A Southern Cornbread Recipe With Variations

Cornbread and corn sticks are traditional in the south. They are easy and quick to make, providing you know a few secrets. Since they are made with a chemical leavening agent such as baking soda or baking powder no lengthy risings are needed - thus the name "quick bread".

When making quick breads like cornbread it is important not to overwork the dough. Combine the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients separately. Once the two are combined be gentle. Over beating will develop the gluten in the dough and make the bread tough.

Southern Style Cornbread

Dry ingredients:

1 cup finely ground cornmeal

1 cup plain flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1 Tablespoon sugar

½ teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients

2 eggs, beaten

2/3 cup buttermilk

2/3 cup whole milk

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, plus extra to grease pan

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Grease a 9 inch square baking pan with melted butter. Place in the oven to heat.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl, mix well. Combine the wet ingredients in a separate bowl and whisk well.
Make a well (hole) in the middle of the dry ingredients.
Pour the wet ingredients into the well and gently fold the dry ingredients in from the side. Do not over mix.
Spoon the batter into the hot pan. Bake in pre-heated oven (425) for 20-25 minutes until golden brown and done.
Turn onto a wire rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.
Variations: Corn Sticks

Use a cast iron corn stick mold to make corn sticks using the recipe above. Grease the mold and place in oven to heat. Make the corn bread batter as above, then re-grease the mold and spoon the batter carefully into the hot molds. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Tex-Mex Corn Bread

Add 4 cup cheddar cheese and 2 chopped and seeded jalapeno peppers to the batter.

This southern cornbread recipe can be varied in many ways. Choose the add-ins that your family prefers.

More Southern Cooking Techniques

I know this first technique may sound unrelated to Southern Cooking , but you will see the connection as we proceed. Here is the first tip, which should be applied to all your recipes, not just Southern Cooking.

The Chinese figured this out long ago. Combine sweet and sour in your cooking. That is, in a dish that is intended to be sweet (deserts), add a pinch of salt, vinegar or hot spice. In a dish that is intended to be sour (not sweet), such as vegetables, chili, meats, add sweet. I prefer syrup or molasses rather than regular sugar to add sweetness.

As an example, in Southern Recipes, I add a teaspoon of molasses to greens (turnip, collards, mustard), green beans and breakfast gravy. One exception to the adding sweet to sour is in cornbread. If you want real Southern cornbread, never put sugar in it. Sorry, that is not cornbread, it is cake (or Yankee cornbread.) I also add a teaspoon of regular sugar to my cole slaw and chili.

Likewise, in all deserts I cook I add a pinch of salt. You are probably aware that most desert recipes call for this anyway.

I have discussed the next technique at length in my other articles and on my websites, but it is so important I want to repeat it here. You must use cast iron cookware for most Southern dishes, especially cornbread. First, it is the traditional way to cook Southern. Additionally, the cast iron transfers heat unlike any other material, making it uniquely suited for Southern dishes. So, please use cast iron.

This next technique is employed in many Southern recipes. Southerners use cornmeal in many fried dishes to coat the food. This produces a crunchy texture and adds flavor. When frying chicken, coat (batter) the chicken in flour, but add cornmeal to the flour mix at a 3 to 1 ration. In other words 1/4 cup cornmeal to 1 cup flour. Also, fried okra should be coated in a pure cornmeal mix (with salt and pepper, no flour.) Here is the point...experiment a little. When a recipe calls for flour or just because you have always cooked it that way, try substituting cornmeal for flour.

Here is something I remember from my grandmother's kitchen. She was a great cook of traditional Southern food. She made the best biscuits I ever tasted. At first, I thought it was her recipe, until I found out there was nothing unusual about it (I think she got it off a bag of flour.) It was not the ingredients that made them so good. It was the size of the biscuits. I always knew she made bigger biscuits than I was use to but I did not make the connection until after I found out her secret was not the ingredients. Larger biscuits will have more of the soft insides and a larger area outside for the brown crust. They are especially good with gravy or anytime you will be using a sauce. Here is what she did. She rolled out the biscuit dough to about 3/4 inch thickness. Then she used a biscuit cutter that was a little over 3 inches in diameter (who knows where she got it...it was probably a hundred years old.) The results were some large, fat biscuits. A word of caution if you use this technique for your biscuits, do not make the dough over 3/4 inch thick. You may think that if 3/4 inch is good, then 1 1/2 inches should be better. Not so. The 3/4 inch rule seems to be the optimum for Fat Biscuits. If you make them much thicker the tops will crack and they will have a doughy flour taste. So, if you are one that has always made slim 2 inch biscuits, give these a try. And, try out the other techniques mentioned for real Southern Cooking.

