Cornbread

By Mark Bittman

Cornbread
Melina Hammer for The New York Times
Total Time
45 minutes
Rating
4(2,846)
Comments
Read comments

This basic recipe is so easy and forgiving that you may find yourself making cornbread as often as your mother made mashed potatoes. Only a few ingredients are pretty much fixed: the salt, the baking powder, cornmeal and flour (you want a little flour for lightness). Other than that, feel free to experiment with bits of cooked bacon, sautéed onions or shallots, chili powder or cumin, chopped chilies or herbs, grated cheese, mashed or puréed beans or fresh, canned or frozen corn. The options are practically endless.

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings
  • 4tablespoons butter, olive oil, lard or bacon drippings
  • 1½cups medium-grind cornmeal
  • ½cup all-purpose flour
  • 1½teaspoons baking powder
  • 1teaspoon salt
  • ¼ to ½cup sugar
  • 2eggs
  • 1¼cups milk, more if needed
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (8 servings)

264 calories; 9 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 41 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 12 grams sugars; 6 grams protein; 241 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put fat in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or in an 8-inch square baking pan. Place pan in oven.

  2. Step 2

    Meanwhile, combine dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix eggs into milk, then stir this mixture into dry ingredients, combining with a few swift strokes. If mixture seems dry, add another tablespoon or two of milk.

  3. Step 3

    When fat and oven are hot, remove skillet or pan from oven, pour batter into it and smooth out top. Return pan to oven. Bake about 30 minutes, until top is lightly browned and sides have pulled away from pan; a toothpick inserted into center will come out clean. Serve hot or warm.

Tips
  • OLD-FASHIONED CORNBREAD: Reduce fat to 1 tablespoon, sugar to 1 tablespoon (or none) and eggs to 1. Bake as above.
  • LIGHTER CORNBREAD: Separate eggs. Stir yolks into milk, as above, and beat whites until stiff but not dry, then gently stir them into prepared batter after yolks and milk have been incorporated. Bake as above.

Ratings

4 out of 5
2,846 user ratings
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Comments

Devon Marsh

Buttermilk instead of milk works very well. And no sugar.

TriciaPDX

For a gluten free option, use masa harina instead of flour. You'll need both eggs as masa makes a somewhat more crumbly texture. I use half buttermilk and half milk, adding a half teaspoon of baking soda. This makes a really delicious cornbread with a pretty intense corn flavor.

Sara F

I really like the texture of this cornbread, but it was a little on the salty side. I would probably cut the salt in half next time.

Sarah

A lot of southern cooks would not include flour or sugar in the cornbread batter.

Megan

Super simple, could’ve used a bit more salt. I usually use Morton’s but recently switched to diamond crystal and it’s definitely not as salty. Made in a square 8x8 and worked like a dream

Kendra C

I had to mix partway through baking as the olive oil was just pooling on too.

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