Plain Corn Bread
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
In a large bowl, mix cornmeal, baking soda, and coarse sea salt.
Stir in buttermilk until well combined.
Pour batter into a greased baking dish.
Bake
Bake in preheated oven until golden brown.
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
- Provides the main structure and the coarse, crumbly texture of the bread.
- Baking soda
- Reacts with the acid in buttermilk to release gas that lifts the batter.
- Buttermilk
- Adds moisture and acidity, and the acid activates the baking soda.
The step that matters
Stir in buttermilk until well combined. Baking soda only releases gas when it meets an acid, and buttermilk supplies it. Once combined, the batter should go into the pan and oven without delay, so the gas is trapped before it escapes.
“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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