If you grew up in the Deep South like me, surely you know the hype around cornbread. One of my family traditions since my parents were first married is that every Monday night for dinner we have cornbread, beans, and buttermilk.
I know, I know, it sounds gross. But man if that isn’t one of my favorite and most nostalgic meals EVER. And it also makes a great next-day snack with some honey butter slathered on a warm piece *drooling*.
There is huge debate on what the ‘right kind of cornbread’ is, but obviously I’m partial to the one I know and love. The best true Southern recipes are a corn and flour mixture, and I have framed this recipe closely around the one I grew up eating. My favorite thing about it is that same crumbly texture I love with the added benefits of the grains being soaked and fermented by the sourdough.
Begin by mixing together the oil, milk or buttermilk (buttermilk provides a tangier flavor), honey, starter, salt, and corn and all-purpose flours in a large bowl. It should be decently thick but perfectly mixable.
Cover the bowl with a cloth and leave it in a warm place for 24 hours. I personally use raw milk/buttermilk and am fine leaving it out, it is full of beneficial bacteria that will multiply during the ferment.
However if this makes you feel a little eerie, you can leave the milk out at this step and add it in later. Alternatively, you can keep the milk in and put the whole mixture in the fridge for 48-72 hours. This longer ferment time is needed because the yeast and bacteria will be moving slower in the colder temperature.
After 24 hours, the mixture should have a slight film over it. At this point, mix in the eggs and baking soda, and milk if you omitted it earlier. The reason I include baking soda for leavening is because the starter ferments the grains and provides a sourdough flavor, but once you stir it just before baking many of the air bubbles that would help the bread rise are destroyed, though the mixture should still be airy.
Preheat your oven to 400°. While the oven is heating, place a ¼ cup butter in a large cast iron skillet and put it in the oven for the skillet to heat and the butter to melt. This will create a beautiful buttery crust when you pour in the mixture.
Once heated, take out the skillet and swirl around the butter to evenly distribute it. Pour the mixture into the center of the skillet and let it spread outward. The butter may come around the edges to the top.
Bake the cornbread for 25 minutes or until golden brown. You can serve the cornbread immediately with honey butter or stew or any dish of your choice, but allowing it to rest for 5-10 minutes will help the crumb set up better.
Bottom crust
I hope you enjoy this classic Southern cornbread recipe with a sourdough twist. I love that it can be mixed up ahead of time and be ready to bake the next day. If you’re feeling wild, grab a mug and crumble up a piece of cornbread into it. Cover it with buttermilk and top with raw dice onions. YUM!
Southern Sourdough Cornbread
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups buttermilk or milk
- ¼ cup avocado oil (or other neutral oil)
- ½ cup active, bubbly starter
- 1 tsp honey
- ¾ tsp salt
- 1 ¼ cups 100% stoneground cornmeal
- 1 cup all-purpose unbleached flour
- 2 eggs
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ cup butter
Instructions
- Mix the milk, oil, starter, honey, salt, cornmeal, and flour together in a large bowl. Cover with a cloth and let sit in a warm space for 24 hours.Note: If you do not feel comfortable with the milk sitting out in the mixture, you can omit the milk until the next step or slow ferment the mixture in the fridge for 48 hours.
- After the fermenting time, preheat the oven to 400 °F. While the oven is preheating, place a large cast iron skillet inside to get hot with the ¼ cup of butter in it so it will melt.
- Add the eggs and baking soda to the cornbread mixture.
- Once the oven is heated, remove the skillet and pour the mixture into the melted butter. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
Notes
- If you do not want to leave the milk in the mixture, omit it in the first step then add it in with the eggs and baking soda just prior to baking. Alternatively, the whole mixture can be slow fermented in the refrigerator for 48-72 hours.
- Things such as whole kernel corn or diced onions should be mixed in just prior to baking.
- If you do not have a cast iron skillet, a ceramic or glass baking dish will work as well. The process will be the same, you just may not get as golden of a crust. Use 1/2 cup butter instead of 1/4 to help achieve a better crust.