Corn Bread

Makes: About 6 servings

Time: About 45 minutes

M

Corn bread people are divided into not-sweet and sweet camps, Southerners largely being of the not-sweet persuasion, Northerners seen as liking it sweeter. I like it both ways, as reflected in this recipe. The foundation recipe is without sugar; for those who prefer it with, check out the variation for Rich Sweet Corn Bread. Also try Corn and Bean Bread, which is an American classic (in some forms predating the arrival of Europeans) and really good.

• 2 tablespoons melted butter or olive oil, plus cold butter for greasing the pan
• 1½ cups cornmeal
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1¼ cups buttermilk or yogurt, plus more as needed

1. Heat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9-inch square baking pan with butter.
2. Whisk the cornmeal, flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. Whisk the egg into the buttermilk. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients just enough to combine everything. If the batter is very dry and doesn’t come together easily, add a few more tablespoons buttermilk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it comes together.
3. Add the melted butter and stir until just incorporated; avoid overmixing. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread into an even layer. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is lightly browned, the sides have pulled away from the pan, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cut into squares and serve hot or warm.

Rich Sweet Corn Bread Use 4 tablespoons (½ stick) butter. Add ¼ cup sugar to the flour mixture. Use 2 eggs and separate them; whisk the yolks into the buttermilk and beat the whites in a small bowl with an electric mixer until stiff but not dry peaks form, then gently fold them into the batter.

Corny Corn Bread Add 1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels along with the liquid ingredients.

Whole Wheat Quinoa Corn Bread Hearty whole grains create a great crumbly texture with a bit of crunch: Substitute whole wheat flour for the all-purpose flour. Stir 1 cup cooked quinoa (any color) into the flour mixture.

Corn and Bean Bread Reduce the buttermilk to 1 cup; omit the flour. Stir 1½ cups well-cooked white beans (canned are fine), puréed and drained, into the wet mixture before adding it to the dry ingredients.

Cheddar-Jalapeño Corn Bread Add ½ cup grated cheddar cheese and 1 tablespoon minced seeded jalapeño when you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Scallion Corn Bread Add 6 chopped scallions when you add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients.

Gluten-Free Corn Bread Be sure to buy cornmeal that states on the package that it is gluten-free (some brands may be processed in mills that also process wheat): Omit the all-purpose flour and increase the cornmeal to 2 cups.