Corn Bread
By Mark Bittman
From the How to Cook Everything® app
Introduction:
Corn bread is unlike any other bread, with a deep corn flavor and slightly crunchy texture; few recipes deliver so much for so little work. The main recipe represents corn bread at its most traditional and most basic (some might call it slightly Spartan). For more intensely flavored renditions, see the variations here and the suggestions in 13 Additions To Virtually Any Quick Bread, Muffins, Biscuits, or Scones.Ingredients:
- 1¼ cups buttermilk, milk (mixed with 1 tablespoon white vinegar if you want; see Step 1), or yogurt, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons butter, extra virgin olive oil, lard, or bacon drippings
- 1½ cups medium‐grind cornmeal
- ½ cup all‐purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon sugar, or more if you like sweet corn bread
- 1 egg
Steps:
- Heat the oven to 375°F. If you want to make sour milk (approximating buttermilk), warm the milk gently to take the chill off—1 minute in the microwave is sufficient—and add the vinegar. Let it rest while you prepare the other ingredients.
- Put the fat or oil in an 8‐inch ovenproof skillet or square metal baking pan over medium heat; heat until good and hot, about 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Mix together the dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix the egg into the buttermilk. Stir the liquid into the dry ingredients just enough to combine; if it seems too dry, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top if necessary, and put in the oven.
- Bake for about 30 minutes, until the top is lightly browned and the sides have pulled away from the pan; a toothpick inserted into the center will come out clean. Serve hot or warm.
