Perfect rise cornbread


 

Steve Petrone

TVWBB Diamond Member
Some days the cornbread rises perfectly. Sometimes it is just cornbread. My last batch was special. Unfortunately it is not always so.

Using Three Rivers Mix, I add the egg and buttermilk first. In a few minutes I add hot oil from the skillet. This seems to give me the best results. There seems to be a rise from adding the liquid...then another in the oven. Double rise baking powder at work. Is this proceedure the best for getting the most consistant rise?
 
Steve, if the mix calls for buttermilk, there is probably baking soda in the mix.

Baking soda will give the batter a rise as soon as an acidic liquid such as buttermilk is added, without the heat of the oven. But if you agitate the mixture too much or too long, you will deflate the initial rise, so use a folding motion rather than a stirring one and only mix until the dry ingredients are just moistened evenly. A few small dry spots are OK.

There is also baking soda in baking powder, but also cream of tartar. Baking 'powder' will give you a heat-activated rise.

Cornbread is a pretty heavy batter and you need both an initial rise and one in the oven to complete the leavening process.

For cornbread mixtures, it's best to mix in the liquid just before baking.

Rita
 
Steve,

Here is the recipe I use for making a light, high rise cornbread. It makes enough for an 8" x 12" pan. (A hot, oiled cast iron skillet also makes a great crust and is an optional way to do this.)

2 1/4 cups cornmeal
1.5 cups cake flour or substitute all purpose flour
1.5 t. kosher salt
3/4 t. baking soda
1.5 t. baking powder
5 T. honey
3 large eggs
1/4 cup melted butter (or 3 T butter + 1 T real lard)
2.5 cups buttermilk
(optional grated squash or minced jalapeno [reduce buttermilk by 1/4 cup when adding squash])

Allow eggs to come to room temp. Preheat oven to 425. (Preheat pan if using cast iron; if using a regular bake pan grease it with butter.) Sift the dry ingredients. Place a large metal sieve inside a larger mixing bowl. If the cornmeal is fine enough to sift through the sieve, sift it as well. If not, just add it to the bowl before sifting remaining dry ingredients through the sieve into the mixing bowl.

Separate egg whites from egg yolks. There are a couple ways to do this, but my preferred method is with my hands. Gently crack an egg and open it into your cupped hand. Gently pass the egg back and forth with your fingers open just enough to allow the white to pass through but not the yolk. Continue passing back and forth until you have just the yolk in your hand, then put this into a different bowl. Repeat this with remaining eggs.

Whisk the egg yolks, then pour in the buttermilk, whisking as you go. Zap your butter or butter/lard in the microwave just long enough just to melt it. Use your beater to whisk the egg whites until the tops form stiff peaks that stand up when you lift the beater (make sure it is off when you lift to check).

Using a balloon whisk, very gently whisk as you add the buttermilk/egg yolk mixture to the dry ingredients. You don't want to mix too much or it won't rise as well. After about 5 seconds of whisking, add the melted butter or butter/lard. Stop whisking before it is completely integrated. You shouldn't mix gently for more than 10 seconds total at this point.

Last, fold the beaten egg whites into the mixture in two batches. Use a spatula to make a folding motion and be very gentle. You're not aiming for 100% integration. You'll still see some white globs the size of your thumb nail that aren't mixed in. That's OK.

Pour the mixture into your pan. It is going to rise a fair amount, so be sure to have an inch or so of headroom in your pan. Bake for about 30 minutes until is is golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out cleanly. The actual bake time could vary quite a bit based on your oven and the height of your batter when you pour it into your pan, so start checking at 25 minutes. Just like barbecue ribs, don't pull it based on the time in the oven, but based on when it is done.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Does bacon fat work in place of the butter? </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Absolutely--that would work well.
 

 

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