Deb
New member
My favorite cornbread is modified from Peter Reinhart's recipe from the Bread Bakers Apprentice. I'm going to post the recipe as it reads from the book and then make notes on what I do differently. It is for a 10" pan (I normally double the recipe and then make five 6" (cake pan) cornbreads - I almost always have cornbread in the freezer
) This was a 12" pan, it was fine but a little thin. 1 cup (6 ounces) coarse cornmeal (also packaged as “polenta”) (I don't always use coarse cornmeal and it still works - most of the time I use a locally grown/ground cornmeal)
2 cups buttermilk
8 ounces (approx. 10 slices) bacon (I rarely make with bacon)
1 3/4 cups (8 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour (I almost always use King Arthur White Whole Wheat instead of white, you can't tell the difference)
1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
(this recipe calls for sugar, brown sugar and honey (below)- I don't like it sweet, I usually use just the 1/4 cup of brown sugar or 2 Tbsp of honey - for this batch I used about 2 Tbsp of Agave)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (I substitute canola oil)
2 1/2 cups (16 ounces) fresh or frozen corn kernels (I skip the corn)
2 tablespoons bacon fat or vegetable oil (spray canola oil works fine)
Directions
1. The night before baking the cornbread, soak the cornmeal in the buttermilk. Cover and leave at room temperature overnight.
2. The next day, to prepare the bacon, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lay out the bacon on 2 sheet pans. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp. Using tongs or a fork, remove the pieces to a pan lined with paper towels to cool. Drain off the fat into a can or stainless-steel bowl and save for greasing the corn bread pan. When the bacon has cooled, crumble it into coarse pieces.
3. Lower the oven setting to 350°F (175°C). Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a mixing bowl. Stir in the granulated sugar and brown sugar. In another bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Dissolve the honey in the melted butter and then stir the warm honey-butter mixture into the eggs. I don't use a separate bowl for the eggs,honey,butter - I throw them right into the cornmeal/buttermilk mixture and mix all togetherAdd this to the soaked cornmeal mixture. Add the wet mixture to the flour mixture and stir with a large spoon or whisk until all the ingredients are evenly distributed and the batter is blended and smooth. It should be the consistency of thick pancake batter. Stir in the corn kernels until they are evenly distributed.
4. Place 2 tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat into a 10-inch round cake pan (you can also use a 9-by-13-inch baking pan or a 12-inch square pan). Place the pan in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the fat gets very hot. With good pot holders or oven mitts, remove the pan, tilt it to grease all the corners and sides, and pour in the cornbread batter, spreading it from the center of the pan to the edges. Sprinkle the crumbled bacon pieces evenly over the top over the cornbread, gently pressing them into the batter.
5. Bake the cornbread for about 30 minutes, or until the bread is firm and springy (the baking time will depend on the size of the pan) and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The top will be a medium golden brown. The internal temperature at the center of the cornbread should register at least 185°F (85°C).
6. Allow the cornbread to cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before slicing it into squares or wedges. Serve warm.
As with all quick breads, this cornbread batter can be used to make muffins. Fill the greased muffin cups to the top and bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 30 minutes, or until the center of a muffin is springy and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
ready to go into the grill
almost ready to come out of the grill
I'm missing a couple pics, off to find them
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