Betty's Cornbread
Betty's Cornbread is a Southern favorite, perfect for serving with a bowl of her Ham-Seasoned Soup Beans.
Betty's Cornbread is a Southern favorite, perfect for serving with a bowl of her Ham-Seasoned Soup Beans.
- 2 eggs
- 3/4 cup self-rising flour
- 1 1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix (this is a mixture of cornmeal and flour. if you cannot find it,
- 1 cup of milk (or enough to make a batter that is the consistency of cake batt
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil for baking pan (i used peanut oil.) note: i failed to mention adding the oil to
- Carbohydrate 23.98025 g
- Cholesterol 264.375 mg
- Fat 6.67555 g
- Fiber 1.77449998497963 g
- Protein 10.66705 g
- Saturated Fat 2.002185 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (77g)
- Sodium 503.93 mg
- Sugar 22.2057500150204 g
- Trans Fat 1.142255 g
- Calories 201 calories
Step-by-step
- In a large bowl, combine 3/4 cup self-rising flour and 1 1/2 cups self-rising cornmeal mix.
- Add two eggs, and about 1 cup of milk.
- Stir just until combined.
- Add more milk as needed if the batter is stiff.
- Place 1 tablespoon of peanut (or other) oil into an 8-inch by 8-inch baking pan.
- Spread the oil to all parts of the pan.
- Place the oil pan into a hot, 475-degree oven, until the oil is hot, but not smoking.
- Pour the cornbread batter evenly into the pan.
- Center the pan in the oven, and bake at 475 degrees for about 15 minutes, or until golden brown on top and bottom.
- You may check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the bread, and it should come out clean.
- Remove the cornbread from the oven, and immediately cut into 16 squares, 4 per side
Self-rising cornmeal mix carries the chemical leavening agents and flour already blended into the ground grain, eliminating the need to measure separate portions of baking powder and salt while providing the structural integrity required for a high-rise bake. Southern baking traditions rely heavily on preheated fat to create a distinct crust, a technique derived from early cast-iron cookery where pans retained intense thermal energy.
- Preheat the baking pan with one tablespoon of oil inside a 475-degree oven until the fat is shimmering and hot, but take care to prevent the oil from smoking or burning before the batter is added.
- Stir the batter only until the milk and eggs are incorporated into the dry ingredients; overworking the mixture develops gluten strands that yield a tough, rubbery texture instead of a tender crumb.
- Adjust the milk quantity incrementally until the batter achieves the specific consistency of standard cake batter, ensuring the mixture pours smoothly into the preheated pan without spreading too slowly.
- Bake the cornbread for approximately 15 minutes at 475 degrees Fahrenheit, checking for doneness when a toothpick inserted directly into the center emerges completely clean.
Achieving proper crust development depends entirely on the thermal shock of pouring batter into a searing-hot pan. Undetected moisture or an insufficiently heated baking vessel will ruin the exterior texture, resulting in a soft, grease-soaked crust rather than a crisp barrier.
