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A staple during the summer months, especially in cookouts—not to mention a classic barbecue side dish across the country—cornbread is always in season. That means it deserves a spot on your holiday table this winter. But don’t worry, delicious cornbread doesn’t require expert baking skills; unlike traditional bread, this southern comfort food presents a low barrier to entry.
“Cornbread,” says Iain Jones, executive pastry chef at The Sea Pines Resort, “is easier than most people think.”
It’s also almost universally loved, which Jones explains by pointing to three main aspects of the dish.
“It’s hearty. It’s comforting. And it’s very nostalgic — thinking about when your grandmother used to make it,” he says. “It’s very versatile and goes with a lot of things.”
In fact, Jones’ Cornbread Muffins (recipe shared below) contain minced garlic and fresh chopped rosemary, which means they’re almost guaranteed to go well with the other dishes and mains that make up your holiday spread. So roll up your sleeves, break out that mixer, and—powered by Chef Jones’ tips—get ready to whip up a batch of delicious, homemade cornbread.
Texture issues
When choosing ingredients, pay attention to the smallest details – literally. The coarseness of the flour and cornmeal you use can make a significant difference in the finished product.
“When I’m working with cornmeal, I prefer a slightly more refined flour,” Jones explains, pointing to Sir Galahad’s all-purpose bleached flour from the King Arthur brand as an excellent choice. “A coarser ground flour gives your cornbread a tougher texture.”
Similarly, the chef likes to use a more refined cornmeal. “I like cornmeal with a finer texture,” he says, acknowledging that it also affects consistency and density. “I don’t want to bite into a piece of cornbread that has a big crunch in it.”
Entering the mix
Like other breads and pastries, cornbread suffers if the dough is overworked before baking. As Jones admits, you want to mix the dry and wet ingredients together until fully incorporated. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a pile of cornbread that’s “hard and chewy.”
During this step, the chef likes to alternate adding portions of the flour mixture and then the milk, always starting with the dry ingredients and ending with them as well. The alternative – combining all the ingredients at once and leaving the mixer – is where problems can develop. So just keep an eye on how the ingredients are incorporated and when it looks like the last of the flour mixture is combined, turn off the mixer.
“At the end,” he says, “just scrape down the sides of the bowl and fold everything in by hand to make sure it’s incorporated.”
Just don’t worry too much about stopping the process when the ingredients are “just incorporated”. While you don’t want the dough to be overworked, it won’t break if the mixer runs a few more cycles than it should.
“A few times around the bowl won’t be the difference between something great and something terrible,” assures the chef.
Knowing how it goes out
You have options when it comes to how you choose to bake your cornbread. If you want a loaf with crispy outer edges, go the cast iron skillet route. Just make sure it’s well coated with butter, oil or bacon fat and, just as important, make sure it’s preheated.
“You want to have that pan nice and warm so that when you throw the batter in,” says Jones, “it creates a nice crust around it.”
If you’re looking for a lighter or softer form of cornbread, the chef recommends using a muffin pan or Madeline pan.
Regardless of the pan you use, Chef Jones suggests baking the bread at 325 degrees in a convection oven or 350 degrees in a traditional oven. If you’re using smaller pans, the cornbread will likely be done in 10 to 15 minutes. If you go the route of a large cast iron skillet, it will likely take 20 to 25 minutes. As for how to tell when bread is done, Chef Jones says cornbread follows the same basic principles as muffins.
“When you press the top, it should spring back, but not be hard,” he says. “You want it to be a little golden on the edges.”
Her milking
Much was made of Chef Jones’ favorite types of flour and cornmeal, and he’s particular about the milk he uses, too. Specifically, he encourages home bakers to use buttermilk instead of traditional milk, especially if the recipe calls for baking soda.
“It has that beautiful color and adds a bit of acid, which reacts with your driers to produce something a little lighter,” he says. “It’s about chemical reactions—when you work with baking soda, you need an acid to activate it. Traditional milk doesn’t provide that.”
When and how to improvise
If you want to customize your cornbread, some ingredients can be folded into the dough without affecting how it bakes. These mostly dry ingredients include — among others — chopped jalapenos and shredded cheddar cheese.
“You don’t have to worry too much about it affecting the recipe,” says Jones, “because you’re not adding more liquid.”
Problems arise when bakers try to add or substitute wet ingredients, such as creamed corn. This does not mean that these modifications cannot work, but they will require additional changes in the volumes of some of the other components. For this reason, Chef Jones likes to lean on the culinary tips he picked up years ago.
“My old chef used to tell me all the time, ‘Whenever you try a new recipe, make it three times (before you modify it). That way you understand how and why it works.”
Rosemary Cornbread Muffins
Courtesy of Iain Jones, Executive Pastry Chef at Sea Pines Resort
Yields approximately: 18 muffins, 36 mini muffins
Ingredients:
375 g of all-purpose flour
300 g of corn flour
300 g of sugar
12 g of baking powder
3 g of baking soda
360 g butter, softened
225 g buttermilk
5 whole eggs
14 g fresh garlic, minced
6 g fresh rosemary, chopped
7 g of salt
Method of preparation:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees (325 degrees for convection ovens).
Grease mini or regular muffin tins with butter or oil.
In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
When the butter is soft, use a stand mixer or a hand mixer on medium speed to beat the butter and sugar together. Beat for 3 to 5 minutes or until the mixture is pale and fluffy.
Gradually add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well with each addition.
Reduce the mixer speed to low, then fold in the dry ingredients, alternating adding the flour mixture with portions of the buttermilk, making sure to start and end with the dry ingredients. (Mix until combined. Don’t overmix!)
Fold in the minced rosemary and minced garlic.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the top is golden. (With your finger, press gently into the center of the muffin. It should spring back without leaving an indentation.)
Once done, remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before removing from pan.
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