This is the fluffiest and best cornbread I have ever had. It is so incredibly easy to put together, less than ten minutes and it can be in the oven. There is no sugar, only honey to sweeten it, making it the perfect harmony of sweet and salty. It can be long fermented to get the extra gut healthy benefits or popped right into the oven. We love serving it with chili, but leftovers are enjoyed warmed with a pat of butter, honey butter, or molasses. Even all by itself it makes the perfect side dish. Sourdough cornbread tends to be dry, but this stays moist and soft, even a few days after baking.
Sourdough
There are so many benefits to adding wild yeasts from sourdough starter into your baked goods. When long fermented those yeasts are able to work their magic and break down the flour making it easier for us to digest. That fermentation time also lowers the glycemic index of the item, reducing the blood sugar spike after enjoying it.
There is also the benefit of having to slow down. When using active sourdough starter, the process is much longer than when commercial yeast is used. This can allow us to not rush through the task but take a breath and enjoy each step. I truly think sourdough is an art, so I wrote an e-book that goes over how to create and maintain your own sourdough starter, some troubleshooting, and our favorite recipes, including an artisan sourdough bread loaf. The goal is to help people enjoy sourdough and not be overwhelmed by it. Check out “The Art of Sourdough” if you want to love it even more.
If you like this easy sourdough cornbread recipe, check out some of our other discard recipes. Such as muffins, donuts, tortillas, sourdough scones, and pumpkin bread.
Tools
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
Whisk
Glass pie pan – 9 inch
Spatula
Ingredients
Butter – Melted butter provides more flavor and a better texture than oil. Use salted or unsalted butter.
Cornmeal – You cannot make homemade cornbread without cornmeal. If you have course ground, I would toss it in a blender to get it a bit finer. I like the look of yellow cornmeal, but white cornmeal works too!
All-purpose flour – All cornmeal would be too dense, but a little flour keeps it nice and soft.
Baking powder – We aren’t using the starter in place of a yeast, so the rise is not coming from the sourdough. Double acting baking powder is going to provide that rise both when mixed in with the liquids, and also when the heat of the oven activates it. This is especially important if long fermenting the cornbread.
Baking soda – Just a little bit to help the baking powder and aid in that soft texture we know and love.
Salt – A little sea salt helps to balance out the flavors and keep it from
Honey – The only sweetener used in this recipe. It not only adds the sweetness, but it helps to keep it moist.
Egg – Adding an egg provides hydration while acting as a binder to hold the bread together.
Sourdough discard – Any time we add sourdough to a recipe it adds a slight savory flavor that cannot be achieved any other way. It also allows us to make it healthier by fermenting it if desired.
Milk – There is so much more flavor and richness to the batter when we add milk instead of water. I like to use whole milk.
Additional ingredients and substitutions
Active starter – Active sourdough can be used, but it tends to be thicker than discard. That means that an extra tablespoon or so of milk might be needed to get the batter to the correct texture.
Oil – You can melt coconut oil in place of the butter, but the flavor will be different. I do not recommend seed oils such as vegetable oil or canola oil for health reasons. Olive oil has a stronger flavor which may affect the flavor of the sourdough cornbread.
Vanilla extract – Adding a splash of vanilla to the recipe makes it a sweet cake-like version.
Let’s make sourdough cornbread!
Making the batter
Start by preheating the oven to 400 degrees F. If long fermenting, this step gets skipped until later.
Melt the butter in a saucepan and set aside to cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl add the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until well combined.
In a separate medium bowl, mix the melted butter and honey until smooth.
Add the sourdough discard, egg, and milk to the honey butter and whisk until smooth.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.
Mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
Pour the cornbread batter into a greased 9-inch pie or cake pan. I like to use glass.
Bake for 25 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean it is done. If not bake until the toothpick comes out clean and the top is golden brown.
Serve warm. We love having a piece of fresh hot cornbread with a big bowl of our homemade chili!
Enjoy!
Storing
Store any leftover cornbread covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. If kept in the fridge it will last 5 days.
Freezing
Allow the cornbread to fully cool, then wrap in plastic wrap and seal in a freezer bag. Store in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Long ferment sourdough cornbread
This recipe could not be any easier to long ferment if we tried. Simply prepare the batter as directed above, pour it into the pan, and cover it. Keep it int he fridge overnight or up to 48 hours. Then uncover and place into a preheated oven and bake as normal. If doing this, be sure to use double acting baking powder so it still gets a nice oven spring.
Tips for success
Not over mixing – Once the wet and dry ingredients are combined, stop mixing. If it is mixed for too long it can get tough or dense.
Baking – If it gets overbaked, it can dry out. Keep a close eye on it and check every two minutes or so after the 22 minutes mark. The baking time varies based on the hydration of the starter, altitude, and temperature of the oven.
Storing – For best results, enjoy it within the first few days of baking. Otherwise, keep it in the fridge. The high moisture content makes it more susceptible to mold and we do not want to waste a perfect pan of sourdough cornbread!
I hope you love this recipe as much as we do. It is always such a delight hearing about how much you enjoyed a recipe or what you think could be improved. So, thank you for leaving a comment! Don’t forget to share with friends and family so they too can enjoy making sourdough cornbread. Thank you!
This is the fluffiest cornbread I have ever had. It is sweetened only with honey and is the perfect blend of sweet and savory. Enjoy a slice slathered in butter, honey butter, or molasses. Once the batter has been made and poured into the pan, cover it and store it in the fridge overnight. Then place directly into a preheated oven and bake as directed above. Sourdough cornbread
Ingredients
Instructions
Notes
Long ferment sourdough cornbread
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