The Story of Our Southern Biscuits (And The Recipe)

I was in the kitchen today with my mother-in-law (who I like very much J) and she was making homemade Southern biscuits (which I LOVE very much!!) She makes them from scratch...not out of a box....which is quite amazing me to. I am great with taking a package out of the fridge, popping it open and putting biscuits on a cookie sheet or adding some oil and water to some kind of flour mix. So, I asked her how she learned to make the biscuits that way and if they were always so good.

My mother-in-law was born in Washington State but her mother was born in Alabama. This is where their Southern Biscuit tradition was born. She said that the key to the recipe is to use only White Lily flour and to sift it. I don't even think that I own a sifter so if I am to master the biscuit making technique I will have to purchase one J Good thing that I live in Virginia because at least I can get my hands on the right flour.

When I asked her if she had always been so good at making biscuits, she had to chuckle. She said that when she was first married (35 years ago) she set out to make her husband her first batch of homemade biscuits. As they sat down to dinner, her husband said "I never knew that people actually made their own soda crackers." At least she can laugh about it now!!

I guess that every wife has a story like that to tell. What I love about all this is that I get to be a part of a tradition that is now going on 5 generations deep. It is so important to me that I have these things to pass on to my children. So, here is our family recipe. I hope that you will enjoy it and pass it on to others that you love who love biscuits. I am pretty sure that you can use whatever flour you have handy J Just remember to sift.

White Lily (Nash Family) "Light" Biscuits

Preheat oven to 500

2 cups White Lily Self Rising Flour

-sift 2 cups of flour onto a piece of wax paper.

-use a spoon to fill the measuring cup back up with the sifted flour

-resift the flour into the mixing bowl

-you will end up with extra flour after refilling the 2 cups

1/4 cup of shortening or butter - it works best if it is COLD!!

2/3 to 3/4 milk or buttermilk (more southern)

Spray: Backing sheet or cake pan lightly with cooking spray

Measure: flour into bowl (spoon into measuring cup)

Cut in: shortening until mixture resembles coarse crumbles

Blend: in enough milk until dough leaves the sides of the bowl

Knead: gently 2 or 3 times on lightly floured surface

Roll: dough about 1/2 inch thick. Cut without twisting cutter

Place: on pan (1 inch apart for crisp sides or almost touching for soft sides)

Bake: for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Brush top with melted butter if desired.

Makes: 12 - 2 inch biscuits

Enjoy!

Keep Them Happy With A Southern Biscuits And Gravy Recipe

There is no doubt that a biscuits and gravy recipe will bring a smile to the faces of your whole family. These meals are designed to not only feed you and keep you warm in the morning, but they also offer a level of comfort at the same time. For many people, a good recipe will bring back memories of growing up, when a time was simpler, and the entire family had the chance to get together and enjoy themselves.

Think for a moment about what style of biscuits and gravy recipe you enjoy the most. There are a number of different kinds out there. Traditionally, a white sauce is used, but there are some people who choose to use a brown sauce instead. In place of sausage, in some cases, bacon will be used. Both are fine and work well in the morning routine.

Something you do need to keep in mind is that this mixture does burn very easily. You will want to avoid problems by ensuring you keep your temperature no more than medium high. That way, you will end up with a warm dish that does not get the flavors that sometimes occur with burnt gravy.

Keep in mind that people will also tend to make this mixture too thick or too thin, as they are not sure how this process is done. Know that when you add the milk into the mixture, this begins to cut down the thickness you are going for and will result in a thinner mixture then when the flour is being mixed in. You will want the mixture to appear thick and then add your milk in until you end up with the perfect biscuits and gravy recipe.

Above all, know that you can adjust any recipe to fit your needs as well. Use a recipe as the foundation for your creation and then take it to the next level by finding different elements you want to bring to it, so you can enjoy a delicious unique dish that your entire family goes crazy over.

