The Best Cornbread - Ever!

It was so prettyI took it's picture on a beautiful pedestal! It's moist, the crumb is just right,
 it's holding together beautifully, and the flavor is phenomenally good! 

I love good cornbread. I like it tender and moist, savory with maybe just the barest hint of sweet, and a bit of saltiness, and I love to slather it with fresh butter and gorgeous golden locally sustained bee-keeper's honey.

I don't like very many peoples versions of corn bread. I really am that picky, for lack of a better word. I suppose I am being really picky. But just think about this for a minute. I'm sure that you've eaten really dry flavorless cornbread. Right? Or cornbread that was soggy, milky, or greasy? Some of them have too much corn, or cheese, green onions. Nasty! I find it appalling when we go specifically to a southern style restaurant for bar-b-qued meat, cornbread, fried green tomatoes, cole slaw, baked sweet potatoes, baked beans.....and we have some really great restaurants, but the cornbread is sooooo lacking.

So I get this particular "set" to my mouth when I want something specific. It seems that my mouth has memories of these specific desires. Does yours? So I know exactly how I want my cornbread to taste, to feel, to smell, and to comfort me. I do consider it a comfort food, when it's good anyway. My Grandma Lane would bake some really good cornbread. I'm sure that it is hers that my mouth remembers.

The fragrance of this treat baking starts my tummy begging for a lovely, golden wedge as shown in the picture above. So let me tempt you with this recipe. It was inspired by Jeanne's Savauges' recipe. 

Thanks Jeanne!

The Best Cornbread - Ever!

Ingredients:

Jeanne's GF AP Flour Mix: 

1 1/2 cups brown rice flour

1 1/2 cups white rice flour

1 cup sweet rice flour

1 cup tapioca flour/starch

scant 2 teaspoons xanthan gum

Mix ingredients together and store in a dark cool place. Use cup to cup for any all purpose flour needs.

1 cup of Jeanne's flour blend

1 cup corn flour

1 cup cornmeal

1 teaspoon sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt

2 large eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

3/4 cup buttermilk

4 Tablespoons butter, melted for the batter

2 Tablespoons butter, melted for brushing on the top of the cooked bread

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 425°F. 

You will need a cast iron pan, shortening or non-stick spray. If you don't have a cast iron pan, a metal pan is better than a glass pan.

1. Grease or spray your pan and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl sift the dry ingredients and set aside.

3. In a mixer bowl on medium-low speed, mix the eggs, sour cream, buttermilk and melted butter.

4. Add the dry ingredients and mix on medium high for 6 minutes. This helps the grains to hydrate and prevent grittiness.

5. Bake for 20-30 minutes. The bread will have a characteristic crack around the top, risen very nicely, and should be just golden in color. An instant read thermometer should read 195-205°F, then you will know it's done in the middle with no guessing involved.

6. Remove from the oven and let it rest for about 10 minutes. Then score the bread into wedges and plate.

Enjoy it with some delicious honey or your favorite jam or preserves.