Batter Corn Bread

Batter Cornbread is brown and golden and similar in texture to a quick corn bread. However, it’s different from regular cornbread because it uses yeast as the leavening. The batter is beaten, not kneaded and it rises once in the pan before baking.

This easy bread takes about 2 hours from start to finish. It is a good bread to make Sunday afternoon for dinner with the family. You don't even need any special baking equipment, just 2 medium (8" x 4") loaf pans, greased, Teflon or even glass loaf pans. You don't really need a mixer but you can certainly use one if you prefer.

Batter Corn Bread
From Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads

Ingredients:

• 2 packages dry yeast
• 3 1/2 cups bread or all-purpose flour
• 1 3/4 cups yellow cornmeal
• 1/3 cup cup nonfat dry milk
• 1 1/2 cups hot water (120°F - 130°F)
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, margarine, or other shortening
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon each milk and cornmeal

Directions:

In a large mixing or mixer bowl, stir together the yeast, flour, cornmeal, and dry milk. In another bowl, pour the hot water over the shortening, sugar, salt, and eggs. Combine. Add to dry mixture. Beat until well blended, about 50 strokes, or 1 minute with a mixer flat beater. The batter will be stiff.





Turn the batter into the loaf pans and push into the corners with a rubber scraper.  Cover the loaf pans with wax paper and put aside to rise at room temperature until the batter has doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.




Preheat the oven to 375°F 20 minutes before baking. I reduced the heat to 350°F since I was using glass baking pans.

Before putting the loaves in the oven, carefully brush the tops with the milk and sprinkle lightly with cornmeal.

Bake in the oven until golden and brown, about 35 minutes. The loaves will be done when the bottom crust makes a hard, hollow sound when thumped, and a wooden toothpick inserted in the middle comes out dry and clean.

Remove the bread from the oven and turn the loaves out onto cooling racks.



This bread is especially good warm. I’m serving it with some homemade chili. The first batch of the season.

This bread freezes pretty well. You can eat one loaf now and save one for later. That's what I'm going to do. I made a big batch of chili and I'm freezing some of that as well. One cold winter night, I can take the chili and the corn bread out of the freezer and have an easy meal that my family will love. I can't wait!

 
Happy Baking!
Cathy