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A staple during summer months, especially at cookouts — not to mention a go-to side dish at classic barbecue joints all across the country — cornbread is always in season. That means it deserves a place on your holiday table this winter. But don’t worry, delicious cornbread doesn’t require expert baking skills; unlike traditional breads, this southern comfort food presents a low barrier of entry.
“Cornbread,” says Iain Jones, the 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 key aspects of the dish.
“It’s hearty. It’s comforting. And a lot of the appeal is nostalgia — thinking about the times when your grandma used to make it,” he says. “It’s very versatile and it goes with so many things.”
In fact, Jones’ cornbread muffins (recipe shared below) feature minced garlic and chopped fresh rosemary, which means they’re almost certain to go with the other plates and main entrees that make up your holiday spread. So, roll up your sleeves, break out that stand mixer, and — empowered by Chef Jones’ advice — get ready to whip up a batch of delectable, homemade cornbread.
Texture Matters
When you’re choosing ingredients, pay attention to the finer details — literally. The coarseness of the flour and cornmeal that you use can make significant differences in the finished product.
“When I’m working with cornmeal, I prefer a flour that’s a little more refined,” Jones explains, highlighting the Sir Galahad bleached, all-purpose flour by the King Arthur brand as an excellent choice. “A flour that’s coarser ground gives your cornbread a rougher texture.”
Similarly, the chef likes to use a more refined cornmeal. “I like cornmeal with a finer texture,” he says, acknowledging that it, too, impacts the consistency and density. “I don’t want to bite into a piece of cornbread that has a big crunch to it.”
Getting Into the Mix
Like other breads and cakes, cornbread suffers if the batter is overworked prior to baking. As Jones acknowledges, you want to mix together the dry and wet ingredients until they’re just fully incorporated. Otherwise, you’ll end up with a batch of cornbread that’s “tough and chewy.”
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During this step, the chef likes to alternate adding portions of the flour mixture and then milk, always starting with the dry ingredients and ending with them, too. The alternative — combining all of the ingredients at the same time and walking away from the mixer — is where problems can develop. So just keep an eye on how the ingredients are incorporating, 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 batter to be overworked, it’s not going to be ruined if the mixer runs for a couple of cycles more than it needs to.
“A couple times around the bowl is not going to be the difference between something great and something horrible,” the chef assures.
Knowing How It Pans Out
You’ve got options when it comes to how you choose to bake your cornbread. If you want a bread with crispy outer edges, go the route of a cast iron skillet. Just make sure its well-greased with either butter, oil, or bacon fat and, equally important, make sure that it’s pre-heated.
“You want to have that pan nice and warm, so that when you pour your batter in,” Jones says, “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 molds. Regardless of which vessel you use, Chef Jones suggests baking the bread at 325 degrees in a convection ovens or 350 degrees in a traditional oven. If you’re using smaller molds, 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 between 20 and 25 minutes. As for how to know when the bread is done, Chef Jones says cornbread follows the same basic principles of cupcakes.
“When you press the top, it should spring back, but not be firm,” he says. “You want it lightly golden on the edges.”
Milking It
Much was made about Chef Jones’ preferred 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 nice tang to it, and it adds a little bit of acid, which reacts with your leaveners to produce something a little bit lighter,” he says. “It’s about the chemical reactions — when you’re working with baking soda, you need an acid to activate it. Traditional milk doesn’t offer that.”
When and How to Improvise
If you’re hankering to personalize your cornbread, some ingredients can be folded into the batter 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,” Jones says, “because you’re not adding more liquid.”
Where problems arise is when bakers try to add or substitute wet ingredients, such as creamed corn. That doesn’t mean those modifications can’t work, but they’ll require additional tweaks to the volumes of some of the other ingredients. For that reason, Chef Jones likes to rely on culinary advice he received years ago.
“My old chef used to tell me all the time, ‘Anytime you try a new recipe, make it three times [before you modify it]. That way you understand the hows and the whys behind why it works.’”
Rosemary Cornbread Muffins
Courtesy of Iain Jones, Executive Pastry Chef at Sea Pines Resort
Preheat the 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 butter is soft, use a stand mixer or a hand mixer on medium speed to beat together the butter and sugar. 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 incorporate the dry ingredients, alternating the addition of the flour mixture with portions of the buttermilk, making sure to start and end with the dry ingredients. (Mix until just combined. Do not overmix!)
Fold in the chopped rosemary and minced garlic.
Pour the batter into the prepared tins and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the top is golden. (Using your finger, gently press in the middle of the muffin. It should spring back without leaving an indentation.)
When done, remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before removing from the molds.
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