Corn Dodger
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a hot oven”. The 400°F (200°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Make the dough
Pour the boiling water over the corn meal, fat, and salt.
Beat well until combined.
When cool, form the mixture into thin cakes.
Bake
Bake in a hot oven at 400°F (200°C) for 30 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 cakes and sets into a firm, sturdy crumb as it cooks.
- Boiling water
- Hydrates the corn meal and gelatinizes its starch, creating a soft, cohesive dough.
- Fat
- Adds richness and tenderness, helping the cakes brown and keeping the crumb from drying out.
The step that matters
Forming the cakes when cool. The mixture must cool enough to handle, since boiling-hot starch is sticky and hard to shape. Shaping it thin ensures the centre bakes through in the given time.
“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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