Sourdough Cornbread
Moist, tender cornbread with a mild sourdough tang, baked in a hot buttered skillet for a golden, crisp bottom crust.
Servings: 10 slices
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅔ cup yellow cornmeal finely ground
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter melted, for the batter
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for the pan
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (not convection). Place your cast iron skillet or baking pan in the oven with 1 tablespoon butter for the last 10 to 15 minutes of preheat time.
- Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, sourdough discard, and melted butter until smooth and emulsified.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet and whisk just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Remove the hot skillet from the oven. Pour in the batter and spread it to the edges with a silicone spatula.
- Bake for 20 to 24 minutes, until the center springs back when pressed gently and a toothpick comes out clean or with a few clinging crumbs.
- Serve warm from the pan. For clean wedges, let it cool slightly, turn it out onto a cutting board, and slice with a serrated knife.
Notes
Pan options: A 10-inch cast iron skillet, 9-inch round cake pan, or 8x8 or 9x9 inch baking dish all work here. The preheated skillet gives the crispest bottom crust.
Discard freshness: Use discard no older than one week from the refrigerator. Older discard adds excess acidity that makes the crumb dense and wet, closer to spoon bread than cornbread.
Cornmeal grind: Finely ground cornmeal absorbs moisture most evenly. If using medium grind, add an extra 1/4 cup to compensate.
Storage: Store at room temperature up to 3 days, loosely covered. Cornbread is best the day it is baked.
Discard freshness: Use discard no older than one week from the refrigerator. Older discard adds excess acidity that makes the crumb dense and wet, closer to spoon bread than cornbread.
Cornmeal grind: Finely ground cornmeal absorbs moisture most evenly. If using medium grind, add an extra 1/4 cup to compensate.
Storage: Store at room temperature up to 3 days, loosely covered. Cornbread is best the day it is baked.
Nutrition
Calories: 293kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 96mg | Sodium: 579mg | Potassium: 98mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 599IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 84mg | Iron: 1mg