Super Yummy Sourdough Cornbread Recipe

This incredibly moist, slightly cakey, and subtly sweet sourdough discard cornbread recipe makes the perfect weekday treat. Serve this alongside any main dish, and you’re good to go!

Table of Contents

• What is Cornbread?
• What Does Sourdough Cornbread Taste Like?
• What Do You Need For Sourdough Cornbread?
• Sourdough Discard Cornbread Recipe
• What To Serve With Sourdough Cornbread?
• More Sourdough Recipes
• How to Store Sourdough Cornbread
• Sourdough Discard Cornbread
• FAQs

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What is Cornbread?

Cornbread is a type of quickbread often enjoyed in the Southern parts of the United States. It is often eaten on its own or served as a side dish alongside a rich main dish i.e., soups and stews.

Truthfully, cornbread is incredibly versatile. You can eat it however you want, all the while appreciating its incredible textures and flavor.

What Does Sourdough Cornbread Taste Like?

Sourdough cornbread tastes a lot like regular cornbread in the sense that it has a soft, moist, and crumbly texture, with a subtly sweet, buttery taste, and just a hint of sourness from the sourdough discard.

What Do You Need For Sourdough Cornbread?

You’ll need an unfed sourdough starter, along with several ingredients to make a delicious sourdough cornbread.

• Sourdough starter discard: For a milder sourdough taste to your sourdough cornbread, you can use an active sourdough starter. However, if you’re looking for a strong sour flavor, then use a sourdough discard.
• Buttermilk: This helps create a moist, rich bread. You can create your own buttermilk using milk and vinegar or milk and lemon juice.
• Cornmeal: Cornmeal provides a gritty texture and golden color to your cornbread.
• Flour: I like to use all-purpose flour or whole wheat flour, as this helps bind the ingredients together. (I’ve got a whole wheat sourdough bread recipe by the way!)
• Eggs: Eggs act as a wet ingredient and help stick other elements together.
• Sugar: Sugar provides a hint of the necessary sweetness that cornbread needs.
• Salt: This helps balance the sweet, savory, and tangy flavors.
• Butter: This provides a rich, warm, moistened bread texture.
• Baking soda and powder: Both baking soda and powder provide a wonderful fluffy interior.
• Vanilla extract: This provides depth and flavor, deliciously enhancing the natural corn flavor without making it taste like a regular cake.

Sourdough Discard Cornbread Recipe

This sourdough cornbread recipe produces a perfectly sweet, moist and incredibly fluffy cornbread with delicious hints of vanilla and coconut for a unique flavor.

Take a look at the full recipe below:

Ingredients

• 115g unsalted butter
• 30ml coconut oil
• 2 large eggs
• 70g granulated sugar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 100g sourdough discard
• 125g all-purpose flour
• 80g medium grind cornmeal
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 120ml buttermilk

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Line an 8-inch pan with parchment paper.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter and coconut oil over low heat. Set this aside to cool slightly.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Pour in the melted butter mixture and mix well. Add the unfed sourdough starter and mix once again.
4. Add the flour and cornmeal to a separate bowl. Sift the baking powder and baking soda, followed by salt directly over the top of both flours. Mix to combine.
5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients using a wooden spoon to thoroughly incorporate.
6. Slowly pour in the buttermilk until half of the liquid is completely absorbed. Dip a spoon into the cornbread batter and let it pour down. If the batter trickles the texture is correct, however, if it drops thickly add some more liquid to thin it out.
7. Bake the sourdough cornbread batter on the center rack for 25-30 minutes. The top of the cornbread should be a lovely golden brown when ready.
8. Let the cornbread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer the bread to a cooling rack.

And there you have it, you have baked a delicious cornbread! Serve and enjoy.

If you can’t commit to cornbread, then check out this sourdough cornbread muffins recipe!

Tips For The Best Sourdough Cornbread

Baking the perfect sourdough cornbread can be a bit of a challenge, but with these tips and tricks in mind, there’s no way you’ll be able to mess up your sourdough cornbread!

