Until recently I had never tried cornbread. Of course I had heard of it before but it is not popular at home or here in Hungary. We were recently invited to a friends’ house and they offered us cornbread. It was fluffy, moist and super delicious.
My husband and I really liked it.. a lot! and I wanted to give it a go. After researching some recipes, and trying out different flavour combinations, I think we have found the preferred one.
It includes a combination of fresh ingredients like tomatoes and spring onions and a strong flavour from the garlic and the cheese. Personally, I prefer a more mature cheddar cheese as the flavour is more intense. However, if you prefer a milder cheddar cheese, go for it!
You can choose any kind of tomato here, from beefy tomatoes to cherry tomatoes. Keep in mind that they should be low in water content to ensure that the cornbread does not end up being soggy.
If you are not vegetarian, you can also add pieces of cooked bacon or smoked ham. Here it is important to cook it before to ensure that the extra fats are removed and do not end up being absorbed in the cornbread.
The recipe below is enough to fill a 9-inch cake tin. I prefer to use a springform cake tin or one with removable bottom, as it makes easier to remove the cornbread when it is cooked.
Simple Savoury Cornbread
My take on one of the most popular Southern foods
Ingredients
- 170g cheddar cheese, shredded
- 2 tomatoes, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 large spring onion, chopped
- 125g cornmeal
- 125g all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 15g baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 245g milk
- 1 large egg
- 50g rapeseed oil
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.
- In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Whisk them together to ensure they are well combined.
- In another bowl, whisk the milk, egg and oil together.
- Pour the wet ingredients onto the dry ingredients and combine until no dry patches are visible. Do not over-mix.
- Add the garlic, 2/3 of the cheddar cheese, 2/3 of the spring onion and fold into the batter.
- Pour the batter into a 9-inch cake tin, top it with the tomatoes, remaining spring onion and cheese.
- Place into the preheated oven and bake for 18-20 minutes or until golden on top.
- Let it rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing into it.
