Crumbly Cornbread
Jan 11, 2006 | From the kitchen of Rose
MARY QUESTION
Feedback: I hate to admit that I'm 75
years old and just now
wondering why my cornbread is all of a sudden so crumbly. My husband gets really "disturbed". It's
happened the last few times
I've baked it. What am I
doing wrong?
ROSE REPLY
as i illustrated in my génoise posting, when something has worked for years and suddenly doesn't, it's always bc one is doing SOMETHING differently. think hard what that could be.
generally speaking, cornbread is crumbly if there is too high a proportion of cornmeal to flour. you need the gluten in the flour to hold it together and also enough moisture. if it is too high in fat it will also be too tender and crumbly. i don't know what ingredients you are using but you could try using a higher protein flour if you are using a cake flour or soft southern flour such as white lilly. try a bleached all purpose. hope this helps.
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Rose Levy Beranbaum
01/23/2007 11:05 AM
thanks so much for sharing this!
REPLY
Melinda Pickworth
01/23/2007 10:43 AM
Rose, I bought about 10 years ago (when I came home to USA) one of the corn cast iron mold pans. I loved the look of it, but I haven't ever used it.
I saw your recipe for corn bread in the BB. I decided to try it despite not having BLEACHED flour or probably the correct cornmeal. I used ordinary all purpose unbleached flour and what is called here, cormeal fine polenta. Available at TESCO. I just wanted you to know that it turned out excellent. I love the pepper flakes in it too. So you can pass it on to other UK residents. I haven't had cornbread for yonks, so I am going to really enjoy it tonight with my chilli for dinner.
REPLY
Rose Levy Beranbaum
02/07/2006 12:24 PM
now that the Zito's has closed, I have no way of contacting them.
REPLY
Lee Bassoff
02/02/2006 12:46 PM
Some time ago at the Smithsonian, I asked you if you could possibly try to get the recipe for Zito's wonderful whole wheat Italian bread. Now that the bakery is closed, would it be possible for you to try again?
REPLY
Recipes from My PBS Show Baking Magic with Rose
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