Cornbread Recipe with Freshly Milled Corn - Grains and Grit (2024)

FAQs

Can I use corn grits instead of cornmeal? ›

At the end of the day, all forms of ground corn from dried whole kernels are interchangeable, meaning you can make a porridge with the “cornmeal” you likely have in your cabinet right now or bake “grits” into cornbread (in theory). It's mostly just a matter of preference and desired texture.

It has a grainy texture, courtesy of stone-milled cornmeal from Anson Mills, where each bite is loaded with maximum impact. In other words, paying attention to your cornmeal pays off. Consider it one of the few times size, shape, and type actually do matter.

As for the best cornmeal for cornbread, either fine- or medium-grind cornmeal is a great choice. Medium-grind cornmeal will bring slightly more texture and grittiness to the batter, which you may or may not want (it's up to you!). You can use fine or medium cornmeal in these extra corny muffins.

Similar to cornmeal, grits are made from dried and ground corn but are usually a coarser grind. Grits are often made from hominy, which is corn treated with lime (or another alkaline product) to remove the hull.

Cornmeal is ground corn, as well – simply a much finer, flour-like grind. In an artisan grits mill, very often when the grits are ground, the larger pieces are sifted and labeled as grits, and the smallest, finest grind that falls to the screen below is reserved as cornmeal.

The key to cornbread that isn't gritty is letting the cornmeal soak in the milk for a bit.

In answer to, “How do you make cornmeal less gritty?” you can put it through a food processor or blender. Usually in small batches.

Grits are yellow or white cornmeal in varying grinds, always made from dent corn and always coarser than coarse cornmeal, according to Roberts. Cooked, it's a porridge vital to Southern foodways. Still, some manufacturers don't distinguish between grits and polenta, labeling them one and the same.

Butter adds flavor and color, while oil keeps the crumb tender and moist. Brown Sugar: We add some sugar to our cornbread and prefer to use brown sugar. The flavor combination of cornmeal and brown sugar works well. If you only have white sugar, that's okay.

Soaking the cornmeal in buttermilk for a few hours, or even overnight, tenderizes the large grains of cornmeal, making the bread more moist and tender. This step is optional, however, and the bread is still delicious without the soaking step.

What are the little black specks in cornbread? ›

The black specks are simply naturally dark pieces of the pericarp (skin) of the corn, where the tip of the kernel attaches to the cob. The color of the specks will vary by crop and year. They are the same as those commonly seen in hard taco shells, corn or tortilla chips, cornmeal, and natural whole corn products.

Adding about 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of extra butter or vegetable oil can increase the moistness of your cornbread. You can do this even if your recipe doesn't call for butter or oil. Replace milk or water with creamed corn. If your recipe calls for milk or water, try replacing it with creamed corn.

Let the bread rest for 10 to 30 minutes in the skillet before cutting it into wedges and serving. To avoid burning your hand because you've forgotten the pan is hot, I recommend placing a pot holder on the pan's handle while the cornbread is resting, or cooling the handle down a bit with an ice cube.

There are some additional foods you can use in place of cornmeal. If you don't have any of the options above, you can consider ground oats, masa harina, bread crumbs, ground flaxseed, polenta flour, smashed cornflakes, homemade cornmeal, or hominy grits.

Bread the fillets with grits instead of cornmeal. In a shallow dish, whisk together eggs and 2 tablespoons water. In another shallow dish, place grits.

Stone-ground grits, made from whole corn kernels, contain more vitamins and minerals than regular, highly processed grits. The corn kernel pericarp and germ are removed, leaving just the starch when processing quick, instant, or regular grits.

They can be served sweet or savory, for breakfast or as part of an elegant dinner. When it comes to eating grits as the first meal of the day, some people choose to make them hearty by adding eggs and cheese, while others like to add butter, syrup, nuts, and/or jam for a sweet dish.