Because cornmeal has no gluten, cornbread does not prove and does not rise. Adding some wheat flour holds the structure together, but do not go all the way to wheat; the dense texture of cornbread is its character.
Ingredients
For the dough
Method
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Scald the cornmeal
Put the cornmeal in a bowl, pour the hot water over, stir and leave for 10 minutes. This lets the meal swell.
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Add the dry ingredients
Add the wheat flour, baking powder and salt and mix.
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Add the fat
Add the melted butter to make a soft dough.
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Into the tin
Tip it into a greased dish or loaf tin and level the top.
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Bake
Bake at 190 degrees for 50 minutes. A knife into the centre should come out clean.
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Cool
Leave in the tin for 15 minutes and turn out.
Tips
- Do not skip scalding the cornmeal with hot water; meal that has not swollen feels like grit in the bread.
- Do not wait for it to prove, cornbread does not rise. Being dense is normal.
- Eaten hot with cheese and butter. The next day, fry it in a pan.
Nutrition
210
kcal
5 g
Protein
4 g
Fat
40 g
Carbs
2 g
Sugar
3 g
Fibre
Values are per serving and approximate.