Kentucky Corn Bread
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.
Prepare the batter
In a bowl, stir corn meal with enough cold water to make a stiff batter.
Cook
Heat a well-greased iron griddle on the stove.
Pour the batter onto the griddle, spreading it smoothly to cover the surface.
Cook slowly until browned on the underside, then turn it over.
Alternatively, transfer the griddle to a 400°F (200°C) oven and bake for 30 to 45 minutes.
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
- Corn meal
- Forms the main body of the bread, setting into a firm, sturdy crumb as it cooks.
- Cold water
- Hydrates the corn meal so it binds into a stiff batter that holds its shape on the griddle.
The step that matters
Cook slowly until browned on the underside. Cooking over gentle heat lets the centre set through before the outside burns. Browning depends on sugars and proteins reacting at the surface, so a too-hot griddle scorches the bottom while the inside stays wet.
“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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