Southern Style Biscuits and Gravy

What You Will Need
3 Cups Whole Milk
4 Tablespoons Flour
3 Tablespoons Butter
Fatty Pork Sausage
Salt and Pepper
Your favorite batch of biscuits

How to Do It

Begin the process by cooking the sausage until it is not pink anymore. Then remove it from the pan, leaving the grease. Next, add your butter until it is melted then slowly add in your flour until it thickens the mix. Be sure to whisk it well. Then slowly pour your whole milk into the recipe, adding in small amounts until you have your gravy at the desired thickness, keep mixing it with your whisk to ensure it is well blended. Then add back in your sausage and serve it hot over your favorite homemade biscuit recipe.

Seven major mistakes in southern cuisine

There is southern cooking and then there's the cooking of the south! You can connect to a recipe and still another dish, which is similar to that which determines the recipe. The reason is that technology, and the little secrets that are not included in the recipe.

The technique is as important as the ingredients and the right technology helps in the following common mistakes that novice cooks. You can find lots of free southern recipes on the Internet, but few sites offer moreinformation needed to be a true Southern cuisine. So if you have a site that will not find it, bookmark and stick with it for your recipes of the south. (See box below recommendation of resources).

7 biggest mistakes:

Before inappropriate when oven baking.

Have you ever had cornbread that came out soft and friable with no crust? Or cookies do not grow and have a gray color? It 'was probably due to the fact that your oven is not preheated properly.When baking, the crust in the first 10 minutes is set. So if you want a nice golden crust on the cornbread, you need to get the oven to 400 degrees before putting it in the bread wheat

Ovens vary in how much time you reach a certain temperature. Some ovens will reach 400 degrees in 4-5 minutes. Some are up to 15 minutes. A good practice is to provide a thermometer (thermometer rising food at 425 degrees, work) and how long it takes to get your oven to 250,350, 400 and 425 degrees. Write it down and keep it handy when you do not remember. So let's get more time allocated to the desired temperature before baking.

According lightly cooked vegetables

Remember, we're talking about southern cooking. Not casseroles Coast Chinese or Western. Many vegetables, Southern Style, are much longer than most people tend to cook baked. In particular, green beans, cooked until they are soft and dark green. Youare not crisp and bright green. Okra and green tomatoes, cooked up some burnt edges and appear very crisp. In general, vegetables are cooked until tender and crispy fried foods are cooked (this applies to the cornbread, fried chicken and pork chops, too) cooked.

Third non-use of cast iron

I've never seen all the reasons why the search area, but the south is better cooked in iron pots. The cast iron holds and transfers heat unlike anyAnother type of metal. The food is not enough to boil the same in aluminum or steel. In particular, the corn bread. E ', the traditional way of cooking in the south.

old cast iron tends to rust and attack the problems with food, but more recently the cook-ware is already cured (aged), it is not a problem. However, it is difficult to treat the cast, if you have an old style. You can complete, free guides on the web link below.

Fourth non-compliance and the onionsBacon

Onions and bacon (or bacon) are widely used in southern cooking. Some cooks, but deviates form real cuisine of the south because they (or family members) do not like onions and / or concerns about fat in the bacon.

They do this because they do not understand the reason to use the bacon and onion. Are NOT in the recipe, so enjoy onions or bacon. They are there only to provide subtle flavor. A unique flavor of the south. If you do not likeOnions, use only a small amount and remove the onion from the pan before serving (Put onion in cheesecloth while cooking and is easy to remove). If you're worried about the caloric content of fat, are not quite make it. Just add 1 / 2 teaspoon of bacon fat previously cooked. And accept the fact that southern cooking is low in fat is not by nature. It should be flavorful and robust. Then use the bacon and onions for the true southern dishes.

overload fifthPasta

Southern bread should be light and fluffy. In addition, the corn bread was not heavy and solid. Many Southern cooks never learn to make good biscuits. And home-made biscuits are the hallmark of good Southern cooks.

Three errors due to bad cookies (and other types of bread). First, no revision of the dough. biscuit dough must be kneaded three times only. Not anymore. Enough to form to delete the cookie.

Second,When cutting, push the dough down and turn the cookie cutter. Push-to just below and to the right again. Twisting compresses the edges of the dough and causes uneven cooking.

