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Home Cooking

Can cornflour be used to make cornbread?

Lady_Tenar | Oct 20, 201210:01 AM 16
Corn Flour Cornmeal Ingredient Substitutions Cornbread

I'm an American currently living in Ireland and I can't seem to find any cornmeal to make cornbread. I have found cornflour but I've never tried making bread with that. The back of the package gives recipes for thickening sauces etc. but does not mention bread or anything like it. Does anyone know if this can be used to make cornbread and, if so, do you have a recipe to share? They do have wonderful buttermilk here so I'd love to make a batch if I can. :-)

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16 Comments

  1. todao In my neck of the woods, corn flour is corn starch and it isn't suitable for making cornbread. You need corn meal, not corn flour...

    In my neck of the woods, corn flour is corn starch and it isn't suitable for making cornbread. You need corn meal, not corn flour. If you tried to use corn starch (flour) to make cornbread you'd end up with a brick.

    1. visciole Can you find polenta? That's just coarse cornmeal and can make a very nice albeit slightly gritty cornbread.

      Can you find polenta? That's just coarse cornmeal and can make a very nice albeit slightly gritty cornbread.

      1. paulj re: visciole Some Italian polenta is a fine grind. I'm guessing the OP's cornflour is the American corn starch, both because I've learned...

        Some Italian polenta is a fine grind.

        I'm guessing the OP's cornflour is the American corn starch, both because I've learned elsewhere that in the UK cornflour is the starch, and because the package talks about thickening sauce.

        We have discussed corn flour, a very fine corn meal grind. That will work in a cornbread. I have also seen recipes for European breads using ground corn. In some countries like Portugal it is a yeast bread. In Greece and the Balkins they make a rustic all corn quick bread.

        1. l
          Lady_Tenar re: paulj Ah yes, it would make sense that "cornflour" means cornstarch here, hence the focus on thickening things. *sigh* I really want to...

          Ah yes, it would make sense that "cornflour" means cornstarch here, hence the focus on thickening things. *sigh* I really want to make some cornbread with my greens! I wonder if a whole foods store will carry the real thing...

          1. paulj re: Lady_Tenar Do you have pinhead oats with about the same texture as corn meal? I can imagine using those in place of corn in a recipe that...

            Do you have pinhead oats with about the same texture as corn meal? I can imagine using those in place of corn in a recipe that uses half (or more) flour. The taste won't be the same, but texture might be reminiscent.

            I like to use oats (usually rolled ones that I've chopped further) in pancakes, and a ginger bread (Yorkshire parkin), but haven't tried them in a unsweetened quick bread.

            Another possible accompaniment for your greens, wholemeal soda bread

            1. l
              Lady_Tenar re: paulj Yeah, soda bread is the back-up but cornbread would be great...

              Yeah, soda bread is the back-up but cornbread would be great...

        2. j
          jounipesonen re: visciole Just do half and half with Corn Masa (now available in Europe - Maseca) Maybe better than 'original' recipes - and do use the...

          Just do half and half with Corn Masa (now available in Europe - Maseca)

          Maybe better than 'original' recipes - and do use the Cast Iron method

        3. chefj You need seek out "Maize Meal" If you know where there are some African Food Shops they may carry it.

          You need seek out "Maize Meal"
          If you know where there are some African Food Shops they may carry it.

          1. t
            TexaninUk I know the feeling will you have, I am a Native Texan now residing in the UK. I am natural born southern cook so for good home made...

            I know the feeling will you have, I am a Native Texan now residing in the UK. I am natural born southern cook so for good home made cornbread using corn flour here is my recipe I created just for Thanksgiving and Christmas.
            1 cup Milk (lowfat or whole)
            •1 Egg
            •1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
            •1 tsp Sea Salt
            •1 Tb Baking Powder
            •1/2 cup Sugar
            •1 cup Unbleached White Flour
            •1 cup Blue Cornflour (depending on the thickness of batter you wish, adjustments on the fly)

            1. s
              Sarmad re: TexaninUk Thanks for this recipe. I have a mixture mostly made up of cornflour and rice. I bought this mixture because I think I am glutton...

              Thanks for this recipe. I have a mixture mostly made up of cornflour and rice. I bought this mixture because I think I am glutton sensitive. Whenever we try to make bread for me we end up with something too hard to eat. Usually we use yeast rather than baking powder. My question here, can I remove the white flower. Will I get normal bread? Thanks

              1. paulj re: Sarmad Best stick with 'gluten-free' recipes. Assuming the corn flour is about as fine as the rice flour, this is not going to produce...

                Best stick with 'gluten-free' recipes. Assuming the corn flour is about as fine as the rice flour, this is not going to produce 'cornbread'. Focus more on the rice flour ingredient than the corn.

                1. s
                  Sarmad re: Sarmad @paulj Thanks for your valuable advice. For someone living in Iraq, I consider myself lucky to find this kind of mixture. We in...

                  @paulj
                  Thanks for your valuable advice. For someone living in Iraq, I consider myself lucky to find this kind of mixture. We in fact have limited choices for these things.

                  1. paulj re: Sarmad To make American style cornbread it helps to have seen or felt American cornmeal. Because corn is used in different ways in different...

                    To make American style cornbread it helps to have seen or felt American cornmeal. Because corn is used in different ways in different cultures it is hard to made the conversion simply by reading.

                    In some countries corn is only use for animal feed - even in the USA most corn is used that way. In others it is used to make a porridge, especially for the poor. Italian polenta is an example. The Balkans also make their versions of a porridge. Africa too. I don't know about Iraq and other parts of the Middle East. The wheat tradition might too strong.

                    Some polenta corn grinds will work to make an American style cornbread. I've seen descriptions of breads made in Greece (especially during war) that sound a lot like cornbread - though with local flavorings like orange and olive oil.

              2. sunshine842 I agree with the sentiment to look for polenta, or to look for a Spanish, Portuguese, or African grocery.

                I agree with the sentiment to look for polenta, or to look for a Spanish, Portuguese, or African grocery.

                1. a
                  alisonk re: sunshine842 Holland and Barrett sell it - I think under the label of maize meal.

                  Holland and Barrett sell it - I think under the label of maize meal.

                2. s
                  Sarmad @paulj Thanks for your valuable advice. For someone living in Iraq, I consider myself lucky to find this kind of mixture. We in...

                  @paulj
                  Thanks for your valuable advice. For someone living in Iraq, I consider myself lucky to find this kind of mixture. We in fact have limited choices for these things.

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