This is a very-easy-indeed and absolutely delicious corn bread. I used it mainly as a vehicle for butter, but it’s also excellent with hummus, pesto, olive oil… you name it. No kneading required.
We’ve been on a bit of a bread roll (I’m sorry, I had to) in the house recently, so I thought I’d share the love. NB: this is not American cornbread, which is bright yellow and almost cake-like: this is just deliciously tasty and moist bread with corn in it.
What:
- 4 cups flour: whatever type takes your fancy, I’ve used mixtures of cream, spelt and rye to delicious effect.
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 small teaspoons of baking powder
- Half a teaspoon of salt
- Can of sweetcorn: about 2 cups’ worth in volume.
How :
- Preheat your oven to about 200C (about 400F).
- Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the corn and mix in well.
- Finally, add the buttermilk and mix well.
- The texture of the dough should be quite sticky – not like the typical yeasty bread dough – but coherent enough to dump into an oven-proof dish in one go. If it seems too sticky, it’s no harm to add a bit more flour.
- Optional step: sprinkle a little flour on the top and draw a cross on the bread: this controls the shape as it rises and is a handy portion gauge.
- Lash it in your pre-heated oven for about 40-50 minutes (depending on your oven and the type of flour you’ve used). It’s ready when it sounds hollow when tapped and/or a skewer comes out clean.
- Leave to cool, covered with a tea towel, for a few minutes – but eat while warm (with lashings of butter).
Try not to put it all in your face at once.