Corn Bread or Hoecake
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a quick oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
In a deep dish, combine the cornmeal and salt.
Gradually add warm water or warm milk to create a thick batter.
Stir in the melted lard and mix thoroughly.
Pour the batter into a well-greased pan and bake in a 400°F (200°C) oven.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Cornmeal
- Forms the main body and structure of the bread.
- Melted lard
- Adds fat that keeps the crumb tender and moist.
- Warm water or warm milk
- Hydrates the cornmeal so it forms a spreadable batter.
The step that matters
Adding the warm liquid gradually. Cornmeal absorbs liquid at its own pace, so adding it slowly lets you stop at a thick batter. Too much liquid at once makes the batter loose and the bread dense or soggy.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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