Classic Buttermilk Cornbread

I made a batch of cornbread yesterday to use in cornbread dressing for Thanksgiving. So, I thought I'd share my recipe with you. This is a pretty basic recipe--simple and flavorful. There are many ways to flavor cornbread by adding cheese, herbs, corn, or jalapenos. I'll save those jazzed up versions for another post. I'm starting with this basic recipe. This is the one I use for Thanksgiving dressing. It's also good with chili and soup. Simple, wholesome stoneground cornmeal flavor.

It is so darn easy to make cornbread. It's pretty hard to make a bad batch. 

Here are the ingredients: flour (you can substitute some whole wheat pastry flour for part of the white flour, if you wish), stoneground cornmeal (I use medium grind), baking powder, kosher salt, honey, and buttermilk (I use the convenient buttermilk powder, but you can also use fresh). There is just enough honey in this recipe to give it a hint of sweetness, but it can be omitted altogether if you prefer.

Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Step 2: Whisk the wet ingredients together in a separate medium bowl.

Step 3: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir them just until they're combined--don't over mix.

Step 4: Bake it in an 8" square pan--or you can use muffin tins or a cast iron skillet.

DONE. Doesn't get much easier than that.

If you'll be using the cornbread in dressing, crumble it up and spread it out on a baking pan to let it dry out for a day or 2. If you need to speed up the drying time, put the baking pan of crumbled cornbread in a 300 degree oven for 30 minutes.

Or, cut the cornbread into squares and eat it by itself, with butter, with honey, with jam, or dunked in a bowl of chili or soup. 

For a Southwest version of this cornbread, check out my post and recipe
Cheesy Jalapeno Cornbread. 

Make it a yummy day!

Classic Buttermilk Cornbread

By Monica              Servings: 9 servings

Ingredients

• 1-1/4 cups stone ground yellow cornmeal (medium grind)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (can substitute 1/4 cup with whole wheat pastry flour)
• 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup + 2 tablespoons lowfat buttermilk*
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons honey

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 8x8" baking pan with cooking spray. (Can also use 12-cup muffin pan.)
Combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt in large bowl (plus buttermilk powder if you're using it--see * below). Whisk together.
In separate bowl, whisk the egg, buttermilk (or water--see * below), and honey together. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Stir until just mixed--don't over mix.
Pour into baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden and a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes.

*In place of buttermilk, can substitute:
--1 cup + 2 tablespoons water, and
--4 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon dry buttermilk powder.