On 6/14/2010 7:15 PM, sf wrote:
> On Mon, 14 Jun 2010 15:30:25 -0700 (PDT), itsjoannotjoann
> > wrote:
>
>> On Jun 14, 2:31 pm, Ran e at Arabian >
>> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>> I have had "real" southern cornbread and I thought it was gritty,
>>> crumbly and dry. I didn't care for it.
>>>
>>>
>> If your sampling of southern cornbread was gritty, crumbly, and dry
>> then the maker does not know how to make cornbread. It was overcooked
>> and not enough fat in it when it was put in the oven. That being said
>> I do put a tablespoon of sugar in my cornmeal batter.
>
> That the dry, crumbly and gritty cornbread experience was mine too.
> After I found a recipe that wasn't straight cornmeal, the texture
> improved vastly. I also like the addition of a little sugar, but I
> don't want a lot of it. I prefer more savory cornbread with chili and
> if I want it sweet, I'll eat it with honey.

Cornmeal, buttermilk, baking soda, a little salt, works fine if you have
good cornmeal. Preheat the pan, melt some butter in it. If it turns
out too tart try a little more baking soda. Or you can make it with
baking powder instead which leaves most of the flavor of the buttermilk.

But don't try to make a loaf out of it--you want a batter, not a
dough--if you're trying to make a dough out of it that's probably your
problem.