Steve's Cornbread

Howie Bulka
Aug 14
3 min read

Updated: Aug 15

A warm slice of cornbread, hot out of the skillet

Avid readers of Howie’s Recipe of the Month (both of you) have noticed that we did not post a recipe in June. It’s not a coincidence that I was on vacation, in Paris no less, for most of the month. Sometime soon, I’ll share with you my “Bonnes Adresses” and some thoughts about my most happy place, but for now Paris is just a lovely excuse. As I was writing the ‘Weber Weber Chicken Dinner’ menu and recipes that are the July Recipe of the Month, it occurred to me that Steve’s Cornbread would make an excellent addition to that table. So, I am sneaking this ‘special bonus recipe’ into the June slot.

Best,

A fine, from-scratch cornbread, hot from the oven is the best example of traditional American cooking that I know. Skillet cornbread harkens back to a simpler time in America, a time long before Pop Tarts, Impossible Burgers and Instapots. In the days when a hot breakfast was an important part of every day, and families still gathered routinely at the table, any household cook worth their salt could throw together a hearty cornbread, buttery biscuit or flaky piecrust. I am old enough to remember those days and wise enough to reminisce fondly about them.

This is a recipe I have enjoyed for many years. It was developed by Steve Froman, who worked with me as Pastry Chef at The Mandarin Oriental Hotel back in the days when I was a young chef running kitchens in San Francisco. Steve was a truly gifted pastry chef. He was charged with creating the ultimate cornbread recipe, lighter and more delicate than traditional versions, and one that would remain moist long after it was cooked.

We served the cornbread on the lunch menu in Silks, the fine dining restaurant in the hotel, as an accompaniment to a dreamy Lobster and Corn Chowder. We would cook the cornbread to order in a blini pan, a four-inch iron skillet, and serve it hot from the oven in the pan with a dollop of whipped honey butter. It was simple and sublime. Over the years, this recipe has become my go-to cornbread. I’ve never found a better one.

Watch The Video Tutorial Here

Ingredients and Recipe

Yields one 10-Inch Round

165 g Yellow cornmeal
110 g Cake flour (or All-Purpose)
50 g Sugar
½ Tbl Salt
1 Tbl Baking Powder

2 each Egg yolks
306 g Cream
110 g Butter (unsalted, melted)

2 each Egg whites
1 Tbl Sugar

2-3 Tbl Butter or bacon grease (for greasing the pan)

Making Cornbread

While preparing the batter, place a well-seasoned 10-inch cast-iron skillet into a pre-heated, 375-degree oven.

In a large mixing bowl, use a wire whisk to combine the yellow cornmeal, cake flour, first quantity of sugar, salt and baking powder.
In a second bowl, use a wire whisk to combine egg yolks, cream, and first quantity of butter.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredient mix.
Pour the egg yolks, cream, and butter mixture into the well in the dry ingredients and stir well to combine.
In a stand mixer, combine the egg whites and the second quantity of sugar.
Whip the egg whites to soft peaks and fold the whipped egg whites into the batter.
When ready to bake the cornbread, remove the skillet from the oven. And place it over a burner, medium heat.
Working quickly, place 3 tablespoons of butter (or bacon fat) into the skillet. It will begin to sizzle almost immediately. Allow the butter to melt completely, swirling the pan once or twice to coat the side with the melted butter.
Add the batter into the skillet. Even out the batter a bit.
Quickly return the skillet to the oven.
Bake for approximately 15-25 minutes or until the cornbread tests dry when a toothpick is poked into the center. Do not under-bake. The cornbread should be golden brown on top.
Remove the skillet from the oven. Turn the cornbread over onto a plate, proudly revealing the golden-brown bottom side, or serve directly from the skillet as you prefer.

Serve the cornbread warm from the oven with soft butter and honey.