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Southerners have made fun of Northern cornbread for a long time. Mark Twain famously said, “Perhaps no bread in the world is quite as good as Southern corn bread and perhaps no bread is quite so bad as the Northern imitation of it.”
The two cornbreads are so different, Mr. Twain! And today, we’re paying homage to this sweet Yankee version.
Northern bread is typically sweetened, which leads its critics to call it cake. (Though, in its defense, it’s not that sweet!) It’s also often made with more white flour than cornmeal – another point of contention. But New Englanders adore it.
Yankee cornbread can play the part of a dinner roll at any meal, especially beside a plate of chicken, or more often, a bowl of chili. I use canola oil in the batter (instead of bacon fat or butter) to give the bread a firm but moist texture, which makes it easy to cut.
I add Greek yogurt to my version, which is definitely not a traditional addition, but I think it balances the stoneground cornmeal in the nicest way. I also tip the flour balance more toward cornmeal because it adds a deliciously nutty flavor and pleasing gritty texture to the bread.
Don’t worry, New Englanders! This bread is still slightly sweet.
To make this bread, you need a bowl and a wooden spoon – nothing more – and a rectangular baking pan. Stack the warm squares on a platter and pass the chili.
Yankee Cornbread Recipe
If you can find it, use stoneground cornmeal in this recipe. It adds a deliciously nutty flavor and texture to the bread.
Ingredients
- Butter (for the pan)
- Flour (for the pan)
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup canola oil
- 2 cups plain Greek yogurt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 cups yellow cornmeal, preferably stoneground
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
Special equipment:
- 9x13-inch baking pan
Method
1 Heat the oven to 375F. Butter a 9x13-inch baking pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.
2 Prepare the batter: In a bowl large enough to hold all the ingredients, stir together the eggs, canola oil, and yogurt until smooth. Stir in the sugar followed by the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Keep stirring until no pockets of dry ingredients show.
3 Bake the cornbread: Pour the batter into the pan and use an offset spatula or regular spatula to smooth the top. Bake the cornbread for 35 minutes, or until it is uniformly golden brown on top and firm in the middle. Set on a rack to cool for 10 minutes.
4 Slice the cornbread: Make 2 vertical slices and 5 horizontal slices to form 18 squares. Lift them from the pan and serve with butter.
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Sheryl Julian is an award-winning writer, editor, and food stylist. She is the former food editor of The Boston Globe, co-author of The Way We Cook, and editor of The New Boston Globe Cookbook. Her food sections won Best Newspaper Food Coverage from the Association of Food Journalists in 2015.
Yankee Cornbread
Can you tell me a substitution for canola oil?
Hi, Carla! I’d use another neutral-flavored cooking oil like grapeseed oil. I think you could also safely use melted butter or coconut oil too. You could possibly use olive oil, but if you do, expect a stronger olive oil taste in the cornbread (which I think would be pretty good! But it’s certainly not traditional.)
Hi Emma I did it with the butter but it ended up different … double size
Not sure what I did wrong, but this bread tasted like baking soda and didn’t hold together well. Sounds like everyone else loved it though.
Flavour was good, but ended there for me.
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Great cornbread recipe! I’m really picky about cornbread, and loved this recipe.
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Just made this recipe for the first time. However, I didn’t have Greek yogurt on hand. So, I used what I had: ricotta cheese! I substituted a small (15 oz) container for the 2 cups of yogurt. Of course, I had to use an electric mixer to properly blend everything and it needed an extra five minutes in the oven. Turned out great!
can a non gluten flour be substituted for the all purpose flour? what alternative flours do you suggest?
hello Eric! My GF friends tell me they use King Arthur gluten-free flour in place of all-purpose, so perhaps you can try that (or use another brand you prefer). I have not tried it in this cornbread but it’s only 1 cup, so give it a go. Happy Baking!
My daughter is gluten free – she uses Cup4Cup in place of all-purpose flour. It can be purchased at Whole Foods.