Cast Iron Cornbread

This cast iron cornbread is your classic Southern styled skillet cornbread with a perfect crust, but extra moist. Serve as a side dish.

This cast iron cornbread is baked in a cast iron skillet. This is common practice in the South.

Southern cornbread is more savory than sweet cornbread, which is popular in the North.

This type of cornbread is usually eaten as a side dish and goes perfectly with fried chicken.

HOW TO EAT Cornbread

According to my friend from the great state of Georgia, “cornbread can be eaten with many things. Usually things like fried chicken, almost any veggie, barbecue, and so on”

He also said it can be topped with honey, jalapenos, or cheese.

A woman from Kentucky once told me: when she was a little girl, she would have her cornbread for dinner with a glass of milk and put cornbread crumbs in the milk.

Cornbread is generally served as a side dish. However, cornbread topped with honey can also be eaten as a dessert.

QUICK BREADS VS YEAST BREADS

When I think of bread, I think of white bread, dinner rolls, and the like.  You know, traditional yeast breads that have dough and you have to let rise twice.

Then I thought of banana bread, sweet potato bread, and pumpkin bread. So, I looked it up, and discovered that these are quick breads.

Quick bread originated in the States and uses baking soda or baking powder, allowing them to rise quickly.  

These were not just breads that were made in a loaf pan though, but also things like biscuits and buttermilk biscuits.

Other surprising examples of these are cakes, muffins, cookies, and pancakes.

The Civil War brought quick breads into high demand because breadmakers were in short supply.

Naturally, quickly made foods became in high demand and it wasn’t long before recipes were being adapted from yeast to baking soda.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN QUICK BREAD AND CAKE

When I first started making quick breads, my mother questioned the difference between it and cake.  My conclusion was, cake is fluffier whereas bread is denser. I still think that is a fair analysis of it.

I expect my chocolate cake to be light and fluffy, whereas I expect my banana chocolate chip bread to have weight to it.  Both, however, when done right, should be moist with a good crumb.

The name “cornbread” can be a little confusing to some.  I remember once reading a review left by an English woman on a cooking site who said it came out nothing like bread.  

As far as classic yeast breads go, that is completely true. Instead, it’s a quick bread and more of a cake than a bread.  Still, it is not a dessert but most commonly used as a side dish.

There are a number of different types of cornbread. Among the most popular is sweet cornbread, which is popular in the North, and classic Southern cornbread which is light on sugar.

BREAD FLOUR VS ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR

Bread flour has a higher protein content than all-purpose, which helps with gluten development. This is great for challah and other breads.

Some recipes call for it if an especially chewy texture is desired.  It will also produce a heavier and denser loaf.

All purpose flour has a lower protein content, but can generally be substituted for bread flour.

I almost never use anything other than all purpose flour, including in bread recipes. For quick breads, I only recommend using all purpose flour.

WHY SIFT FLOUR

There are a number of benefits to sifting dry ingredients:  First, it removes any unwanted debris and helps the flour combine with other dry ingredients like salt and baking powder.

Also, you can get a more accurate measurement than flour packed tightly in a bag.  No less importantly, it removes any lumps that can get into the batter and be hard to break up later, or be missed altogether before baking.

BAKING WITH OIL

In general, oil in baked goods makes for a superior texture than those made with butter.  

Oil cakes tend to bake up taller with a better crumb. They also stay moist and tender far longer than recipes made with butter.

Furthermore, since oil is lighter than butter, the texture of oil cakes is lighter too.

Also, given that oil is 100% fat while most American butter is 15% water, it creates a more tender crumb.

This is due to the fact that the extra water strengthens the gluten, resulting in a crumb that’s more dense.

Which Type Of Oil to Use

I use neutral oils like canola oil, safflower oil, and vegetable oil.  However, it’s not unheard of for oils with stronger flavors, like olive oil or coconut oil, to be used.

If using olive oil, I recommend using pure olive oil for its milder flavor and higher smoking point.

Baking with Oil Conversion Chart

If you want to convert your butter recipes to oil recipes, check out my baking with oil – butter to oil conversion chart.

DO EGGS NEED TO BE AT ROOM TEMPERATURE?

The short answer is “no”.  While a side-by-side comparison shows that baking with eggs at room temperature makes a better crumb, it’s not otherwise noticeable.

What are Eggs used for?

Eggs do three things in most recipes: they help bind the ingredients together, act as a mild leavening agent, and they add moisture.

EGG FREE OPTION

Eggs can be substituted with 1/4 cup of unsweetened apple sauce per egg.  This means for recipes calling for 2 eggs, you’d need 1/2 cup of unsweetened apple sauce.

The reason applesauce makes a good binder is that it’s high in pectin. Pectin is a naturally occurring starch in fruits and berries that acts as a thickening agent and stabilizer in food.

This happens when combined with sugar and acid (if the fruit or berry isn’t naturally acidic).

Just keep in mind that it may change the flavor slightly.

ARE EGGS DAIRY?

No, eggs are not dairy.  Dairy is milk and any food products made from milk, including cheese, cream, butter, and yogurt. 

So, while eggs are an animal product, they are not dairy. In fact, eggs fall under the protein food group.

HOW TO STORE

Let the bread cool fully. Transfer the bread to an airtight container lined with a paper towel.  Place another paper towel on top of the bread before sealing. 

If using a zip-top plastic bag, line both sides of the bag with paper towels and remove as much air as possible before sealing the top of the bag. 

Store at room temperature for up to 4 days.

HOW TO FREEZE

Let the bread cool fully. 

Wrap in plastic wrap, then place in a resealable freezer bag. Freeze for up to 3 months.  

They will still be safe to eat after 2 to 3 months but their quality begins to degrade. 

When ready to eat, let thaw at room temperature or rewarm gently in an oven.

CORNBREAD SNAFU:

The first time I tried to make this recipe was for Thanksgiving Dinner.

I was feeling so rushed, I accidentally added a tablespoon of salt instead of a teaspoon.

Needless to say, it was extremely salty and not much of a hit.

In fact, I was worried my family wouldn’t give this recipe a second chance.

However, after a little convincing, they are glad they did.