Sourdough Adventures - Cornbread!

Looking for a healthier carb to have with your meal?  How about gluten free sourdough cornbread?

I made a pan of cornbread with the wild yeast/whole wheat sourdough starter and it turned out great.

But I wanted to try my hand at a gluten free version.

I LOVE sourdough bread for the taste AND the health benefits:

Sourdough is:
– easy to digest
– contains the healthy gut bacteria lactobacillus (the same major player in yogurt and kefir)
– has most of the phytic acid  broken down and
– doesn't cause a spike in blood sugar like traditional bread often does (I'm hypoglycemic so this is always a concern)

Gluten Free Sourdough Starter (Adaption from King Author Flour website)

In a minimum one quart glass jar or bowl whisk 1/4 teaspoon French sourdough starter into 1 cup King Aurthur Ancient Grains Flour Blend (a whole grain, gluten-free mixture of amaranth, millet, quinoa and sorghum).

With a wooden spoon (I have best results with sourdough NOT using metal implements) stir in 1/2 cup cool water (non chlorinated filtered water will give you the best results.) Blend this mixture together evenly, and allow it to sit at room temperature overnight, lightly covered with a thin cotton towel.

You should begin to see results within hours. When the starter becomes active following this initial feeding regimen, you’ll finally be able to use it in your first recipe.

Keep in a crock or glass jar with a loose fitting lid for airflow, feeding with equal amounts of gf multipurpose flour and filtered water every couple of days storing it in a very cool place or your fridge.  If you don't use it for a while, remove a cup of the starter and replace with a 1/2 cup each of flour and water, stir and feed again in a couple of days.  It should revive.

The recipe for cornbread is below but if you are making yeast breads and cakes, King Arthur flour website recommends using 1 cup starter in place of 1/2 cup of water/liquid and 1 cup of flour in your recipe.

For the gluten free cornbread.

1 cup GF Sourdough Starter
2 cups cornmeal
1 1/2 cups milk (dairy or nut)
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1/4 cup oil of your choice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Mix milk and lemon juice together and let sit a few minutes.  Preheat oven to 425 F. and lightly grease a 10 inch ovenproof skillet or baking dish.

In a large bowl, combine the starter, cornmeal, milk mixture, sugar and eggs (beaten first).  Stir in the oil, salt and baking soda. If  using a cast iron skillet instead of a  pan, preheat it in the oven for a few minutes, the remove with a potholder and pour in the batter.  Bake 25-30 minutes. (I love cast iron to get that great crunchy crumb to the edge of the cornbread).

If you prefer,  you can make in muffin tins cooking at 400 degrees for about 12-15 minute and don't preheat the pan..