No-Skillet Cornbread

As a lifelong New Englander, I’m going to be honest, cornbread isn’t a cultural staple for me the way that it is in the southern United States. In Massachusetts, you won’t find a barbecue joint on every corner featuring sweet or savory cornbread that was first created by someone’s great-grandmother. However, that doesn’t mean I don’t love and appreciate it! On the contrary, sweet cornbread is something I’ve never turned down when it’s been on offer.

Because of this scarcity, I decided to make my own. This cornbread is moist, sweet, tender, and so very easy to throw together. It has a slightly earthy fragrance from the cornmeal, and a delightful buttery flavor. Serve it warmed at breakfast with butter and honey, or at dinner with a thick chili as a pleasant counter balance. Store any leftover cornbread in a gallon sized zip-top bag or airtight container for up to two days, and enjoy!

FAQs and Science

Why no-skillet?

While there are benefits to baking cornbread in a skillet, like how the outside becomes more toasted and crisp, this recipe goes for simplicity. There’s no dealing with a searing hot pan, and you likely already have an 8×8 inch pan in the house. The texture stays consistently soft, moist, and fluffy.

How can the egg quickly be brought up to room temperature?

Before doing anything else for the recipe, place the egg in a small bowl. Cover the egg with the hottest water that comes out of the tap. This way, by the time you’re ready to use it, the egg will be at the perfect temperature.

Does the milk really need to be warmed?

Just like with the egg, we warm the milk to keep everything at a similar temperature. That way, the batter is easier to emulsify!

Could I substitute margarine for the butter?

I haven’t tried using margarine, so can’t say for sure how well it would work on a structural basis. I will say, however, that in addition to the corn flavor, there’s a significant butter flavor in this cornbread. So if you use margarine, the taste will be prominent. For that reason, I really don’t recommend substituting it.

What You’ll Need

• 8×8 inch baking dish
• Parchment paper
• Large mixing bowl
• Medium heat-safe mixing bowl
• Dry measuring cups
• Liquid measuring cup
• Measuring spoons
• Whisk
• Rubber spatula
• Cooling rack

The Process

One of the beauties of no-skillet cornbread is how quickly it comes together, starting as a bowl of cornmeal and sugar and turning into a fully baked loaf. To begin, preheat the oven to 375F, making sure the rack is in the center of the oven, and prepare the pan. Line an 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper along the bottom and up two sides. You could make sure all 4 sides are lined if you’d prefer, but I find it to be a bit of a waste of parchment. Spray the two uncovered sides with nonstick baking spray, and set the pan aside. 

Now, start with the dry goods. Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. The finer the cornmeal is, the less grit you’ll feel in the final product. Take one of the dry measuring cups and create a well in the center of the dry mix. This way, it’ll be easier for the liquid mixture to reach the bottom of the dry, which in turn makes it easier on yourself to create a fully hydrated batter.

Onto the liquids! Melt the butter in a heat-safe medium sized mixing bowl. Give it a stir every 30 seconds or so, to prevent it from overheating and popping in the microwave. Heat the milk for 60-90 seconds, stirring it every 30 seconds to evenly distribute the heat, then pour it into the melted butter. Crack in the egg and whisk all of the liquids together, until they become homogeneous.

Pour the liquid mixture into the dry goods, directly into the well you made. Use a rubber spatula to scrape as much of the butter mixture into the dry as you can. With the same rubber spatula, stir the batter together until it’s smooth and fully hydrated, leaving no streaks of flour behind.

Grab the lined baking dish and pour the batter into it. Scrape as much of the batter into the pan with the spatula as you can, and spread it out evenly throughout. Bake the cornbread on the center rack of the heated oven for 32-35 minutes, or until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean and the top is golden brown. Flip the pan halfway through, to help it bake more evenly.

A few minutes after the cornbread comes out of the oven, run a butter knife along the two unlined edges and transfer it over to a cooling rack. If you don’t give it a few minutes in the pan, you run the risk of it completely falling apart while you lift the bread from the pan.

Allow the cornbread to cool completely to room temperature, or as close to it as you have the patience for. Slice it into a 3×3 grid, or whatever the desired portion size is. Store whatever leftover cornbread there is in either a gallon sized zip-top bag or an airtight container. Keep it for up to two days and enjoy!

No-Skillet Cornbread

Bake Time: 375F for 32-35 minutes
Servings: 9 servings
Total Time: 1 hour
Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup fine ground cornmeal
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 cup whole milk

Directions

1. Begin by preheating the oven to 375F, on the convection setting if possible. Line the bottom and up two sides of an 8×8 inch baking dish with parchment paper, and spray the two uncovered sides with a nonstick baking spray. Set the dish aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using a dry measuring cup, create a well in the center of the dry goods, as shown above. Put the dry goods aside.
3. Inside a medium heat-safe mixing bowl, heat the butter in the microwave until it’s just melted. Warm the milk in the microwave while it’s still in the measuring cup for 60-90 seconds, stirring every 30 seconds to distribute the heat evenly. Pour the warm milk into the melted butter, crack the egg into the bowl, and whisk them all together.
4. Pour the butter mixture into the well of the dry goods, scraping as much of the liquid in as can be using a rubber spatula. With that same rubber spatula, gently stir together the batter until it’s one smooth mixture, leaving no streaks of flour behind.
5. Take the completed batter and pour it into the lined baking dish. Scrape as much of the batter as you can into the dish, using the rubber spatula. Place the cornbread onto the center rack of the oven and bake for 32-35 minutes, flipping halfway through, until a toothpick poked in the center comes out clean.
6. After a minute or two, transfer the cornbread from the hot pan onto a cooling rack to finish coming down to room temperature. Once the cornbread has cooled completely, slice it into a 3×3 grid, or the desired portions. Store any leftover pieces in either a gallon sized zip-top bag or airtight container and enjoy!

Tips

• Fully baked cornbread can be frozen! Follow the recipe completely as it’s written and place the cooled slices into an airtight freezer safe bag. Freeze the cornbread for up to three months, pulling and thawing each portion at your discretion.