Is cornbread an exciting choice for week 40? No. Video HERE

But it is the start of Chili Season here in the midwest. I know in some places people eat cinnamon rolls with chili, but for me, it has ALWAYS been cornbread.

Admittedly, that cornbread has been made from good old Jiffy box mix. It’s cheap, fast, and good and I’ve never been ashamed of my cornbread choices. I did want to see if from-scratch could beat out box mix.

King Arthur had a super simple recipe, so I went with it. The results were… fine? Ok? Good enough?

1. Yellow cornmeal isn’t cheap, for starters. While I did only use two bowls, a spatula, a few measuring spoons, and a scoop, that is still more than the three dishes I would have used with the box mix, just being honest here.

2. As far as a time save, was it really? From-scratch probably only added an extra five to ten minutes of prep time. Baking time was pretty much the same.

3. Flavor. I’m not sure what the sugar content is in the box mix, but Jiffy is definitely a sweeter cornbread. KA was more buttery, so I guess you just need to choose your flavor preference.

Now I did have some kind of issue with the actual baking. My cornbread sat in the oven for 25 minutes. It turned golden and passed the toothpick test just fine. I left it cooling on the counter and, when I came back after about ten minutes, the middle had sank. I wasn’t sure what that meant until I cut into it. It seemed like the top center was almost raw. Just below the surface. How on earth did that happen? I have no clue. The edges were perfect.

Was this a successful bake for the challenge? I suppose so. It was edible, it did have a good flavor, and it was simple. But it wasn’t the cornbread I was used to, so that may be my mental/emotional block with it. I think you will just have to try it and decide for yourself!

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Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups (210g) all purpose flour

• 1 cup (156g) yellow cornmeal

• 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 3/4 teaspoon table salt

• 1 1/4 cups (283g) milk, lukewarm

• 4 tablespoons (57g) unsalted butter, melted, cooled

• 1/4 cup (50g) vegetable oil

• 1 large egg

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Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 9″ square or round pan (a cast-iron skillet will work fine, too), shallow 1 1/2 quart casserole dish, or 12 muffin cups.
• Weigh your flour and cornmeal; or measure each by gently spooning into a cup, then sweeping off any excess. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In another bowl or large measuring cup, whisk together the milk, melted butter, vegetable oil, and egg.
• Pour the liquid all at once into the flour mixture, stirring quickly and gently until just combined. Don’t over mix: stir the batter just enough to bring it together and evenly moisten the ingredients.
• Spread the batter into the prepared pan, or scoop into the muffin tin.
• Bake the bread for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges just begin to pull away from the pan and a cake tester or paring knife inserted in the center comes out clean. If making muffins, bake for 14 to 16 minutes.
• Remove the bread from the oven and cool it on a rack for 5 minutes before cutting; serve warm.
• Store any leftovers, well wrapped, at cool room temperature for a few days; freeze for longer storage.