Really good with chilli. Best eaten while still warm from the oven, it doesn’t keep well.

Heat the oven to 200C and grease and line an eight inch square cake tin.If your tin is too large, the cornbread will be thinner like in the photo above. I made a half quantity but the tin must have been bigger than half.

There are two parts to this recipe:

Mix the following dry ingredients:

  • 1 cup cornmeal (maize flour, fine polenta – same stuff)
  • 3/4 cup plain flour
  • 1 tbs caster sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt.

In another bowl mix:

  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (at a pinch use half plain yogurt half milk)
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 6 tbs melted butter

Combine the two bowls to make a batter. Pour into the cake tin and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Test by sticking a knife blade in the top, if no goo sticks to the knife it is ready. Leave in the tin for 10 minutes then turn it out and cut into squares. Great for sponging up chilli juices.

Alternative version without buttermilk:

  • 1 cup plain flour
  • 1 cup cornmeal
  • 3.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1-3 tbs sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 beaten egg

Mix the lot into a batter and fill a 9″ greased skillet. Cook at 200C for 25 minutes.