When you mention cornbread, the responses are immediate and varied. Mostly, opinion is divided by the Mason-Dixon Line. Northerners like yellow corn meal with more wheat flour and more sugar than the southerners. Southerners (who really claim ownership of cornbread), often use mostly white corn meal and less sugar.
Actually, the colonists were the first white people to use cornmeal for baking quick breads, gems (muffins) and jonnycakes—but they also baked yeast breads using part cornmeal. One of the best known and most popular is Anadama bread. The story goes that a New England fisherman, whose wife was named Anna, came home from the sea to find no cornbread. Not being a knowledgeable cook, he made his own, throwing in white flour and yeast and muttering, “Anna, damn her!”
A third type of cornbread I made with masa harina, the Mexican cornmeal which is richer than regular cornmeals because it is made from hominy (hulled corn) instead of the whole kernel. The white corn kernel is soaked in lime to remove the hulls, then ground. Everyone is familiar with the much-loved tortillas, tamales and other Mexican specialties made from masa harina.
The best cornbread that I have found is from the Dairy Hollow House—a country inn in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the heart of the Ozarks. You can use white cornmeal and the smaller amount of sugar if you hail from the south.
Dairy Hollow House Skillet-Sizzled Cornbread
1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2-4 Tbsp. sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
Pam cooking spray
2-4 Tbsp. butter
Preheat the oven to 375. In large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In small bowl, stir the baking soda into the buttermilk. In a second bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar-to-taste and the oil, then whisk in the buttermilk. Spray an 8-or 9-inch cast iron skillet with Pam. Put the skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter and heat until the butter melts and is just starting to sizzle. Tilt the pan to coat the bottom and sides; add the wet ingredients to the dry and quickly stir together, using only as many strokes as needed to combine. Scrape the batter into the hot, buttery skillet. Immediately put the skillet in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.
I tried to make this cornbread in a round stoneware baking pan (Pampered Chef). Usually, the stoneware makes everything better, especially bread; but not this time. The edges weren’t as crisp, buttery and tender—and the overall color of the bread wasn’t as good. You can use both stone-ground and regular cornmeal with good results. If you are looking for more fiber and more crunch—the stone-ground is better.
Minnesota is the home of a wonderful cook and cookbook writer, Beatrice Ojakangas. She has written many, many cookbooks—especially about baking. Ojakangas is of Finnish descent and lives in Duluth now, but grew up on the “range” as we call the iron-ore mine area of Minnesota where there are many Finnish people. She won many accolades and even some prizes at the Minnesota State Fair and local fairs, as well, but none as large or exciting as the Pillsbury Bake Off Second Grand Prize of $5,000—and that was in the Fifties! The prize was for “Cheesy Picnic Loaf” made from her Anadama bread.
I experimented with different recipes for Anadama bread and finally came up with one that we love—using sourdough starter.
Sourdough Anadama Bread
1 cup warm water
1 cup sourdough starter
4 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
½ cup molasses, preferably sorghum molasses
1/3 cup butter (softened)
1 Tbsp. salt
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. yeast
Bread-maker method:
Spray bread-maker with Pam spray, then put all the ingredients into container in order listed. Put bread-maker on dough setting. When done, take out and shape into two loaves and bake in 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.
If you’re adventurous, here’s a recipe for corn tortillas:
Makes 12
2 cups masa harina
1 ¼ cups water
Dash salt (optional)
In a mixing bowl, mix everything together with a fork, then with your hands to make a stiff dough. If you have a food processor, put everything into it, using the steel blade. Process until dough is very smooth. Divide into 12 equal balls. Roll each ball on an unfloured surface or between sheets of waxed paper, to 1/8 inch thick, 6 inches across. Trim edges with a knife or scissors. Heat an ungreased griddle to 450 degrees. Cook tortillas one at a time for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Stack as they are finished and then wrap in plastic or store in a plastic bag.
Actually, the colonists were the first white people to use cornmeal for baking quick breads, gems (muffins) and jonnycakes—but they also baked yeast breads using part cornmeal. One of the best known and most popular is Anadama bread. The story goes that a New England fisherman, whose wife was named Anna, came home from the sea to find no cornbread. Not being a knowledgeable cook, he made his own, throwing in white flour and yeast and muttering, “Anna, damn her!”
A third type of cornbread I made with masa harina, the Mexican cornmeal which is richer than regular cornmeals because it is made from hominy (hulled corn) instead of the whole kernel. The white corn kernel is soaked in lime to remove the hulls, then ground. Everyone is familiar with the much-loved tortillas, tamales and other Mexican specialties made from masa harina.
The best cornbread that I have found is from the Dairy Hollow House—a country inn in Eureka Springs, Arkansas, the heart of the Ozarks. You can use white cornmeal and the smaller amount of sugar if you hail from the south.
Dairy Hollow House Skillet-Sizzled Cornbread
1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
1 large egg
2-4 Tbsp. sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil
Pam cooking spray
2-4 Tbsp. butter
Preheat the oven to 375. In large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt. In small bowl, stir the baking soda into the buttermilk. In a second bowl, whisk together the egg, sugar-to-taste and the oil, then whisk in the buttermilk. Spray an 8-or 9-inch cast iron skillet with Pam. Put the skillet over medium-high heat, add the butter and heat until the butter melts and is just starting to sizzle. Tilt the pan to coat the bottom and sides; add the wet ingredients to the dry and quickly stir together, using only as many strokes as needed to combine. Scrape the batter into the hot, buttery skillet. Immediately put the skillet in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cut into wedges to serve.
I tried to make this cornbread in a round stoneware baking pan (Pampered Chef). Usually, the stoneware makes everything better, especially bread; but not this time. The edges weren’t as crisp, buttery and tender—and the overall color of the bread wasn’t as good. You can use both stone-ground and regular cornmeal with good results. If you are looking for more fiber and more crunch—the stone-ground is better.
Minnesota is the home of a wonderful cook and cookbook writer, Beatrice Ojakangas. She has written many, many cookbooks—especially about baking. Ojakangas is of Finnish descent and lives in Duluth now, but grew up on the “range” as we call the iron-ore mine area of Minnesota where there are many Finnish people. She won many accolades and even some prizes at the Minnesota State Fair and local fairs, as well, but none as large or exciting as the Pillsbury Bake Off Second Grand Prize of $5,000—and that was in the Fifties! The prize was for “Cheesy Picnic Loaf” made from her Anadama bread.
I experimented with different recipes for Anadama bread and finally came up with one that we love—using sourdough starter.
Sourdough Anadama Bread
1 cup warm water
1 cup sourdough starter
4 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup stone-ground yellow cornmeal
½ cup molasses, preferably sorghum molasses
1/3 cup butter (softened)
1 Tbsp. salt
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. yeast
Bread-maker method:
Spray bread-maker with Pam spray, then put all the ingredients into container in order listed. Put bread-maker on dough setting. When done, take out and shape into two loaves and bake in 375 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.
If you’re adventurous, here’s a recipe for corn tortillas:
Makes 12
2 cups masa harina
1 ¼ cups water
Dash salt (optional)
In a mixing bowl, mix everything together with a fork, then with your hands to make a stiff dough. If you have a food processor, put everything into it, using the steel blade. Process until dough is very smooth. Divide into 12 equal balls. Roll each ball on an unfloured surface or between sheets of waxed paper, to 1/8 inch thick, 6 inches across. Trim edges with a knife or scissors. Heat an ungreased griddle to 450 degrees. Cook tortillas one at a time for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Stack as they are finished and then wrap in plastic or store in a plastic bag.
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