Ultimate Cornbread

“How come I can’t act like a normal person and just throw something out”, I recently bemoaned to my sister. I was complaining about a box of peaches that tasted like they were never going to reach their sweet spot, and wondering aloud how I could repurpose them. “It’s called upcycling and it’s a good thing, using food in a way to create something better than the original. Make jam”, she advised. I already had 32 jars of homemade jam on the door of the fridge and questioned whether I could squeeze in even one more.

Ultimate Cornbread

Fresh corn on the cob is at its peak of flavor right now in Ontario. After a recent family barbecue, I despaired of the two lone uneaten cobs of corn that were tucked away in the corner of my fridge. Sunny, golden yellow with plump, sugary kernels, they deserved a better fate than the organics bin. When Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen published this adaptation of Cook’s Illustrated magazine’s cornbread, in which fresh corn kernels are used to punch up its flavor, I knew that my neglected corn cobs had found their destiny. Moist and fluffy, with a crunchy top and rich with the taste of corn, this cornbread is a great accompaniment to savory dishes, summer salads or eaten on its own as a snack. 

Oh, and those peaches…they became jam. Mmm hmm.

Assemble your ingredients. I used fresh corn from a leftover ear of corn on the cob for this recipe. You can also use frozen corn kernels. 

To prepare foolproof corn on the cob every time, bring 4 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Drop up to 8 ears of corn into the pot and turn off the heat. Cover the pot and let the corn remain in the water for at least 15 minutes, and up to 60 minutes.  Season the corn with salt before serving.

To remove the corn kernels from an ear of corn, break the corn cob in half, hold the corn cob vertically on a plate or pan and cut down the side of the corn cob as close to the cob as possible.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and adjust the oven rack so that it is in the middle of the oven. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. I used an aluminum disposable round baking pan that was a little bit deeper than the usual round disposable pan.

Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Set aside.

If not using buttermilk, add one tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring cup and add milk or non-dairy milk such as oat milk or almond milk, up to the 1 cup mark.

In a food processor or blender, process the brown sugar, corn kernels, and non-dairy milk mixture until combined, about 5 seconds. Add the eggs and process until well combined, about 5 seconds longer.

Using a spoon or a spatula, make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well. Stir until just combined. Add the melted butter or oil and continue folding until mixed in.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake until the cornbread is a deep golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean. This took 40 minutes in my oven. Check the cornbread after 30 minutes to be safe. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cornbread onto the wire rack and flip it right side up. Allow the cornmeal to cool for another 10 minutes then cut and serve. It can also be eaten at room temperature.

Print Recipe

Ultimate Cornbread

Breakfast, Bread and Muffins

By Deb Perelman, Smitten Kitchen, Cook's Illustrated – Serves: 8-12

Prep Time: 15 minutes – Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes – Total Time: 45-55 minutes

Moist and fluffy, with a crunchy top and rich with the taste of corn, this cornbread is a great accompaniment to savory dishes, summer salads or eaten on its own as a snack. 

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, (7 1/2 ounces)
• 1 cup yellow cornmeal (5 1/2 ounces)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon table salt
• ¼ cup packed light brown sugar (1 3/4 ounces)
• 1 cup fresh cooked corn or frozen corn kernels, no need to defrost
• 1 cup buttermilk, or non-dairy milk such as almond milk added to 1 tablespoon lemon juice to make 1 cup
• 2 large eggs
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick), melted and cooled slightly, or 1/2 cup vegetable oil

Instructions

1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and adjust the oven rack so that it is in the middle of the oven. Spray an 8-inch baking dish with cooking spray. I used an aluminum disposable round baking pan that was a little bit deeper than the usual round disposable pan.

2

Whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl until combined. Set aside.

3

If not using buttermilk, add one tablespoon of lemon juice to a measuring cup and add milk or non-dairy milk such as oat milk or almond milk, up to the 1 cup mark.

4

In a food processor or blender, process the brown sugar, corn kernels, and non-dairy milk mixture until combined, about 5 seconds. Add the eggs and process until well combined, about 5 seconds longer.

5

Using a spoon or a spatula, make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredients into the well. Stir until just combined. Add the melted butter or oil and continue folding until mixed in.

6

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. Smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake until the cornbread is a deep golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into the center of the cornbread comes out clean. This took 40 minutes in my oven. Check the cornbread after 30 minutes to be safe. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Invert the cornbread onto the wire rack and flip it right side up. Allow the cornmeal to cool for another 10 minutes then cut and serve. It can also be eaten at room temperature.

Notes

Add a squeeze of honey or a drizzle of maple syrup onto the corn bread if desired. Cornbread freezes well. Leftovers can also be wrapped in foil, refrigerated and reheated in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes or briefly in the microwave.