cornmeal.  (Cornmeal is made from feed corn, not sweet corn).

There are many different recipes for cornbread, some sweet and cake-like, others plain and bread-like. It can be made in a heavy cast iron skillet on top of the stove, or in a cast iron skillet/pan or regular baking pan in the oven.

Cornmeal to Flour Ratio

Some cornbreads are made with regular (fine-ground) cornmeal, coarse stone-ground cornmeal, or with a mixture, and usually with wheat flour (whole grain or white), which helps the cornmeal to form a dough. This recipe uses coarse-ground cornmeal in a 1:1 ratio with whole grain wheat flour. It also uses fresh milk and baking powder as the leavening, but you could use buttermilk and baking soda as the leavening, as in the presoak version.

Cornbread recipes vary on proportion of cornmeal to wheat flour (whole or white), when using 2 – 3 eggs and 1 to 1 1/2 cup milk. The following are from my various cookbooks/recipes (amounts in parenthesis are specified in the recipe); it’s all a matter of taste:

• Tassajara Bread Book (muffins): 1:1 (1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup flour; 2 cups total);
• Bob’s Red Mill:  1:1 (1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup flour; 2 cups total)
• Better Homes & Gardens (1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup flour; 2 cups total)
• Betty Crocker cookbook: 3:1 (1 1/2 cups cornmeal,  1/2 cup flour; 2 cups total);
• Chow.com Masa Cornbread: 3:1 (1 1/2 cups cornmeal, 1/2 cup flour; 2 cups total);
• New Vegetarian Epicure: 3:2 (1 1/2 cups cornmeal,  1 cups flour; 2 1/2 cups total);
• Nourishing Traditions:  2:1 (2 cups cornmeal, 1 cup flour; 3 cups total).

Whole Grain Corn Bread, Standard Method

This recipe is adapted from a package of Bob’s Red Mill coarse cornmeal (1). NOTE: as of this writing (Nov 2014), Bob’s Red Mill cornmeal varieties are not Organic, and thus may be GMO; I recommend using a different brand that is Organic or labeled as non-GMO.

This recipe does not use sprouted or presoaked flours, and the ratio of cornmeal to wheat flour is 1:1. The cornmeal in this recipe has not been limed; If you wish to soak the cornmeal in lime water, refer to Lime water and Corn Bread or Muffins: Sprouted Grain or Pre-Soak Method for guidance. Alternately, you can use masa instead of regular cornmeal.

I’ve not yet tried this.

Makes 9 – 12 squares.

Ingredients & Equipment:

• 1 cup Organic coarse-grind cornmeal
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry or whole spelt flour
• 1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt
• 3 tsp aluminum-free baking powder
• 1 Tbsp Rapadura sugar or 2 tsp maple syrup (optional)
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, soft
• Equipment:
• medium and large bowls
• 8 or 9″ square pan, or cast iron skillet

Method

1. Preheat oven to 425°F.  Grease pan or skillet.
2. Sift dry ingredients into large bowl.
3. Beat eggs and sugar/maple syrup in a medium bowl; add butter and beat again. Add milk, stirring to blend.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry; beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
5. Spoon into greased pan. Bake 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
6. Remove pan from oven and cool on rack.
7. Serve with whipped butter and honey.

Whole Grain Corn Bread, Presoak Method

This recipe is adapted from the above recipe. The coarse cornmeal in this recipe has not been limed; if you wish to soak the cornmeal in lime water, refer to Lime water and Corn Bread or Muffins: Sprouted Grain or Pre-Soak Method for guidance. Alternately, you can use masa instead of regular cornmeal.

The standard method (above) uses 3 tsp baking powder (1.5 tsp soda equivalent); for a pre-soak method which incorporates acidic buttermilk into the batter it is better to use part soda and part baking powder (1 tsp baking soda plus 1 tsp baking powder), or all baking soda plus cream of tartar (1.5 tsp soda plus 1 tsp cream of tarter).

Makes 9 – 12 squares. I’ve not yet tried this.

Ingredients & Equipment:

• Pre-soak:
• 1 cup Organic coarse-grind cornmeal
• 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry or whole spelt flour
• 1/4 cup butter, soft
• 1 cup buttermilk or sour milk, or more, as needed
• Next Day:
• 1/4 cup unbleached white flour
• 1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt
• 1 tsp baking soda plus 1 – 1 1/2 tsp aluminum-free baking powder OR 1 1/2 – 2 tsp baking soda plus 1 – 1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar (need to test amount)
• 1 egg
• 1 Tbsp Rapadura sugar or 2 tsp maple syrup (optional)
• Equipment:
• medium and large bowls
• 8 or 9″ square pan, or cast iron skillet

Method

1. Pre-soak: Combine cornmeal and whole grain flour in large bowl.
2. Cut in butter; then stir in buttermilk/sour milk. If too thick, add more buttermilk, 1 Tbsp at a time until it forms a smooth batter.
3. Press a sheet of waxed paper against the surface of the mixture, then place bowl in a plastic bag and let it rest on the counter overnight.
4. Next Day: Preheat oven to 325°F.  Grease pan or skillet.
5. Beat eggs and optional sugar/maple syrup in a medium bowl, then stir into presoak mixture.
6. Sift white flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder over the batter, then stir in, just until moistened.
7. Spoon into greased pan. Bake 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Remove pan from oven and cool on rack.
9. Serve with whipped butter and honey.

References

1. Bob’s Red Mill, Basic Cornbread (for coarse Cornmeal) recipe #1746, with butter.  See also recipe #659, without butter (all links removed at their request)