Fresh baked bread on a Sunday morning by lemasney
Baking cornbread rather than buying it
I have decided recently to stop buying baked goods like cornbread and start making my own. Flour, sugar and other raw ingredients are far cheaper than the packaged, processed breads, crusts, and other baked goods. The act of cooking gives you a sense of pride and accomplishment. The fact that I know exactly precisely what is going into my baked goods means that I have control and agency with it. I have been doing a lot of stove-top cooking lately, and I decided that it was time to begin learning more deeply about the baking side. I’ve made plenty of breads in the past, and so I knew how easy it was to do and what great rewards came from it.
I was looking for a reasonable idea for dessert for my boys, who I visit with a few times a week, and cornbread seemed like just the thing. I recently told them that we were going to stop getting donuts and pretzels at Wawa for snacks, and start making most of our own food during our visits. Not only did they understand the financial reasoning behind it, they genuinely love to help me cook, and seem to enjoy the food that they helped to make far more than the processed foods we used to purchase. This may have started as a temporary fix to help pinch some pennies, but it is making more nutritional, philosophical, and emotional sense now too.
Simple Cornbread
This recipe has some great nutritional value: it’s vegetarian, low in fat, low in sugar, has whole grains, good oil, and is a great vehicle for nuts, fruit, or greens, like sauteed spinach.
- 1 cup stone ground corn meal
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup raw sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 cup water
- 1 egg
In two bowls, combine the dry ingredients separately from the wet ingredients. Then slowly mix in the wet into the dry. Do not over-mix but mix until smooth. Pour into a oiled loaf pan and bake at 425 degrees Fahrenheit for 25 minutes.
Enjoy with tea, coffee, or as part of a meal.
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