Sourdough Honey Cornbread

I’m convinced this Sourdough Honey Cornbread could go with any meal. Baked in a cast-iron skillet, it’s the perfect side for Thanksgiving, dipped into chili or soup, or as a sweet snack on its own with butter and drizzled honey.

There are many ways to make sourdough cornbread- from savory to sweet, dry to moist, and simple to loaded with inclusions. This sourdough discard cornbread undoubtedly falls into the sweet, moist, and simple category- akin to Jiffy or Krusteaz boxed cornbread.

The easy sourdough cornbread is made with everyday ingredients and baked in a cast-iron skillet for a moist center and crunchy edges.

It has some natural sweetness from honey, and tang from sourdough discard and buttermilk.

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👨‍🍳 Tips for Making Sourdough Honey Cornbread

1. Use Medium-Grind Cornmeal

• Fine or medium-grind yellow cornmeal works best for this sourdough cornbread recipe. Coarse-grind cornmeal will lead to a grittier experience.
• I prefer a medium grind, so you get some texture from the cornmeal in the bread, or a mix of fine- and medium-grind cornmeal.
• Stone-ground cornmeal is similar to whole-wheat flour in that some of the hull and germ remain intact, delivering more flavor. Stone-ground is my preference when baking with cornmeal!

2. Don’t Overmix the Batter

• A tender cake is made by not overmixing the batter. Overmixing results in gluten development, which is suitable for bread, but not for pastries, cakes, biscuits, or muffins.
• Therefore, only mix the cornbread batter until the wet and dry ingredients are incorporated.

3. Preheat the Cast Iron Skillet

• Preheat your oven and cast-iron skillet at the same time. Cast iron takes longer to heat but retains heat more than other cooking equipment (hence, even baking like in my Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls).
• Preheating the cast-iron skillet will also ensure you get browner and crispier edges.

4. Use Neutral Oil

• Buttermilk and sourdough discard add moisture to the cornbread batter, but neutral oil is the key to a moist cornbread, such as in my Sourdough Zucchini Muffins or Sourdough Apple Cider Upside-Down Cake
• Additionally, neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil keeps the cornbread moist for days and helps it rise higher than cornbread only made with butter.

5. Use a Good Honey

• The natural sweetness of honey is unmatched in this sweet honey cornbread recipe. As almost a ½ cup of honey is in the recipe, I recommend using high-quality honey for the best results.

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🛠 Tools Needed

• Baking Scale, to ensure your ingredients are measured accurately for best results.
• Cast-iron Skillet
  • I prefer baking cornbread in a cast-iron skillet for even baking and browner edges. I use this 10″ cast-iron skillet from Lodge.
  • Alternatively, you can use a 9″ or 10″ cake pan. Ensure you don’t fill the pan up too high so it doesn’t overflow.
• Whisk, for mixing

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🛒 Ingredients Needed for Sourdough Cornbread

• Cornmeal
  • Medium-grind cornmeal gives some texture to the cornbread without compromising the structure. Fine cornmeal will also work for this recipe. Make sure the cornmeal is yellow for the classic cornbread color.
  • Try my Sourdough Corn Cookies if you love corn recipes!
• All-purpose Flour
  • Adding flour makes a less crumbly cornbread, which is the preference for this sweet honey cornbread.
  • To make gluten-free sourdough cornbread, use cup-for-cup or measure-for-measure.
• Salt
• Baking Powder and Baking Soda
• Sourdough Starter (or sourdough discard)
  • You can use an active sourdough starter or unfed sourdough discard for this cornbread recipe. The sourdough is not leavening in this recipe.
• Honey
  • This honey cornbread is only sweetened with honey. Honey adds richness and complexity to the cornbread, without being overly sweet.
• Buttermilk
  • The acidity of the buttermilk (and sourdough starter) interact with the baking soda to help it rise, stay moist, and tender. It also adds extra tang to balance the sweetness.
• Eggs, to bind the ingredients and help it rise.
• Neutral Oil
  • A neutral oil like vegetable oil, grapeseed, or canola oil will keep your cornbread moist, tender, and keep fresh longer.
• Unsalted Butter, for richness and gives the cornbread a crispy crust.

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🌽🍯 How to Make Sourdough Honey Cornbread

Follow this visual and detailed guide to help you make the best Sourdough Honey Cornbread.

1. Mix Dry Ingredients

Place your dry cast-iron skillet in the oven and preheat the oven.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients and set aside.

2. Whisk Wet Ingredients

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk the wet ingredients until fully incorporated.

3. Mix the Sourdough Cornbread Batter

Dump all of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredient bowl.

Mix the batter until you see no more dry spots of cornmeal and flour remaining.

It’s okay if some lumps remain, just like making Sourdough Buttermilk Pancake Mix [and Sourdough Pancakes] or Sourdough Pumpkin Waffles. The batter will be quite wet.

4. Bake

Add unsalted butter to the hot cast iron skillet, close the oven door, and let it melt.

Once the butter melts, remove the hot skillet from the oven (use oven mitts!).

Pour the cornbread batter into the cast iron skillet.

Bake for 15-18 minutes. The cornbread is done when the top is golden brown, the edges pull away slightly from the sides, and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing and digging in!

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How to Serve Sourdough Honey Cornbread

This sourdough cornbread is hard to beat with softened butter and a drizzle of honey on top.

Serve sourdough cornbread slightly warm or at room temperature.

The cornbread is excellent as a side with dinner, chili, stew, or soup, or as a Thanksgiving or BBQ side in the summer.

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How to Store Sourdough Honey Cornbread

This sourdough cornbread stays moist for days. In addition, the neutral oil and sourdough discard help to preserve it longer than other cornbreads.

Wrap the cornbread in aluminum foil for up to 3 days at room temperature.

You can keep the cornbread in the refrigerator to extend its storage time by another day or two.

To freeze cornbread, wrap it in plastic wrap and keep it in the freezer for 3-4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in an oven at 350ºF (177ºC).

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❓ Sourdough Honey Cornbread FAQs