Would you like to know how to make cornbread with a can of corn? Maize bread is a simple staple if you do not have a whole lot of bread-making skills or a full pantry of ingredients. Flour, sugar, yeast, and eggs are expensive and sometimes hard to find. This bread does not take on a strong corn flavor or taste exactly like cornbread; it's somewhere in between but still delicious. It is a simple staple with a slightly sweet, spongy white bread texture that I enjoy a few times a year.
Items Needed:
Blender
Heating pad (for proofing)
One pint or one can of whole corn or sweet corn
Two eggs
¼ cup sugar
Two cups flour
Three teaspoons yeast
Salt
Butter or bacon grease to grease a pan
10-inch skillet or casserole dish
This recipe is easy, but it does take an hour or two to proof the bread (rise).
Gather your ingredients to put in the blender.
Put the can (pint) of corn in the blender first.
Add the sugar, yeast, and eggs next.
Add salt if your canned corn doesn't have much, or omit the salt if you have restrictions.
My canned corn has ¼ tsp of salt in each can, so I added a little more canning salt for flavor.
{You can withhold the eggs if you feel uncertain about keeping them warm for an hour before baking. Scramble them and fold them in later. I'm comfortable with my homegrown eggs and don't mind using them in unstable conditions. Do what makes you feel safe. Warming eggs in a bread-proof is not my recommendation for everyone.}
Blend until smooth.
Add the mixture to a large bowl that can be covered with plastic wrap.
Add one cup of flour.
Mix in the flour. No need to over-mix, and lumps are okay.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap. I use a rubber band to keep it from falling in. Using a larger bowl to hold a heating pad around the bowl. Set the bread bowl inside and flip the heating pad over the top. Set the heating pad on high and let it proof for around an hour. The plastic wrap will swell and balloon up. This is called proofing your bread.
Look at all those scratches on this four-year-old stove! That's good use!
After an hour, or as soon as the dough mixture has doubled in size, heat the oven to 425º. Do not let the bread dough rise longer. Over-proofing can create too much acid, ruining the loft of this bread. More isn't better here.
Add another cup of flour and mix well by hand. {Add your scrambled eggs and fold them in now if you withheld them.} The floof will mix out, but don't worry - it will return.
The mixture will be wet, flat, and lumpy. This is normal. Owning a silicone spatula for 20 years is not. I prefer wooden tools but went all fancy for the blog.
Place the mixture in a greased 10-inch skillet or casserole dish and set it on the heating pad on high again to let it rise. Heat your oven to 425 degrees.
While the oven heats, the heating pad should make the mixture rises about half again. If your heating pad is slow, give it a little longer. It needs some floof.
Bake at 425 degrees F until done. Actual oven temperatures vary but should take less than half an hour. The top should be golden and crisp. Insert a cake tester or toothpick in the center to ensure it is cooked thoroughly. A cake tester or toothpick will come out clean if the bread is cooked.
Always let your loaves of bread cool so they release from the pan easily. This soft and versatile bread is great as a snack, side dish, or toasted with condiments ranging from peanut butter or toasting some cheese to making a dessert with cinnamon sugar.
*Side note: This recipe will not work with hominy, as the pH is likely too low for the yeast to make it rise.
I have used this same recipe with a can of pineapple to make Hawaiian bread.
Homesteading is a transformative and empowering journey that can bring healing and vitality to one's life. After a difficult battle with depression and cancer, I found solace in growing my own food and ensuring its proper care from the field to the table. In my journey, I discovered the true meaning of self-sufficiency and the profound connection to nature that comes with living a country life.
My book, 'Growing Back to the Land,' shares my intimate narrative of growth, discovery, and the wonderful experience of living in "God's Country." It is available HERE on Amazon in Kindle and Paperback. The first few chapters are available for free with the "look inside" button on the book cover on Amazon. My website shares my real-life photos for every chapter. growingbacktotheland.com
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