Steam-Baked Northern-Style Cornbread

Susan Vu
Susan Vu
November 20, 2023
There are two styles when it comes to cornbread. Southern-style cornbread uses little (if any) sugar and generally has a crumbly texture (due to being made up of mostly cornmeal), whereas most Northern-style versions are sweeter and have a more cake-like crumb because of the addition of flour in the batter. This recipe, which most closely resembles what you would find in the North, isn’t shy with the sugar (it’s used in the batter and also sprinkled in the cake pan itself) and a touch of steam from the Anova Precision Oven keeps the resulting cornbread tender and moist. This sweet cornbread is fantastic on its own, but it’s equally as good served on the side of a spicy batch of chili to help temper the heat.
Serves
8
Prep Time
00:10
Cook Time
00:20
Steam-Baked Northern-Style Cornbread
0
179
Ingredients
6 Tbsp (84g)
unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus room temperature butter for greasing the pan
1 scant Tbsp plus 1/2 cup (100g)
granulated sugar, divided
1 cup (160g)
yellow cornmeal
1 cup (140g)
all-purpose flour
1.5 tsp
baking soda
1.25 tsp
kosher salt
¾ cup (184g)
sour cream, at room temperature
¼ cup
water
2 large
eggs, at room temperature
Steps

1. Preheat the Oven

Rack
Sous Vide Mode: Off
Steam: 15%
Temp: 375.008°F
Heat: Rear

2. Prepare the Cake Pan

Generously grease an 8-inch square cake pan with butter and sprinkle 1 scant tablespoon of granulated sugar in the bottom of the pan. Pick up the pan and shake side to side so that the sugar is evenly distributed around the bottom and sides of the pan.

3. Make the Batter

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sour cream, water, the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, and the eggs. Add the sour cream mixture to the cornmeal mixture, drizzle with the melted butter, and stir until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula.

4. Bake the Cornbread

Rack
Transfer the pan to the oven and bake until the cornbread is golden brown and a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 20 to 24 minutes, rotating the cake pan once after 10 minutes.
Sous Vide Mode: Off
Steam: 15%
Temp: 375.008°F
Heat: Rear
00:20 Timer

5. Cool Slightly and Serve

Cool the cornbread in the cake pan set over a wire rack for 10 minutes. Carefully turn the cornbread out of the cake pan, cut into 8 to 12 pieces, and serve.
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