Skillet Cornbread

[jesse_the_k]

serves 4 - 6
prep 15 min (plus 30 minutes waiting)
bake 20 min
cool 10 min

I've been tweaking this resilient recipe for 5 years. The almond and amaranth flours balance the crunchiness of coarse-grain yellow corn meal--not quite cakey, but definitely not rustic. I keep cutting back the sugar each time, so it straddles the line between savory and sweet.

Ingredients

dry

• 190 g cornmeal
• 90 g amaranth flour
• 40 g almond meal
• 48 g sugar
• 5 ml baking powder
• 3 ml baking soda
• 3 ml salt

wet

• 175 ml any-milk
• 15 ml apple cider vinegar
• 30 ml cooking oil
• 2 large eggs

Preparation

Tools

• large bowl
• medium bowl
• 8" cast-iron skillet with lid
• whisk/beater

Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°. Grease 8” cast-iron skillet very well, place covered in oven.
2. Whisk dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3. In medium bowl, whisk oil, milk, vinegar and eggs. Let sit for 30 or more minutes. Whisk again until foamy.
4. Beat wet into dry flour mixture, stirring until well blended. Add dried fruit last
5. Pull preheated skillet from oven. Scrape batter into skillet and smooth out to the edges.
6. Replace cover and steam/bake at 400° for 10 minutes.
7. Remove cover, return to oven for 10 more minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
8. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack.

Best eaten hot right away. Otherwise, cut and wrap in individual triangular pieces. Keeps 48 hours—toast to revive before eating.

Substitutions

Liquids

I've had success with buttermilk, kefir, yogurt, or sour cream. Since they're cultured, I omit the vinegar.

My any-milk is Blue Diamond’s Almond/Coconut Breeze Unsweetened. (It’s got some body, so I have it on hand for chai and black teas.) Must add vinegar to a non-cultured milk to activate the baking soda.

Fats

I’ve had success with butter or coconut cream in place of the oil (I use peanut for baking).

Inclusions

Unsweetened dry cherries keep tart-loving me happy. Any dried fruit works fine, as does sunflower seeds or fresh corn kernels.

Comments

clarifications...

[harmonic_tabby]

You've got 15 ml apple cider listed in the ingredients; is that supposed to be apple cider VINEGAR

Re: clarifications...

[jesse_the_k]

Great catch! Yes, it’s vinegar to sour the milk!

Re: clarifications...

[harmonic_tabby]

and second question: could one use a cast iron dutch oven instead of a skillet?

My mind often goes odd places and I can see hauling those dry ingredients in a ziplock baggie to the campground. The dutch oven goes into the firepit embers while the skillet fries up the freshly caught trout...

Tabs

Re: clarifications...

[jesse_the_k]

Absolutely yes to the Dutch oven — In fact that’s mine in the picture. The tricky part is making sure it’s well-greased.

Oh I’d love to share that campfire with you. Probably want to keep the lid on longer, and mmm, trout.