• Use sourdough discard for a rich sourdough flavor. You can also use a mature sourdough starter for a subtler flavor.
• If you wish to rest your dough, then that is entirely up to you as this is not a necessity for this recipe. Simply allow the sourdough starter, milk, cornmeal, and flour to rest for 1-2 hours for a strong sourdough flavor.
• Insert a toothpick into the baked cornbread to judge the doneness of your bread.

Vegan Sourdough Cornbread

Sourdough cornbread can easily be adapted into a vegan recipe, with a few substitutions of course. By using non-dairy milk, and vegan butter you can comfortably indulge in your favorite sourdough treats without having to worry about the ingredients.

You can replace regular milk with plant-based milk like soya, and butter with vegan butter.

What To Serve With Sourdough Cornbread?

When it comes to choosing the perfect accompaniment for sourdough cornbread, there are a ton of options to go from. From sweet to savory, there’s a dish to suit anyone’s taste.

Take your pick from the serving suggestions below:

Butter

Let’s begin with a classic that never gets old.

There’s something incredibly tantalizing about a glob of butter spread over sweet and sour cornbread. You can even toast your cornbread before getting stuck into its divine taste.

Honey

Sweet and tangy makes a fantastic combination, so why not drizzle a generous gloop of sticky sweet honey over a chunk of cornbread for a sweet treat?

Serve this for breakfast, or as an entrée before the main meal.

Jalapenos

Jalapenos and cornbread make the perfect combination, so why not add them to your sourdough cornbread? They provide the perfect spicy balance to the sweet and savory bread.

And if you love their raw taste, then simply dice, top, and devour.

Cheese

You can get creative with this one, and choose any kind of cheese you like. I like to go for cream cheese, spreading a generous layer of the good stuff all over the cornbread piece, and sprinkling a pinch of salt and pepper for extra flavor.

Trust me, it’s divine!

Sauteed Greens

Sauteed greens taste incredible with cornbread. And you can choose any type of green you like.

I like to go for bitter greens like kale, collard greens, or spinach. Combine sauteed bitterness with sweet and savory cornbread, and you get a phenomenal treat. Sauté and flavor your favorite greens with salt, pepper, and a light dusting of chili flakes.

Stews

Here’s another perfect pairing to have alongside your sourdough discard cornbread.

Soups and stews are brimming with flavor, and when you use cornbread as a sweet and tangy dipping tool, you get the best of both worlds.

I like to rip my cornbread into bite-sized pieces and toss them into a bowl of beef stew, for a delightful combo.

Jam

Jam is another classic, yet brilliant spread for your homemade sourdough cornbread. Choose any flavor you like.

I often alternate between raspberry and strawberry, when spread on toasted cornbread the results are incredible.

Refreshing salad

This is yet another incredible accompaniment to sourdough cornbread because the flavor combination is simply out of this world.

Slice and dice your favorite veggies, you can even add some shredded chicken if you’re feeling adventurous.

Drizzle some olive oil, followed by some vinegar. Then top this with crumbled sourdough cornbread, and watch the flavors delight your taste buds!

More Sourdough Recipes

If you’ve made it this far, you’re probably hungry for some more sourdough treats. Don’t worry I have a whole list for you to explore!

Check out these delicious sourdough delights below:

• Sourdough crepes
• Sourdough discard banana bread
• Sourdough pretzels
• Sourdough breadsticks
• Sourdough chocolate chip cookies

How to Store Sourdough Cornbread

Any leftover cornbread can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

However, if you’ve cooked your sourdough cornbread on a cast iron skillet, then you must store your bread in an airtight container for the same amount of time.

Alternatively, you could easily opt to freeze your cornbread for up to 4 months. When you’re ready to indulge in its goodness once more, simply thaw the bread overnight in the fridge, and reheat it in the microwave for 10 minutes at 350 degrees F.

Sourdough Discard Cornbread

I’ve got another similar recipe to this: corn sourdough bread.

If you love sourdough cornbread, then why not check our huge collection of sourdough discard recipes, there’s something there for everyone!

FAQs