GAMMEE’S CORNBREAD

 This is an example of a batter-style quick bread. It’s extremely fast to make, and if you like a textured bread, use a coarsely ground cornmeal. Gammee would use bacon fat leftover from breakfast, rather than olive oil. 

 INGREDIENTS

1 egg

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon baking soda

2/3 cup yellow cornmeal

1/3 cup all-purpose or whole-wheat flour

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 

 DIRECTIONS

 Heat oven to 375˚F.  Grease an 8-inch square or 9-inch round baking pan. 

 In medium bowl, beat egg, sugar, and salt together with fork.  Stir in buttermilk and soda.  Stir in cornmeal, flour, and oil. Mix with a wooden spoon just until batter is smooth.

 Pour into baking pan.  Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire rack.  

Baker’s Note: Buttermilk, the milk left after butter is churned, is also called sour milk. When added to flour along with bicarbonate of soda (called baking or bread soda), a chemical reaction occurs between the acidic buttermilk and alkaline soda that causes the gas production that leavens baked goods. A substitute for buttermilk is soured or “clabbered” milk: 1 cup buttermilk equals 1 teaspoon vinegar plus enough regular milk to make 1 cup. Stir and let stand until the milk begins to curdle (it will look lumpy).