Third, remember the previous error above ... Preheat the oven. Can cause a cold oven cookies flat, rigid.

Sixth yellow corn flour and sugar in corn bread

Everyone has their own preferences, but please do not use yellow corn flour for corn bread. It may be mental, but simply do notthe same taste like white cornmeal. Moreover, it seems bad. And set NEVER, NEVER sugar in corn bread, if you want authentic Southern cornbread. Cornbread is bread to accompany dinner. It is not dessert. It is not easy! E 'bread. So if you're sweet corn bread ... go ahead and use it like sugar ... But do not call it Southern cornbread!

Seventh non-compliance with buttermilk

All good Southern cooks use butter milk in anything but sweet. regular milk does not add flavor,milk butter ago. Especially in a bowl of corn flour (corn bread, hush puppies, Tamale Pie, etc.). You can milk butter, you can make a reasonable substitute by mixing 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar in a cup of milk on a regular basis. Let stand for one minute before use.

These are some common errors (or the lack of cooking technique of the South) made southern cooking. Can you ignore everyone and make the food edible, but it is not traditional in the south. Even something goodSouthern cooks do not meet all the above, but will probably have developed a variant of these techniques.

So to get in that kitchen, start the stove and make your family a real Southern dinner tonight.

Southern cooking techniques

I know that the first technique that may seem like nothing cooking with the South, but you're going to see the connection as we do. This is the first piece of advice that should be applied to all your recipes, not only cooking of the south.

Chinese thought has for a long time. Combine sweet and sour in your kitchen. That is, in a shell, which are intended to sweet (deserts), a pinch of salt, vinegar or hot spice. In a bowl, which have the purpose of acid (not fresh), vegetables, chili,Meat, add sweet. I prefer syrup or molasses sugar normal, rather than added sweetness.

For example, in Southern recipes, I add a teaspoon of molasses to greens (turnip, kale, mustard), green beans and gravy breakfast. An exception to the addition of bitter sweet cornbread. If real Southern cornbread that he never sugar. Sorry, not corn bread is sweet (or Yankee cornbread.) I'm also a teaspoon of sugar in my coleslaw and regularChili.

Similarly, in all the deserts I cook a pinch of salt. You probably know that most desert recipes for your time anyway.

I finally discussed the next technique in my other articles on my websites, but it is so important, I want to repeat it here. Do you need cast iron cookware for most Southern dishes using mainly votes cornbread. First, is the traditional way to cook Southern. Moreover, cast iron, heat makes it different from any other material that clearlysuited for Southern dishes. So, please use cast iron.

The following technique is used in many recipes in the south. Southern fried foods in many corn flour to coat the food. This creates a crunchy texture and adds flavor. When the fried chicken, coat (batter), chicken in flour, but add cornmeal, flour mixed with ration 3-1. In other words: corn 1 / 4 cup flour 1 cup of flour. It should also be fried okra in a blend of pure corn flour by hand (with salt and pepper, no flour.) Is theThe point ... a little experiment. When a recipe for flour, or just because you have always cooked this way try to replace the wheat flour to the flour.

Here is something I remember my grandmother's kitchen. It was a great cook of traditional Southern cuisine. He made the best biscuits I ever tasted. At first I thought it was her recipe, until I was out to find nothing unusual in it (I think she has a lot of flour.) It was not the ingredients that made them so good.It 'was the size of the cookie. I always knew that made more use of cookies when I was but I did not connect until I discovered her secret was not the ingredients. Biscuits are larger than the soft interior and a larger surface outside of the crust brown. They are especially good with gravy or anytime you find yourself with a sauce. Here's what he did. He rolled the cookie dough to about 3 / 4 inch thick. Then use a biscuit cutter,was little more than 3 cm in diameter (who knows where they get it ... it was a hundred years.) results are some big, thick cookies. A word of caution when using this technique for your biscuits, do not Use the dough about 3 / 4 inch thick. You would think that if three quarters of an inch is good, then 1 1 / 2 inch should be better. Not so. 3 / 4 "The rule seems to be the optimum for fat cookies. If they break more often than the peaks and make it adoughy flour taste. So if you try to have a 2-inch cookies that always thin, you will enter. And try the other techniques mentioned for Real Southern Cooking.