A perfectly moist, slightly sweet, fluffy sourdough discard cornbread recipe with a hint of vanilla and coconut oil for depth of flavor. Make it a day ahead- it pairs well with soups and stews.
Cornbread is a fickle thing to bake. It’s either too dry and crumbly, or ridiculously sweet and cake-like. Some recipes call for actual corn and others don’t at all. Where do you even start?
With a few tweaks to my blueberry cornmeal muffins (a tried and true favorite), I managed to create a unique, moist, subtly sweet sourdough cornbread recipe that’s light and fluffy and won’t crumble all over the place.
To get started, you’ll need some leftover sourdough discard (bubbly active starter is fine too) and an 8×8-inch pan for thick-cut squares. More sourdough discard recipes here.
What Sets My Recipe Apart:
- A higher ratio of flour to cornmeal is used for best texture- this is key.
- Butter adds richness and flavor, while the coconut oil keeps the cornbread moist.
- Baking powder is used to “lift” the cornbread and baking soda tames any dense cake-like qualities.
- You can easily make this 1 day in advance. The flavor and texture will only improve.
The Secret Ingredient?
There are two secret ingredients, actually:
- Pure Vanilla Extract. This enhances the natural corn flavor without making it taste like birthday cake.
- Coconut oil. This also adds depth of flavor. I get mine from Trader Joe’s. Coconut oil brings out a nutty flavor too, and no, the cornbread doesn’t taste like tanning lotion. This addition was inspired by a fantastic curried coconut corn soup that I make on repeat.
A Few Important Tips:
- I’ve made this recipe many, many times and I can tell you an 8×8-inch square pan will create the best looking thick-cut squares. If using a 9×13-inch pan instead, the squares will be thinner and you’ll have to reduce the bake time.
- Also, pay attention to the batter when mixing. It should create “ribbons” when it drips off a spoon. If it seems too thick (due to the type of cornmeal used, the thickness of your sourdough starter, or from overpacking your measuring cups) it can easily be corrected with more liquid.
What About The Cornmeal? What Type Is Best?
Medium-grind cornmeal (i.e. Bob’s Redmill brand) is what I used for this recipe. In my opinion, it adds more flavor and a heartier texture. Regular cornmeal (i.e. Quaker brand) will work too, but it’s finer in texture so the cornbread will be more smooth. Both will work.
PS: If you like this recipe, I have a whole arsenal of sourdough discard recipes to explore: try my Overnight Sourdough Apple Cake, this Same-Day Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Bread my Best Sourdough Pancakes to start!
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Secret Ingredient Sourdough Cornbread
- Prep Time: 5
- Cook Time: 25
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: One 8x8-inch cake 1x
- Category: Sourdough Discard Recipes
- Method: Oven-Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
A perfectly moist, slightly sweet, fluffy sourdough cornbread recipe with a hint of vanilla and coconut oil for depth of flavor. Can be made 1 day in advance. Excellent for festive feasts, soups, stews and more!
Notes
- For thick-cut squares, it’s best to use an 8×8-inch square pan.
- Half and Half is equal parts milk and light cream (here in the US it’s sold as “Half & Half in the stores). You can sub with whole milk, and blend of milk and cream, cream with a splash of water etc. Buttermilk will work too.
- To make this dairy free, use plant butter and reduce the salt to 1/4-1/2 tsp. Use an unsweetened plant milk of your choice.
- To make this gluten free, swap the flour for King Arthur Measure for Measure GF flour.
Ingredients
- 115 g (8 tbsp. or 1 stick) unsalted butter
- 30 ml (2 tbsp) coconut oil
- 2 large eggs
- 70 g (1/3 cup) granulated sugar (increase to 100 g or scant 1/2 cup if you like it sweeter)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 100 g (appx. 1/2 cup) sourdough discard
- 125 g (1 cup lightly spooned & leveled) all purpose flour
- 80 g (1/2 cup) medium grind cornmeal (I used Bob’s Red Mill)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) half & half (*see notes above)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F. Line an 8×8-inch pan with parchment paper.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter and coconut oil over low heat. Set aside to cool slightly.
- Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla together in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the melted butter mixture; whisk well. Add the sourdough starter and mix again.
