Layered Mexican Cornbread Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you make cornbread that doesn't fall apart? ›

Cornmeal gives cornbread its classic color and flavor, but too much can make your bread crumbly. Try replacing a little bit of cornmeal with flour. The specific measurements will depend on how much cornmeal and flour is in your recipe, but you should try to have more flour than cornmeal in your batter.

More flour makes it less crumbly. If you're using too high a proportion of corn meal, the bread doesn't have enough gluten to hold it together. Try using less cornmeal and more flour.

Don't overcook it. Over-cooking cornbread is possibly the number one reason why your cornbread is dry. Any type of bread, just like a good steak, should be taken out just before it is done and allowed to rest. Any type of food that is in the process of cooking, will continue to cook as it is cooling off.

It's been my experience that all cornbread crumbles, not just the mix from Jiffy. And that's because corn doesn't contain any gluten, which is the stretchy protein found in wheat flour that holds it together so nicely. I kind of like the crumbly texture; for me, it's a feature, not a bug.

Though it's worth noting that Kent also recommends adding an egg to help keep the dish intact, and egg yolks are pretty fatty. A source of protein such as yogurt may lend stability, but eggs are unbeatable in this regard. Whatever you do, don't add sand or bake your cornbread in the shape of a castle.

The extra egg which is increased protein and binder makes the cornbread denser and heavier in texture.

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.

Note: We recommend allowing cornbread batter to sit for 10 to 15 minutes before baking, so if you prefer, you can delay heating the oven until you make the batter.

As for the best cornmeal for cornbread, either fine- or medium-grind cornmeal is a great choice. Medium-grind cornmeal will bring slightly more texture and grittiness to the batter, which you may or may not want (it's up to you!). You can use fine or medium cornmeal in these extra corny muffins.

Cornbread, or any baked good, will fall in the middle if it is not completely baked, or if you add too much leavening, which causes it to rise more than the structure of the batter can sustain. Always use a tester inserted in the center of your cornbread to make sure it's done.

How long should you let cornbread cool? ›

Let the homemade cornbread cool for at least 20 minutes at room temperature before slicing and serving. It'll be tempting to try a slice right away, but trust me, the wait is worth it. After it cools, the cornbread will have a fluffier, more cohesive texture and richer corn flavor.

Soaking the cornmeal in buttermilk for a few hours, or even overnight, tenderizes the large grains of cornmeal, making the bread more moist and tender. This step is optional, however, and the bread is still delicious without the soaking step.

The black specks are simply naturally dark pieces of the pericarp (skin) of the corn, where the tip of the kernel attaches to the cob. The color of the specks will vary by crop and year. They are the same as those commonly seen in hard taco shells, corn or tortilla chips, cornmeal, and natural whole corn products.

You can stir in 1 cup of roasted chopped jalapeños or 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or cayenne into the batter. Or, you can mix in 3 tablespoons of your favorite chile paste. Fields also recommends trying a little NOLA flair by adding a rounded ¼ teaspoon Cajun spice blend to your cornbread mix.