your notes:
cornbread mix
Make a big batch of dry cornbread mix, then scoop some out and mix with your liquid ingredients to make a batch of cornbread whenever you want!
Prepare Ingredients
Cornbread Mix
To Make 1 Batch of Cornbread
Gather Baking Equipment
Cornbread Mix
To Make 1 Batch of Cornbread
For the cornbread mix: In extra-large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, and salt. Whisk until well combined. Set fine-mesh strainer over bowl. Add baking powder to fine‑mesh strainer and tap side of strainer to sift baking powder into bowl.
Whisk until very well combined, about 1 minute. Transfer cornbread mix to large airtight storage container. (Cornbread mix can be stored at room temperature for at least 2 months.)
To make one batch of cornbread: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Spray inside bottom and sides of 8-inch square metal baking pan with vegetable oil spray.
In large bowl, whisk milk, melted butter, and eggs until combined.
Add 2¾ cups Cornbread Mix and stir with rubber spatula until just combined and no dry mix is visible. Use rubber spatula to scrape batter into greased baking pan and spread into even layer.
Place baking pan in oven and bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.
Food for Thought
No Clumping
You will notice in our recipes for DIY mixes that we sift leaveners (baking powder and baking soda) and some powders (such as milk powder and buttermilk powder) before mixing everything together. These ingredients are very dry and powdery, so if there’s any moisture, they can clump. This extra sifting step helps guarantee that there are no clumps and these key ingredients are evenly distributed throughout. If you notice any clumps once you’ve made your mix and you’re ready to cook with it, measure out the mix you need for your batch and sift it one more time through a fine-mesh strainer before adding it to the bowl.
A Tale of Two Cornbreads
Cornbread has been on the dinner tables of American families for a very long time. But there isn’t just one type of cornbread. Over the course of American history, cooks developed two very different styles: Northern cornbread and Southern cornbread. Northern cornbread, which became popular in the states in and near New England, uses a combination of wheat flour and cornmeal and is sweetened with sugar (like this mix). It bakes up fluffy and a little bit cakey and is usually baked in a square or rectangular baking pan. Southern cornbread, which (no surprise!) became popular in the South, uses only cornmeal and usually has no sugar (or only a little bit). It bakes up a little denser, tastes more savory, and is usually baked in a round cast-iron skillet. There’s a long-standing rivalry between these two styles of cornbread, but both are a delicious part of American history.
