Classic Cornbread

Considering it seems that I put hot chilies or jalapeños in pretty much everything I make, my regular readers might be surprised to learn that my very favorite cornbread consists of little more than cornmeal. But my regular readers will also know that I love the sweet taste and crunch of cornmeal, and this dense and filling bread will satisfy any cornmeal craving. For a satisfying snack, serve slices of this cornbread with a bit of butter. It also goes well as a side with any spicy Mexican meal.

Classic Cornbread

Recipe by Lisa Turner Published on July 14, 2007 Simple, dense and filling classic cornbread loaded with plenty of cornmeal flavor and crunch — a great snack or addition to a spicy Mexican meal Preparation: 10 minutes Cooking time: 80 to 90 minutes Print this recipe Ingredients: 3 cups coarse yellow cornmeal 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 3 tablespoons sesame oil or olive oil 1/4 to 1/2 cup brown sugar, honey or other sweetener, to taste 2 to 3 cups of water Instructions: Preheat an oven to 325°F and grease a loaf pan with oil. Combine the cornmeal, flour and salt in a large bowl. If you are using a dry sweetener, mix in to the dry ingredients. Add the oil and rub it into the dry ingredients with your hands. If you are using a liquid sweetener, add it now and stir to combine. Gradually stir in the water until the mixture resembles a thick cookie dough — you may not have to use more than 2 cups of water. Heat the prepared loaf pan until hot but not smoking. Transfer the batter to the pan and bake for 30 minutes. Increase the heat to 350° and bake for another 50 to 60 minutes or until the bread begins to brown and small cracks form on the top of the loaf. Remove the bread from the oven and cool on a metal rack for 10 minutes. Gently remove the loaf from the pan and cool for another 30 minutes on the rack. Cut into 3/4-inch to 1-inch slices and serve. Makes 8 to 10 slices