Double-Corn Corn Bread with Fresh Thyme
Joanne Chang's book, Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe
The recipe!
Once you've assembled all the ingredients, it's a piece of cake -- er, bread.
First, you make a slurry from brown sugar, melted butter and canola oil.
Then you whisk in the dairy: eggs, milk and -- wait for it -- crème fraiche! No wonder I like this recipe.
You gently fold in the dry ingredients, leaving a few streaks.
And finally, you fold in the corn kernels (I used frozen) and thyme.
I spread the batter into an iron baking pan, whose even heat is great for breads like this -- just make sure to check for doneness a little earlier than recommended!
The batter is smooth and rich.
The smell that comes from the oven as the bread bakes is truly delicious.
Author Notes: About a decade ago (yikes, has it really been that long?), I found myself working behind the counter of what was then an unassuming but highly respected local bakery in the South End of Boston. Flour was -- and is -- owned and run by Joanne Chang. This fall, she published her first cookbook, Flour: Spectacular Recipes from Boston's Flour Bakery + Cafe. In it, she shares the recipes for many of the pastries and breads I remember fondly from my days at Flour. Joanne's cornbread is tender and faintly sweet from a touch of brown sugar, and the thyme makes it smell absolutely incredible as it's baking. And the batter comes together in under ten minutes. That's my kind of bread recipe. Oh, and did I mention it calls for crème fraiche? —Merrill Stubbs
Makes: about 12 squares
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1 cup (200 grams) coarse yellow cornmeal
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2 1/2 cups (350 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
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2 teaspoons baking powder
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1 teaspoon baking soda
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1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
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1/4 cup (56 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
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1/4 cup (50 grams) canola oil
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1/4 cup (55 grams) packed light brown sugar
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2 eggs
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1 cup (240 grams) milk
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3/4 cup (180 grams) crème fraiche
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1 cup (160 grams) fresh or frozen corn kernels
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1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- Position a rack in the center of the oven, and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
- In a a large bowl, stir together the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until combined. In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, oil and brown sugar until a thick slurry forms. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, and then whisk in the milk and creme fraiche.
- Pour the egg-sugar mixture into the cornmeal mixture, and then, using a rubber spatula, fold together until all of the cornmeal is completely incorporated. Fold in the corn kernels and the thyme until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter. The batter will be thick and pasty. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.
- Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is light golden brown and the center springs back when you poke it in the middle with a fingertip. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack, then cut into about 12 serving pieces.
- The corn bread can be stored, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the freezer for up to 2 weeks. If frozen, thaw at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours and refresh in a 300-degree-F over for 8 minutes, or refresh, directly from the freezer, in a 300-degree-F over for 15 to 18 minutes.
- This recipe is a Community Pick!
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Bread|Grains|Make Ahead|Vegetarian|Breakfast
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Just made this today. Used olive oil instead of canola, sour cream instead of creme fraiche ( because those were what I had on hand) and added diced anaheim peppers because I had to use up the crazy bounty of peppers from my CSA this year. Still very yummy! Not too sweet, tender center and with a superb outside crust!
Could this be turned into muffins?
Merrill is a co-founder of Food52.
I don't see why not! I'd cut way back on the cooking time, though -- start checking around 20 minutes, maybe?
I made this over the weekend for Thanksgiving and froze it, but this morning my son told me at 7:30 am today that he needed something for a potluck at school, so I made up another batch, only had half the amount of creme fraiche needed, so I substituted buttermilk for the other half and used everything else as directed and it still came out tasting and looking great, we were out the door by 8:30, although it was still cooling.
Agree with blue_iris - this one is a keeper. Mixes up in no time and tastes great. I have to confess to making two changes: I used buttermilk in place of regular milk and I had no creme fraiche at home, so I used (ahem) Philadelphia. Still turned out nicely and will definitely make it again!!
This is the best cornbread I have ever tasted. Great corn flavor, not sweet, Wonderful crunch and crumb. This recipe is a real keeper.
I had to make a special trip to the grocers to get the creme fraiche. Several websites said that greek yogurt or sour cream may be used as a substitute for creme fraiche. I may just try the Greek yogurt, as that is a staple in my house.
Sounds really similar to one I do, but minus the sugar and adding some sauteed spring onions and red chillies. I do mine in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet for a delectable crust. Love all of your posts.
Merrill is a co-founder of Food52.
Thanks so much! Your version sounds delicious.
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