Firefly’s organic yellow cornmeal shines bright in this deep dish cornbread recipe that adds a little something extra with the sourdough! In December, we started going hog wild incubating our own sourdough starters with all the freshly milled grains from the farm, which means LOTS of sourdough ‘discard’ (the portion of sourdough you get rid of when you feed your starter). There are so many fantastic uses for discard, and cornbread is just the beginning. Sourdough people, you’ll be happy to know this recipe rids you of 2 cups of sourdough discard! Good riddance! However, feel free substituting ripe starter – this cornbread don’t care.
What sets this recipe apart for me is the lift you get making the cornbread extra fluffy, soft, and crumbly as well as the sweet tang you get when you combine the fresh cornmeal with the sourdough discard. We like to use cast iron to cook everything in these days. Throwing the batter into the deep skillet ensures a perfectly even bake with the added richness only cast iron can give. This recipe was inspired by Bless this Mess’ insights as well as some of our home on the farm tricks. With our southern roots, we know cornbread. The texture and aroma of this bake is sure to be pleasing.
Ingredients
- 1 cup of organic yellow cornmeal sourdough starter discard
- 1 cup of organic spelt sourdough starter
- 1 cup of organic yellow cornmeal
- 1 cup of organic whole grain soft red wheat flour
- 1 cup of buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 1/3 cup of raw honey or sugar
- 1 tsp of salt
- 1/2 cup of melted butter
- 2 tsp of baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
*We baked this recipe in a 9 inch cast iron skillet.
-Prep/Cook Time-
8 min. prep
Rise for 1-2 hours
Bake 35-40 min
-Cook Type-
Bake
350 degrees F
Instructions
Mix the sourdough starter, buttermilk, cornmeal, and flour together. Cover the bowl with a dish towel and set the mixture aside at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours to develop a more sour flavor, or go right into adding the other ingredients.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F., and grease a 9-inch iron skillet or baking dish.
Add the eggs, sugar, salt, and butter to the flour mixture; stir to combine.
Add the baking powder and baking soda; stir.
Add the batter to the cast iron skillet; smooth out the top with a spatula.
Bake in the hot oven for 35 to 40 minutes.
Remove from the oven, and allow to cool for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
We love our cornbread with chili, beans, and soup, or just on its own. It packs a rich flavor that only freshly milled grains can provide. Feel free to substitute spelt for soft red, and certainly there are creative ways to get around using buttermilk if you don’t have any in the kitchen (lemon juice + milk). Cornbread is pretty forgiving and flexible, so have fun and make it your own! Delight!
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