This High Altitude Cornbread has crispy edges, a moist, dense interior, and is full of hearty corn flavor. It’s the only recipe I’ve found that I think is delicious straight out the pan, completely unadorned. And, aside from soaking the cornmeal the night before, it can be served up steaming hot in less than an hour.
If you live in Colorado, or have seen the national news, you’re aware of the radically snowy couple of weeks we’ve had here in Summit County. In Breckenridge we got seven feet of powder in seven days. SEVEN. With the snow have come avalanches, road closures, and eleventy million skiers. It’s been a hum-dinger of a winter, is what I’m saying.
The stormy days have me craving chili, which always then makes me want corn bread. I’m really happy to finally have what I consider a great recipe to share with you. I don’t say “great” lightly. Over the years I’ve tried a great number of cornbread recipes, always with lackluster results. Each has been too dry, too bland, too cakey, too sweet. I have high standards for what I share with you here, people. This is the first cornbread that’s made the cut.
What I love about this recipe is not just that it’s moist – although that’s a big achievement in cornbread. It’s that the flavor and texture hit that perfect balance of sweet and salty, velvety and craggy. The soaked cornmeal provides an appealing rustic texture and pleasing wallop of corn flavor, which we amp up with the addition of fresh (or thawed frozen) corn kernels. There’s just little sugar and a tiny bit of honey, enough to complement the sweetness of the corn without tipping the bread into cake territory.
My recipe is adapted from one by bread expert Peter Reinhart, and it’s a corn lover’s delight. It starts with coarse-grind cornmeal, which is grittier and larger-grained than the fine or medium grinds called for in many recipes. In order to plump up the cornmeal, we soak it overnight in buttermilk, which works brilliantly at altitude because it not only provides necessary moisture, but the perfect amount of acidity to activate the baking soda. It rises evenly while staying beautifully moist.
I tried soaking the cornmeal for just a couple of hours, and it was still pretty gritty when baked, so do try to soak it as long as you can (overnight is best). If you’re pressed for time, I recommend using medium grind cornmeal instead (the texture of your bread may be a little more cake-like).
Reinhart uses bacon and rendered bacon fat in his recipe, and I can attest that this is a SUPER YUMMY addition. However, with a vegetarian in the house, I wanted a meat-free version. I used plain salted butter both in the recipe and to grease the pan. A key step is melting the butter directly in the baking pan, getting it nice and hot before you pour the batter in. Don’t skip this step, because it helps make deliciously crisp edges.
You can make muffins instead of bread, if you wish – just spread the batter evenly among muffin tins, reduce the baking time a bit, and keep an eye on them so they don’t dry out.
My husband has always claimed that he doesn’t like cornbread, and wasn’t terribly enthusiastic about testing this recipe for me. After one bite, though, he changed his tune. And then ate (ahem) about half the pan with his chili the other night. I just love a guy who’s not afraid to admit he was wrong.
This bread is best served warm, and it really is delicious all by itself. A nice smear of butter and a healthy drizzle of honey will probably always be welcome, though. And give you extra energy for shoveling snow. Win-win.
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High Altitude Cornbread
- Prep Time: 15 mins (plus soaking time)
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 mins (plus soaking time)
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
Description
Moist and hearty, with crispy edges and lightly sweet corn flavor, this rustic High Altitude Cornbread makes the ideal side for chili or eggs, or a delightful stand-alone snack.
Ingredients
1/2 cup coarse-grind cornmeal (I use Bob’s Red Mill)
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup + 2 TB all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp kosher salt
2 TB granulated sugar
2 TB brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature and lightly beaten
1 TB honey
1 TB butter, melted, plus 1 TB for the pan
1 cup corn kernels (fresh or thawed from frozen)
Instructions
THE DAY BEFORE BAKING:
In a small bowl, combine the cornmeal and buttermilk. Mix until cornmeal is fully hydrated, then cover and let sit at room temperature overnight.*
When you’re ready to bake, heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and both sugars. In a separate bowl, mix 1 TB of melted butter and 1 TB honey and stir until the honey is dissolved, then add the beaten eggs and stir to combine.
Add the egg mixture to the soaked cornmeal, then stir this mixture into the dry ingredients and mix until there is no more dry flour. The batter will be thick and wet. Stir in the corn kernels.
In an 8×8 square pan or round cast iron pan, place 1 TB of butter and place the pan in the oven to melt and heat up for a few minutes, being careful not to let the butter burn (although it’s fine and even preferable to let it brown slightly). Carefully remove the pan from the oven and swirl the butter to coat the bottom and lower sides of the pan. Pour in the batter and smooth the top.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until the sides of the bread are crisp and brown and the top is lightly browned. A knife or cake tester inserted in the center should come out clean.
Let the bread cool slightly in the pan, and serve warm. Leftovers can be wrapped in foil and stored at room temperature. To reheat, wrap loosely in foil and place in a 250-300 degree oven for about 15 mins.
Notes
… if you have trouble finding coarse-grind cornmeal, use medium-grind (also sold as polenta) instead
… no buttermilk? No problem. Simply add a tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar to 1 1/4 cups milk and let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
… if you’re uncomfortable leaving the buttermilk out at room temperature overnight, it’s ok to put it in the fridge instead. Let the mixture come to room temperature (about an hour) before integrating it into the batter.
… if you like cheesy or spicy cornbread, try adding half a cup of shredded cheddar cheese, fresh chopped jalapeños, or some chili powder.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!! I cannot wait to make this! I’ve never been happy with any cornbread recipe I’ve followed so this will be a welcome addition into my recipe box!
I love the specific and detailed instruction you provide!
I made this for a pot luck and everyone raved about it. I at 8,900ft and have a difficult time adjusting recipes for this altitude. Blue corn bread is a favorite that I have been struggling with to get right, no more.
So glad you enjoyed it! This is a fave in my household as well.
Could you suggest a way to make this gluten free? ie. Can it be made without this flour and add more cornmeal? i have loved every recipe of yours I’ve made here at 6,900 ft!
Thanks, Carrie! I have not tested this recipe with GF flour but I would try subbing the AP flour with a reliable GF mix such as King Arthur’s Measure for Measure. I don’t recommend adding more cornmeal as it would make the bread quite heavy.
Do you think a “brownie bite” pan with separate wells (approximately 1x1x1” be used instead of the pans described?
I think it would probably work fine, but is likely to cook much faster so keep a close eye on it as it bakes!
I made this recipe this morning to have later with black beans. I had no white flour so used whole wheat. I baked it in an iron skillet and it is easily the best cornbread I have made in my 16 years of living at this altitude. Thank you so much, the directions were clear and well illustrated. I will be loking for more recipes from you. Thank you, thank you.