Cornbread Croutons Recipe (2024)

FAQs

Why is my cornbread not crunchy? ›

A scattering of dry coarse cornmeal in the hot skillet before you pour in the batter makes the cornbread extra crunchy. Flipping it onto a plate or rack also helps the crust stay crisp. Or you could make it thicker and cook it ahead of time, then split the slices and toast them before serving.

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.

You may also have a problem in the baking process, where you need more "wet" ingredients. If your dough/batter is the right texture/wetness before it goes in the oven, and assuming you didn't under-/overbake - try subsitituting 50% butter for a vegetable/fruit oil. Oil will help create a moist mouthfeel.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar (if using), baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the egg/milk mixture, along with the melted butter. Gently stir, just to combine. The batter should be thick, but still pourable.

Yes, but we recommend using an egg substitute, like applesauce. Eggs, or egg substitutes help add structure to the cornbread. Without an egg or substitute, the cornbread may crumble and fall apart easily.

1Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. 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. 2Melt the butter, and then set aside to cool slightly.

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.

Crowding the pan.

Pile the bread cubes on top of each other and they won't have enough space to crisp up and brown. Instead, make sure they're in a even layer.

The key to crispy croutons is making sure that they're fully dried out in the oven and crunchy all the way through. They should not be chewy when they come out of the oven. Bake croutons in a single layer on the baking sheet to crisp up the bread, rather than steaming it.

How do you make Jiffy cornbread less crumbly? ›

I want to keep the cornbread taste, just less crumbly! I recommend extra egg yolk, adding corn, and using cast iron to bake. Also, try a little lower temperature.

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.

If you want your corn bread to be less gritty, use a finer grind of corn meal. I use a coarse (polenta) grind cornmeal, and used to soak the cornmeal overnight like @Rob. Lately I've started pre-cooking the cornmeal instead. Mix the cornmeal 1-1 with boiling water, then microwave 3-4 minutes at 50%.

If you undercook it it will be doughy, obviously, and if you overcook it it will be too dry. Where is the sweet spot? 200–209°F (93–98°C). You can check that temperature with your Thermapen® ONE, which is fast enough to give you a true reading without letting the cake cool too much if it isn't done yet.

If, inspite of precautions, if the end result is dry, try any of the following suggestions. - adding an additional egg along with a tablespoon of honey. - replacing some of the liquid ingredients with creamed corn.