Use your sourdough discard to make this moist and slightly sweet sourdough cornbread. It has a complex, slightly tangy flavor that you will love; it's not your everyday cornbread!
I had a craving for cornbread recently, but I wanted it to be unique and not just a one-note cornbread. That's where sourdough comes in! When in doubt, always add sourdough discard to your baked goods for a more complex flavor; it works like a charm every time.
This recipe is just as easy as regular ol' cornbread. The only difference is that you leave your sourdough mixture to ferment on the counter for 8 hours (do it overnight!). This lends the cornbread a much more nuanced and slightly tangy flavor, and it's a great way to use up your discard.
Sourdough cornbread is perfectly moist and slightly sweet from the addition of honey, with that crumbly texture that I love. Pair it with Thick and Hearty Vegetarian Chili or Ethiopian Black-Eyed Peas with Coconut Milk and never look back.
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🍯 Ingredient Notes
- Sourdough discard - Gives our cornbread a more complex and tangy flavor.
- Cornmeal - Make sure that you use cornmeal and not corn flour. Cornmeal has a coarser and grittier texture, which is what we want here.
- Whole wheat flour - Adds a slightly nutty flavor and makes our sourdough cornbread that much healthier.
- Baking powder and baking soda - Always check the expiration dates on your leavening agents.
📋 Variations & Substitutions
- If you don't have a cast iron skillet, use a stainless steel skillet (or round cake pan). I wouldn't recommend using a non-stick skillet in the oven, as the coating can become warped and potentially toxic.
- Add heat. Add 1 diced jalapeño to give your sourdough cornbread a pop of heat.
- Make it cheesy. Mix in ½ cup grated cheddar for cheesiness.
- Turn it into muffins. You can easily turn this recipe into muffins (it makes around 12).
- Substitute maple syrup for the honey. It will have a slightly different flavor, but will still be delicious.
- Make dairy-free: Substitute dairy-free/plant-based milk and butter for very similar results!
🥄 Sourdough Cornbread Instructions
Step 1. In a large bowl, combine sourdough discard, milk, cornmeal, and both flours. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 8 hours.
Step 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8" cast-iron skillet or 9" round cake pan. Set aside.
Step 3. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, eggs, melted butter, and salt. Pour into sourdough mixture and stir to combine.
Step 4. Add baking powder and baking soda, and mix well. (It will start to bubble up a bit. This is good!).
Step 5. Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Serve warm.
👩🏼🍳 Expert Tips
- Storage: Store (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- How to freeze: Wrap individual slices of sourdough cornbread in foil and place in a freezer-safe bag. Store in freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to reheat: Place on a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. Place in a preheated oven for 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, until heated through.
- Make ahead: You can let your mixture ferment (instead of at room temperature for 8 hours) in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Eggs should be room temperature. This will prevent your batter from curdling when mixed with the melted butter.
- You can decide on the level of tanginess. We let our sourdough mixture ferment for 8 hours in this recipe for optimal complexity. However, if you can only do 4 or 6 hours, that's fine, too. Experiment with how tangy you like it to be!
💬 Frequently Asked Questions
Essentially, it is the excess sourdough starter that you remove before each feeding. Depending on how often you make a loaf of sourdough, you could end up with quite a bit of discard after a while.
Of course, you could throw it away, but you really shouldn’t – there are so many great ways to use your discard. I keep mine in a covered bowl in the refrigerator, and use it anytime I bake something and want to add an element of tanginess, or a more complex flavor, to a recipe.
The general rule is, for every 1 cup of discard that you add to a recipe, you should subtract ½ cup of flour and ½ cup of any liquid in the recipe.
Part of the fun of using discard is that you get to control how much added depth of flavor you want to add, and that will determine how much discard you use.
By leaving your sourdough mixture on the counter, you are allowing the mixture to ferment. Fermentation helps to develop the deep, complex flavor that sourdough provides (think of the tanginess of buttermilk).
For this recipe, you should aim for 8 hours, but if you can only do 4 or 6, that's fine, too. Experiment with how tangy you like it to be!
Traditional sourdough starter is used with either all-purpose or whole-wheat flour to create natural yeast, which helps bread rise. Since cornmeal is gluten-free, it would not develop into an active starter.
🍞 Related Recipes
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📖 Sourdough Cornbread Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup sourdough discard
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup cornmeal
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup whole wheat flour
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine sourdough discard, milk, cornmeal, and both flours. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 8 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter an 8" cast-iron skillet or 9" round cake pan. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, eggs, melted butter, and salt. Pour into sourdough mixture and stir to combine.
- Add baking powder and baking soda, and mix well. (It will start to bubble up a bit. This is good!).
- Pour into prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Serve warm.
Notes
- Storage: Store (covered) in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- How to freeze: Wrap individual slices of sourdough cornbread in foil and place in a freezer-safe bag. Store in freezer for up to 3 months.
- How to reheat: Place on a baking sheet and cover with aluminum foil. Place in a preheated oven for 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, until heated through.
- Make ahead: You can let your mixture ferment (instead of at room temperature for 8 hours) in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
- Eggs should be room temperature. This will prevent your batter from curdling when mixed with the melted butter.
- You can decide on the level of tanginess. We let our sourdough mixture ferment for 8 hours in this recipe for optimal complexity. However, if you can only do 4 or 6 hours, that's fine, too. Experiment with how tangy you like it to be!
- This recipe is adapted from The Gingered Whisk.
Seema Sriram
I am new to sourdough and learning my its and bobs here. It is amazing to see what you have created here. I am saving up this recipe when I have a bit more confidence on the sourdough breads.
Gastronotherapy
It definitely takes a while to build up confidence making sourdough! This recipe is a bit of a "cheater" recipe though, in the sense that it calls for baking powder and baking soda to help with the leavening. The sourdough discard added here is more for flavor purposes. Let me know if you end up making it!
Amy
Haha! Yup! My partner and I are one of those people that started on the bread making sourdough journey at the start of 2020! I'm happy to report we're still going and now wanting to try new things. This cornbread was delicious! Will definitely be making it again.
Gastronotherapy
Fantastic, Amy! The sourdough journey has been so fun, and I'm so glad you enjoyed this cornbread recipe!
Andrea
I'm a big fan of new cornbread recipes and this one is very intriguing. Will definitely be giving this one a try.
Gastronotherapy
Let me know if you try it, Andrea! The sourdough discard gives it a nice complexity that I really enjoy!
Tara
Such an amazing use for sourdough discard! The flavors of this cornbread sound absolutely incredible.
Gastronotherapy
Thanks, Tara! It really adds great tangy flavor!
veenaazmanov
Looks yummy and sounds perfect for a Tea Time Treat.
Gastronotherapy
Thanks, Veena! I agree! 🙂