- Add the flour and cornmeal to a separate bowl. Sift the baking powder, baking soda and salt directly over the top. Mix to combine.
- Working in batches, add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients using a wooden spoon to incorporate.
- Gradually pour in the half & half until the liquid is fully absorbed. Dip a spoon into the batter and let it pour down; if slow “ribbons’” form the texture is correct. If it seems too thick (this could be due to the texture of your sourdough starter or the addition of too much flour) add more liquid to thin it out.
- Bake on the center rack for 25-28 minutes; the top should be golden brown when ready.
- Cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove the cornbread bread (still on the parchment paper) to finish cooling on a wire rack.
- Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.
Note: this cornbread can be made 1 day in advance. Once completely cool, cover in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature. Serve as is, or reheat wrapped in foil at 250 F until warm.
Comments
Rob says
Made this for the first time on Thanksgiving but made a few substitutions for my own preferences, and these came out great. I used a small can of cream corn instead of half & half to cut the fat (there’s enough liquid, and technically it is “cream” corn), plus I love corn mixed into my cornbread. I did similarly by using Avocado Oil instead of Coconut oil to cut more fat. Lastly I use Stevia based sugars. I’ve been doing these things in my baking and I barely notice it. If anything, try the cream corn instead of the half & half, it’s an even swap.
David says
Great recipe! As with recipes in your sourdough book, foolproof and delicious
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you David! I appreciate the supportive feedback.
Nancy says
Can this cornbread be used in a cornbread stuffing recipe?
Mary says
This was a delicious cornbread! I served it to a group of hunters along side venison chili! Thank you so much
Sherwood says
I love the idea of cornbread, but until this recipe, they have always been a bit of a disappointment. Usually on the dry side, but this recipe is excellent — so moist and silky. Just plain delicious. A real winner!
Cinda says
I’m not one to leave reviews, but I keep coming back to this recipe. I’ve tried 3 other sourdough cornbread recipes & this one tops them all by far! We never have leftovers it’s so good.
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you for taking the time to comment, Cinda! I appreciate the kind feedback. Glad you liked the recipe!
MichelleO says
We loved this cornbread. I was surprised how smooth & silky it came out. I used blue corn meal which made it extra pretty. I didn’t have enough all purpose flour! Who runs out of flour? I guess the answer is me. I did have bread flour so I mixed all purpose & bread flour & wondered if the bread flour made it so silky smooth.
I also used almond milk.
Thanks for another great way to use sourdough discard!
Estelle says
Amazing Recipe!! Easy!
Kate says
This corn bread was amazing! I measured by scale and used Bob Red Mill. I couldn’t even taste the coconut oil. I think it just made it a lot fluffier. I bet I could substitute avocado oil and it would do the same thing but I’m not sure I wanna mess with this recipe. It was really good.
Greg Crawford says
There are a million cornbread recipes but this one stands out. It’s got a wonderful crumbly but not dry texture and delicious flavor. The sourdough starter adds just the right hint of a yeast flavor that’s nicely balanced against the vanilla. I let the dough ferment in the fridge for a few hours before baking and it was pretty thick when I took it out. I was worried that it would be dense but it wasn’t at all. I didn’t have coconut oil so just used butter. And I baked it in my 12-inch cast iron skillet, which worked nicely. A new favorite!
Cathy Deutsch says
Can I substitute apple sauce in the corn bread instead of the butter? Will be using discard. Made you oatmeal discard cookies today and they are wonderful!!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Cathy! This is a good question. I haven’t tried it, so I’m unable to advise with specifics. If you experiment, let me know and I’ll make an note.🥰
kermit says
delicious and so easy to make!! i love that it’s not too sweet so that i can slather it in honey and butter
Hilary Timothy says
This cornbread was absolutely amazing! My whole family loved how light and fluffy it was!
Emilie Raffa says
So glad you liked it! Thank you Hilary!
Becka says
Loved the flavor of these and followed the directions to a “T” but I found it to be really greasy. Is there any modification someone might suggest to reduce the grease content?
Erin says
I’ve made this a couple times now and it is by far the best cornbread recipe I’ve ever had!! I will be making this for life. Thank you for sharing!
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you Erin! 🥰