Cornbread, Corn Sticks, and Skillet Bread

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Cornbread, Corn Sticks, and Skillet Bread

 

Recipe By : Beans Greens and Sweet Georgia Peaches by Damon Lee Fowler

Serving Size : 1 Preparation Time :0:00

Categories : Breads

 

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method

-------- ------------ --------------------------------

2 cups water stone-ground cornmeal

2 teaspoons baking powder -- preferably

single-acting

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups buttermilk or yogurt

4 tablespoons butter -- melted

 

 

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450

degrees F. When it has reached that temperature, lightly but thoroughly

grease the pan you plan to use and preheat it in the oven for at least 10

minutes.

 

2. Measure the cornmeal into a miming bowl that is large enough to allow all

the ingredients to be mixed together comfortably. Stir in baking powder and

salt.

 

3. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs until smooth and stir in the buttermilk

or yogurt and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter.

 

4. When the pan is well heated, make a well in the center of the cornmeal

and then pour in the milk and egg mixture. Quickly stir in the liquid, using

as few strokes as possible.

 

5. With a pot holder, remove the pan from the oven and add to it the

remaining 2 tablespoons of melted fat. If you are using a corn-stick or

muffin pan, drizzle the fat equally into each well. Take a cold stick still

wrapped in its paper and rub a little into each well. Butter will sizzle if

the pan is hot enough. If it doesn't, put the pan back into the oven for

about 5 more minutes.

 

6. Now, quickly pour the batter into the pan. Again, it must sizzle when it

touches the pan. If you are using a corn-stick or muffin pan, fill each well

level with the sides. Do it quickly so that each addition sizzles.

 

7. Bake in the upper third of the oven until nicely browned and firm, about

25 minutes for corn sticks or muffins and 35 minutes for a skillet cake. As

soon as the bread comes out of the oven, invert the pan over a plate (for

the cake) or a linen towel (for the corn sticks or muffins). The bread

should come right out of the pan.

 

 

If you are using a standard-sized muffin or corn-stick pan, this batter will

make 2 batches. I keep two pans on hand for the purpose, but you can make

the bread in batches. As soon as you have removed the first batch from the

pan, add more fat to the pan and repeat as above. Roll the first batch up in

a tea towel to keep them warm while the second batch cooks. Don't use paper

towels, foil, or an insulated mat, as they will trap the steam in the bread

and soften the crust. Serve the cornbread warm with plenty of good butter.

 

Many a Southern vegetable dish is not considered complete without cornbread,

whether it comes to the table in the form of a hoecake, a wedge of skillet

bread, a crispy corn stick, or a dumpling floating among the greens.

Originally, Southern cornbread was a simple, rough batter of meal water and

salt. The combination evolved over the years, becoming softer and richer.

Most modern recipes include buttermilk, eggs, and some kind of enriching

fat. They might also include other enrichments, such as fresh corn kernels

or jalapeno peppers. Here is the basic recipe, with the classic taste and

texture that Southerners have come to prize.

 

 

 

 

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